rather than allow Your Lordship to remain under
the impression drefer to abwe.
private:
Shortly after Lieutenant Buckleton's return from Manila he addressed a letter to me complaining of my having selected.
Form for
Blimates of an Officer Junio to
Kimself and also having cast a slur
on his
character (in department) by withholding payment of a Bill sanctioned by Your Lordship.
As it has ever been my
study to carry on my duties with kindly and gentlemanly feelings, I wrote a private reply
assuring Lieut. Buckleton, that I had not in any
way
adverted to him in the matter, that I was not even aware that the Engineer's Office at Kusan
was his Junior, that I was sensible
that Lieut Anderson could know nothing of such Forms, that I had reserved the Bill to
get some Explanation
on it when he (Lieutenant Buckleton) should return from Manila, but that I knew nothing of it's not having been paid, and should inquire about it when the Treasurer came to Office.
I believed and intended, this Reply to be such as could not fail to be satisfactory to any Officer, but Lieutenant Buckleton addressed a second private letter to me complaining in the same tone, speaking of his personal feelings, and remarking
on what he termed
my
Sarcasm
I even took the trouble in the midst
of my heavy business, to explain in the same kind terms, that I never mixed up personal feelings on such topics, that I did not even recollect the parts of my first note to which he alluded when he spoke of "Sarcasm", that