Daily Times
Leavenworth, Kansas
June 5, 1861
Rochester Union.
A letter received here this morning by a lady of this city from her friend, the wife of an army officer, recently from Texas, indicates the feeling of those officers and soldiers of the U. S. army, who were compelled to give their paroles before leaving the State. The husband of this lady, a captain well known to our citizens, had been banished, we may say, from civilized society for twelve and a half years to defend the frontiers of Texas and protect the lives of the people of that State. He and other gallant men had to give paroles repugnant to all their instincts and feelings to save their lives and those of their helpless families, and this to the people they had so long and faithfully defended against savages. Was there ever such base ingratitude?
Better by far would it have been for the U. S. officers to have thrown themselves upon the mercy of the savage foe that they had so long held in restraint, than trust themselves among the Texans whom they had defended. If a terrible retribution does not overtake the people of Texas, then may mankind well distrust Providence.
The writer of this letter states that Col. Waite was secretly advised that his wife was in danger, and the lives of his command unless he made his escape or a parole was given.