Ft. Smith, Ark.,
March 18, 1864
Mr. Editor :–
In reading your paper of Feb. the 20th I see an article addressed to the citizens of Clark County, written by Mr. Lyons, the recruiting officer for said county, purporting to be a reply to a resolution passed by the recruits of said county at Ft. Des Moines, Jan. 8th, 1864.
The writer of this does allege that A. H. Burrows told him that he, (Mr. A. Lyons) on making application to him (Burrows) for a recommendation as a suitable person for recruiting officer, told him (Burrows) that He was going in the United States army, which he says is false. He says in regard to the second charge, that he told some of the citizens that he intended to go in the service and that he is still in the same conmfortable [sic] fix. The writer does not doubt that there are hundreds at home, and likely to remain there in equally as comfortable a fix as Mr. Lyons. That they would assert three times a day, if the opportunity would present itself, that they would sacrifice their property and lives for the maintenance of the Union. But alas, when an opportunity presents itself, by the authority of the government for them to make good their assertions! Their patriotism fails them, and they say to others, “You go, I have houses and land and unless I can profitably dispose of them I cannot go.” So says Mr. Lyons. It seems notwithstanding the great disappointment he incurred last fall in not getting a hand, he deliberately and voluntarily, of his own free will and accord, made application for a commission and through true motives of patriotism made the great sacrifice, and left the domestic circle to act as recruiting agent for the government. You may ask the question, why Mr. Lyons has made this great sacrifice? I do not know that I can answer the question. Let it suffice for the present for me to say that he gets fifteen dollars for every competent recruit he delivers at the office of the District Marshal. It is a fact that cannot be contradicted that there is thousands of men in the North who could leave their families well to live, that will never join the army as a private, but who would readily leave their families if they had an assurance that they would get an office in the army. Mr. Lyons talks different from what he did when he first took the field under Uncle Sam. He then said that our brother soldiers in the field had borne the heat and burden of the day, and now called upon us at home to contribute our mite, so that they could return home to enjoy the fruit of their labor.
At the time he was at Lacelle, beating up for volunteers, he did not ask you whether you could leave your family in a position to live within themselves; or what disposition you could make of your farms, and stock, but said to you that had no farms, that you could make more in the army than you could at home, and to you that had farms and stock, that you were men that should go, from the fact that you had the means to support your families while you were in the army, and at the same time added that “he was going to leave his concerns, and was going in the service.” But instead of making good his assertion, we find him at home publishing false accusations against the volunteers.
As to the recruits being prevented from re-enlisting at Indianola, by Mr. Lyons, it is a false assertion, and only could emanate from something in the shape of Anderson Lyons. While he has arrayed us before the people of Clark Co. for trying to desert them, and to represent another county, he has forgotten to tell them that he left a part of us on the streets at Indianola, and we had to procure our own lodgings, and pay for the same out of our own pockets, and then he refused to refund the money until we complained of the to the district Marshal. –
After slandering and misrepresenting his recruits to cap the climax, he then challenges any one of them to single combat in order to prove his patriotism. Allow me through your columns to accept his proposition. I will say here, as I am the challenged party, according to the dueling code, I have the choice of weapons, place and manner of fighting. As to arms I propose [a] squirt gun, not more than one-half inch [missing text] nor more than twelve inches long, of the [missing text] approved pattern, to be chosen by our [missing text] onds. Place of fighting. South of [Oceola] on White Breast, at some point where [missing text] the is not less than ten paces wide, the contending parties to take their respective positions on either side of the creek, then and there forever to decide which has been the most valiant soldier in defense of political liberty. Time of fighting to be thirty days after the independence of the Confederate States of America is acknowledged.
Please give room for the above in your paper, and oblige your friend and obedient servant.
Wm. Ford
We, the undersigned, do hereby Certify that Mr. A. Lyons did say at the time he was recruiting for the Government, in Clark County, December last, that the time for volunteering would expire on the fifth day of the next month, and furthermore that he was going in the United States Service when he delivered his recruits at Ft. Des Moines, and we furthermore do certify that the charges preferred against us recruits for the 18th Reg. for wanting to re-enlisting at Indianola, for a home bounty is positively false.
