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TV the Citizens of* Captain Gregg's District,
Twiggs Comity,
I never did to the best of my knowledge and belief,
against ail individual who I thought had any character, cir
culate any circumstance calculated to wound his most deli
cate feelings.* Ho far as I have been able, I think I can
safely say, there is no person in this community, if he.had
anv character, however humble and insignificant in the
scheme of Providence—but has always been the peculiar ob
ject of my care and protection. And yet with all these in
nate, heaven-born and philanthropic feelings and principled
that have jnarked and characterized jny life, and do notorious
among you, I have had the misfortune to loose the good opin-"
ion ot a little man in your district calling himself “MAT-.
THE VY Rf)BEIiTHON”-=M have been accused, by thism
sed, oi bringing into doubt his Patriotism and love of country
—thereby not only corrupting the main ocean of character
and respectability; but by its baneful apd contaminating in
fluence, has considerably lessened the dignity and importance
of all the tributary branches. I have been accused, by this
nolor.ous coward, in his letters to Maj. Henry Loyless, of ma
king use of bis name as a “ DgSLRTEa/rcro the Jirmy” Ac.
and ii * says, the same is a “base He, a “slanderous falsehood,”
Ac. In these letters” he further says, he did not
“desert”— but “there was perhaps more reason to suspect him of a
hznd-.nmsnt, than of desertion” and “that there is a striking and
important difference between desertion and the abandonment of a
post in the army”— and when convinced by Maj. Loyless that
there is no difference in the meaning of the words “desertion
and abandonment” as applied to his conduct in the army fas
reported,) he turns rightabout and says he only “obsquatvla
ted ” Did you ever- hear of such quibbling—siioir-coiitempt
ible subterfuge?—Would any person but Robertson,
hut a consumatc Uoward have resorted Vo such pitiful means
“to screen” himself from a direct charge of “deserlicnV' lie
says further—“l (Matthew) never heard of the charge of
desertion, until my first letter to you” (Mr. Loyless) of the
U)th of June last. And at the same time insinuates, that the
charge originated with me—r-and then very cautiously adds,
“on e when / (Matthew) was a candidate in Bibb county, I
heard of Dr. Baber having mentioned the circumstance of my
being arrested in a manner, which I thought teas intended to in
jure my Elert'on.” Now Matthew Robertson. knows full
well, this charge never originated with me—That while in the
Seminole campaign, I had no knowledge of him or the cir
cumstances of his arrest, but by report—That Dr. Baber oc
cupied a subordinate situation, in the army, under me, teas bet
ter calculated to establish “his identity” and know more of the
circumstances than myself-—That my first acquintance with
him (Matthew) was in Macon, (long since) when it was no
torious before my establishment in that place, that Matthew
Robertson was the man who had “deserted his post in the ,Jr
■my”—and that Dr. Baber, as I was informed, first gave it
publicity. Take all these cii'Qumstances together, in con
uecrion with 'he annexed certificate of Win. B. Cone mark
ed No, l—-the conduct of Dr. Baber, as confessed by Ro
he tson, and I think you will fulfv. acquit'me pf having fabri
cated the charge : and that he (Matthew) knew of the charge
of “desertion” long before the 10*h of June, 1831 —Again,
to Mr. Loyless, ‘‘/ (Matthew/} do not consider Dr. Chumming
worth the. notice of a gentleman —and that “he has neither
character nor responsibility to answer,” Ac. Mark the cir
cumstance well—After having sent his friends, (1 speak ad
visedly,) to Macon and thought he had effectually silenced
Dr. Baber and believing at the time, I wasjthe only witness
against him—he determined to put pie af defiance and pro
tect his cowardly insignificance under the general charge of a
want of “character and responsibility. Did you ever hear
of such impudent, such deliberate meanness and villany?
One more extract and I am done with his extraordinary let
ters to Mr. Loyless. “In your first letter to me (June 31st)
you (Loyle ■ss) say you have seen Dr. Baber and that he as
sures you it is a fact —not that I (Matthew) deserted the ar
my—hut that I abandoned a post or situation,” Ac. Now
says Matthew—.“l have seen the Doctor and he has author
ized me to say to you (Loyless) he never told you any such
thing.” From these two statements lam bound to believe
the declarations of Mr. Loyless, not only those contained in
his letter to Robertson, hut those in the annexed certificate
marked No. 2, and that l)r. Baber or Matthew must have as
sorted a falsehood —I think it will fall on Matthew. My
Opinion is fully corroborated by the annexed certificate, mark
id No. 3, and dated Ist July, in which Dr. Raber distinctly
states that “Jf. Robertson a Lieutenant in a company of Geor
gia m'litia, d>d leave or abandon a mihfady post, Qc. “It be
longs to” Matthew Robertson “to “to this matted—
' for I.suppose he will hardly get the Doctor to acknowledge hav
ing toW Mm any thing to ilie contrary. A few words relative
to the conduct of Dr. Baber in this matter. 1 11 this admira
ble certificate of his, lie savs> “/ have in no instance attempt
ed to create an impression, that this post was abandoned with
out orders” —Matthew Robertson says Dr. Baber made men
tion of the circumstance of his arrest to injure his election.
