M. C. Gritzner to E. B. Washburne

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Washington D.C. Aug. 17 /61

To the Hon. E. B. Washburne

Galena

My dear Sir

The article mentioning your name and that of the Hon. I. Kellogg, which I sent to the Baltimore Werker, New York Abendzeitung, Chicago Staatszeitung and Galena Correspondent appeared in all those papers as well as in our National Intelligencer and other english papers.

We were startled the other day by reading amongst the official news from Washington in the New York papers that Colonel A. Schimmelfennig's authority for raising a regiment in Philadelphia had been revoked. If you take into consideration that the first authority of a similar kind ever before revoked was one which had been conferred on one Seidl who kept a house of ill fame in the city of New York and that the second revocation referred to A. Schimmelfennig a name which lives in the mouth of my countrymen together with Siegel's, Struve's, and Hecker's names --

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you will not be surprised at the fact that the mass of the germans of this city felt their indignation roused at an insult flung out against one of the celebrities of '48 and '49, against a man honored by his countrymen, who has shown his devotion to the principles of republican liberty as well as undaunted bravery and rare ability as a commander on the battle fields of Schleswig -Holstein and Baden in which latter country he commanded a corps d'armie of 4500 men and 12 pieces of artillery and acquired celebrity in the battles of Anweiler (where he was twice wounded), Boschweier, and Rastatt. It was a universal outcry of indignation that rang through all the ranks of the germans here and even personal enemies of his (who is the noble and prominent man who has none?) came forward and expressed their indignation louder than others. We held at once an informal meeting in which it was resolved that we owe it to us germans as a component part of the population

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of this country, that we owe it to the people of Germany, and that we owe it to A. Schimmelfennig who is down with the small pox, confined in the hospital at Philadelphia and unconscious of this foul attack (hatched out we have every reason to believe by a parcel of tavernkeepers, beerbrewers, clothing store men and others who without any military qualifications and in many cases lacking an unblemished character and a respectable name, by means of money, beer, and bragadoccio have collected and do command companies and regiments and have leagued together for the purpose of keeping out of the arena men of respectability and military ability and knowledge) to which I have no doubt the government lent its hand under some false but nevertheless highly reprehensible impression - that we owe it I say to our countrymen, to ourselves and to Schimelfennig to request the Government to give to the latter public and full satisfaction and if against our expectation this should be refused, to call a mass meeting of the Germans of this city

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and invite the germans of Philadelphia, New York, and other cities to similar proceedings for the purpose of giving public expression to our indignation. I as requested by the gentlemen composing the meeting to repair to the war department and if necessary to see the President and there to seek a suitable reparation for the injury inflicted. In the war department - the Secretary being absent - I explained the object of our mission to the chief clerk who assured me at once that he knew nothing of the revocation, that he perfectly understood the grave nature of the mistake - probably committed by inadvertence (?) of some inferior official - that he would find out who committed it and would make it his special object to make immediate and ample reparation. The investigation brought to light that the assistant adjutant general had made out the revocation on the ground that the mustering officer at Philadelphia had reported that Col. Schimmelfennig had only one company and but a small

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prospect of ever completing his regiment and that the time granted to the Colonel was out. I explained to the gentleman that Schimmelfennig had four companies almost complete in Philadelphia and one in Baltimore, that his time would not be out before the 28th of this month and that although he is down with the small pox and has been so for more than a fortnight, his friends had actively taken hold of the organization of the regiment, for him to take command of it as soon as recovered. I added that the Colonel having lived a retired life almost exclusively devoted to arduous military studies and rarely seen in any public place and therefore without influential american friends, besides being poor and sick - would probably not succeed in raising his regiment, but that in such a case the loss would very likely be greater on the part of our cause than on his own because if we shall succeed in beating the Beauregards, Johnstons, and Lees, it will have to be done by just such men as Col. Schimmelfennig and not by a corps of tavern keepers, beerbrewers, ward politicians and so forth. The chief clerk ordered at

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once a new authority to be conferred on the Colonel a letter of explanation to be written to him and an official refutation of the impression created to be attempted in the papers. I then drew up the following telegram which the department dispatched at once to the press and which on the morning of the 16th appeared in all the leading papers.