Soloman Thomas
Nathan Thomas
Stephen Stiverson
William H. Burham
– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, April 9, 1864
March 18, 1864
Mr. Editor :–
In reading your paper of Feb. the 20th I see an article addressed to the citizens of Clark County, written by Mr. Lyons, the recruiting officer for said county, purporting to be a reply to a resolution passed by the recruits of said county at Ft. Des Moines, Jan. 8th, 1864.
The writer of this does allege that A. H. Burrows told him that he, (Mr. A. Lyons) on making application to him (Burrows) for a recommendation as a suitable person for recruiting officer, told him (Burrows) that He was going in the United States army, which he says is false. He says in regard to the second charge, that he told some of the citizens that he intended to go in the service and that he is still in the same conmfortable [sic] fix. The writer does not doubt that there are hundreds at home, and likely to remain there in equally as comfortable a fix as Mr. Lyons. That they would assert three times a day, if the opportunity would present itself, that they would sacrifice their property and lives for the maintenance of the Union. But alas, when an opportunity presents itself, by the authority of the government for them to make good their assertions! Their patriotism fails them, and they say to others, “You go, I have houses and land and unless I can profitably dispose of them I cannot go.” So says Mr. Lyons. It seems notwithstanding the great disappointment he incurred last fall in not getting a hand, he deliberately and voluntarily, of his own free will and accord, made application for a commission and through true motives of patriotism made the great sacrifice, and left the domestic circle to act as recruiting agent for the government. You may ask the question, why Mr. Lyons has made this great sacrifice? I do not know that I can answer the question. Let it suffice for the present for me to say that he gets fifteen dollars for every competent recruit he delivers at the office of the District Marshal. It is a fact that cannot be contradicted that there is thousands of men in the North who could leave their families well to live, that will never join the army as a private, but who would readily leave their families if they had an assurance that they would get an office in the army. Mr. Lyons talks different from what he did when he first took the field under Uncle Sam. He then said that our brother soldiers in the field had borne the heat and burden of the day, and now called upon us at home to contribute our mite, so that they could return home to enjoy the fruit of their labor.
At the time he was at Lacelle, beating up for volunteers, he did not ask you whether you could leave your family in a position to live within themselves; or what disposition you could make of your farms, and stock, but said to you that had no farms, that you could make more in the army than you could at home, and to you that had farms and stock, that you were men that should go, from the fact that you had the means to support your families while you were in the army, and at the same time added that “he was going to leave his concerns, and was going in the service.” But instead of making good his assertion, we find him at home publishing false accusations against the volunteers.
As to the recruits being prevented from re-enlisting at Indianola, by Mr. Lyons, it is a false assertion, and only could emanate from something in the shape of Anderson Lyons. While he has arrayed us before the people of Clark Co. for trying to desert them, and to represent another county, he has forgotten to tell them that he left a part of us on the streets at Indianola, and we had to procure our own lodgings, and pay for the same out of our own pockets, and then he refused to refund the money until we complained of the to the district Marshal. –
After slandering and misrepresenting his recruits to cap the climax, he then challenges any one of them to single combat in order to prove his patriotism. Allow me through your columns to accept his proposition. I will say here, as I am the challenged party, according to the dueling code, I have the choice of weapons, place and manner of fighting. As to arms I propose [a] squirt gun, not more than one-half inch [missing text] nor more than twelve inches long, of the [missing text] approved pattern, to be chosen by our [missing text] onds. Place of fighting. South of [Oceola] on White Breast, at some point where [missing text] the is not less than ten paces wide, the contending parties to take their respective positions on either side of the creek, then and there forever to decide which has been the most valiant soldier in defense of political liberty. Time of fighting to be thirty days after the independence of the Confederate States of America is acknowledged.
Please give room for the above in your paper, and oblige your friend and obedient servant.
Wm. Ford
We, the undersigned, do hereby Certify that Mr. A. Lyons did say at the time he was recruiting for the Government, in Clark County, December last, that the time for volunteering would expire on the fifth day of the next month, and furthermore that he was going in the United States Service when he delivered his recruits at Ft. Des Moines, and we furthermore do certify that the charges preferred against us recruits for the 18th Reg. for wanting to re-enlisting at Indianola, for a home bounty is positively false.
Soloman Thomas
Nathan Thomas
Stephen Stiverson
William H. Burham
– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, April 9, 1864