Then according to the statements ol Robertson, I would in
fer that Dr. Baber first circulated the report of “ desertion
and abandonment,” to injure the election of Matthew Robert
son in Bibb county-r-ayd when he (Baber) has apostatized
and become a candidate himself-—a polirieal I fiend ol ibis
Matthew—he declares it a joke, and that he has in no in
stance attempted to create an impression, that Matthew Ro
bertson abandoned his post without orders—Now fellow citi
zens, if my ihferenees arc correct, did you ever hear of such
evasion, equivocation, twisting, screwing and lying, in order
to extricate this “sink of sodom,” this less than puppy out of
a dirty, cowardly scrape. In 'addition to the certificates to
which I have already refcred—l annex the certificate of Copt.
Rent. R. Smith, mid the copy of a letter hv Col Samuel
Robertson, the arresting officer, marked No. 4 and s—Scru
tinize them closely, in connection with the extracts from Ro
bertson’s letters to Maj. Loyless, and I think you will comp,
to the conclusion, that there is something dark and mysteri
ous in this business, and that, considerable explanations are
necessary to extricate Matthew Robertson from the charge,
of “desertion and abandonment” —and that Dr. Baber has
been guilty of a strange perversion of truth. 111 conclusion
fellow citizens, I take my leave of this mischief-making little
man, and pkgje him in judgment before you; confidently be
lieving you will award to him that station in the school of im
portance to which, from cowardice cmdjncanness, he is justly
entitled—and shall advise him to settle this matter with Dr.
Baber, or acknowledge Ac.
JOHN B, GUMMING,
Hcpt. 11,1831.
NO. I.
GEORGIA, Bibb County.
I do hereby certify, that in Dec. 1820, or Jan. 1827, at
Old Fort Perry, sixty miles from this, on the road to Fort-
Mitchell, a conversation took place between David E. Both
well of Lomsville and myself, about Matthew Robertson,
wlfothen resided m this place (Macon,) I have very distinct
recollection that Mr. Bothwell abused him, called him a de
serter; and so far as my recollections serve me, said (he Ro
bertson) was in the army, (meaning the last war) and wa*
under his brother, and that Robertson was left with the charge
of a few soldiers, became alarmed, absconded from and left
them or his post or both. You are welcome to use this, Ap.-
Sept. 12, 1831.
W. V, CONE.
To Dr,. J. B. Gumming,
noTii.
GEORGIA, Twiggs County.
I called on Dr. Ambrose Baber, in Macon, sometime in
June last fora statement of the facts relative to the deser
tion of Matthew Robertson in the Seminole campaign—Dr.
Baber stated to me that Matthew Robertson abandoned thq.
baggage wagons, left in his charge between Hartford and
Fort Early—that he (Matthew) was arrested for that offence
and continued under arrest until the army was disbanded—-
that, his sword wfts restored to him without trial, and for what
cause he knew not—that a friend of Robersons, while he
(Robertson) was a candidate in Bibb, requested him (Dr,
Baber) not Unsay any thing about it. Dr. Baber said that,
Samuel Robertson was the officer who arrested Matthew,
and restored him his sword—and that his conduct was spok
en of in the army as being very disgraceful—l give this as
the substance of what Dr, Baber said, without pretending ty
give his precise words,
HENRY LOYLESS*
Bth September, 1831,
NO* HI.
Sometime since last winter to collect a mistake, which had
arisen with regard to myself ami Map Robertson of Twiggs
county, I stated to Mr. Hmith that fl/. Robestsop, p Lieuten
ant in a company of Georgia militia, did leave or abandon %
military post he was ordered to gftard sometime during th%
Hem’mole campaign, that he was arrested for this act, and his
sword returned by the officer ordering the arrest without pub
lic investigation. It is equally true I have in no instance at*
tempted to create an impression that this post was abandoned
without orders. Private considerations which Jlfaj. Robert
son may be aide to explain, rendered his conduct, in any man.
ner reprehensible,
AMBROSE BABER
Jtlacon, July Ist IS3I.
XO.IV.
GEORGIA, Twiggs County.
I hereby certify that sometime subsequent <0 the gefl.
eral election in 1830, 1 was informed by Dr. John B. Cum*
ming, of Marion, that there had been a desertion of an offi
cer from his post during the Seminole war, thathe; Dr. Cam
ming, luul heard in Macon, that A/atthew Robinson of Twiggs
county was the man who had deserted—and I)r. Gumming
referred me to Dr. Baber for further particulars.—Some time
after this I called on Dr. Baber and he told me it was sc—
that Robertson had eitheir deserted or abandoned his post—
which was considered a flagrant violation—He also stated to
me that Robertson had beeen anrested and held sometime
under arrest, when his sword was restored to him without
public investigation, by the arresting officer, or the office?
who ordered thearrest Ac.'
BENJAJ/IN B. S.Wm,
J)farion, Ith September 1831,
#
V.
S. Robertson , to Henry Loyless.
Sandcrsville, \sth, July 1831.
Dear Hir:
Yours of <he sth inst. reached this office by the
lest mail, enquiring of me some of the particulars attending
Jl/atthew Robertson’s conduct in the late Seminole campaign
—lt would give me pleasure to serve you at any time, either
personally or politically, and when I recollect that the indi
v Idual here spoken of, was then young and inexperienced,
(and perhaps it was for the want of experience, that he got
into the difficulty) must under these circumstances beg you
to excuse me for declining the particulars asked for.
I am verv respectfully, your friend,
SAMUEL ROBERTSON,