THE GOVERNMENT ANXIOUS TO PROCURE THE SERVICES OF OFFICERS OF DISTINCTION.

Information obtained at the proper department warrants the statement that the authority conferred on Colonel Schimmelfennig, of Philadelphia, is not revoked, as recently stated, but on the contrary, the government is anxious to secure the services and active co-operation of military officers of high professional distinction.

On the evening of the 15th our german citizens met again to receive my report and then appointed a committee from amongst themselves of which I was made the chairman, said committee to meet every day during the whole time of the organisation of Col. Schimmelfennig's Regiment and to assist such organisation by means of correspondence with men of position and influence, with the press, and by other such means as may seem proper to us.

One of the first resolutions of this body was to address General Siegel and Col. Hecker both friends of Schimmelfennig, and for the purpose of asking from them a brief statement of the historical facts connected

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with Schimmelfennigs career which endorsed by their names well known to the american public would (if published in our leading newspapers) more than anything else enable us to defeat the machinations of the clique above referred to.

I was also requested by the committee to write to you honored Sir, upon whom we germans look as one of the truest friends we have on the floors of Congress, and state to you the facts of the case and appeal to that kind regard you have always shown for the german element, for the purpose of soliciting your powerful influence in favor of Col. Schimmelfennig and his regiment. Without presuming to specify in which manner this your influence might be best employed for the purpose I take the liberty to point to the fact that the influence of the congressional delegations of various states has been successfully exerted in favor of gentlemen recommended for high military positions.

So far I have written on this matter by request of the Committee. But now allow me to speak a word to you as my kind personal friend. I doubt that

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with all our exertions we will be able to overcome the difficulties thrown in the way of the completion of S's regiment by the fact of his sickness (which will yet detain him in the hospital another fortnight) and by that treacherous coup above related. In fact it appears as if none of the colonels lately authorized to raise german regiments would succeed -- Some cannot get any men at all. The department will finally be compelled to take the companies such as sworn in and belonging to incomplete regiments and combine them under one colonel to be selected by the government. If you can throw such influence in favor of my friend as to induce our government to hand five or six such companies over to him then (and in my opinion by only such means) will his regiment be completed, and we will at once be enabled to send against our enemies an officer not by any means inferior to Siegel. This I repeat is my private idea and did not originate with the committee or any others. As a matter of course I did not nor intend I to communicate it to others but you, because if emanating from me or any other of S's friends it might place him in a false light.

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I have no news from here except if it be news to you that the confidence in a government under which Mr Cameron is at the head of the most important department is rapidly on the wane and that people begin to ask "what are we fighting for? is it for the clothing, provision, &c contracts of Mr Cameron and his favorites? Surely it is not against slavery, no doubt about that." Without a principle to fight for we can not expect to achieve great things but must be prepared to be beaten. Our great evil is "corruption" an entire want of honesty of purpose. Honesty is more apt to be found with extreme parties, with men who have all along occupied an ostracised position for the sake of their convictions and who have had the energy to bear up with the unpleasant consequences of such a position. I together with many of my friends begin to lean strongly towards abolitionism, we begin to be tired of half way matters and parties.

Excuse dear Sir, the quite improper

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length of this epistle and remember kindly

Your humble and devoted friend

M. C. Gritzner

NB. Our secretary of State appointed a gentleman consul to Mexico who acted as salesman in one of the cigar stores here during his temporary stay in this city, and sold lemonade and sandwiches to the soldiers in one of the camps - Fact - I am an eye witness - What you say to that?

Yours &C

M. C. G.

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Aug. 19. 1861. I send these papers on although the official scream of distress which rings this morning through the papers calling for all the regiments and companies complete or incomplete in the North and East to hasten here even if it be without arms and equipments - may break up the regiment of Schimmelfennig and have the effect to scatter the companies he has, among different regiments. However this may be I can assure you that I would feel a good deal safer in this our capital if I knew McClellan to have a couple of Brigadiers such as Siegel and Schimmelfennig under him and that whoever lifts our Schimmelfennig from his obscure position in this country into one of high command, will - I pledge my word for it -- never have reason to regret it.

I shall write again after a couple of days.

Yours &c

M. C. G.