▁aud itors . ▁Hol t ▁concluded , ▁"[ b ] y ▁his ▁conflic ting ▁statements ▁and ▁his ▁un fortun ate ▁explanation , ▁he ▁is ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁d ile m ma ▁full ▁of ▁embar rass ment ." ▁ ▁Further ▁g aff es ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁Smith ▁respond ed ▁to ▁a ▁written ▁repr im and ▁from ▁his ▁colon el ▁with ▁a ▁dis res pect ful ▁long hand ▁response . ▁ ▁Techn ically , ▁the ▁colon el ▁could ▁not ▁c ensure ▁Smith ▁because ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁released ▁from ▁his ▁command ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁that ▁was ▁being ▁investig ated . ▁ ▁When ▁Smith ' s ▁company ▁was ▁march ing ▁away , ▁the ▁colon el ▁indicated ▁his ▁dis ple asure . ▁ ▁Smith ' s ▁reply ▁made ▁fun ▁of ▁the ▁colon el , ▁saying ▁he ▁was ▁like ▁Pr uss ian ▁general ▁von ▁Mol t ke . ▁ ▁Smith ▁said ▁the ▁colon el ' s ▁re bu ke ▁was ▁like ▁an ▁" I r ish man ▁who ▁was ▁rem on str ated ▁for ▁letting ▁his ▁wife ▁wh ip ▁him , ▁and ▁answered , ▁' It ▁is ▁fun ▁for ▁her , ▁and ▁don ' t ▁hurt ▁me .' " ▁ ▁The ▁colon el ▁not ified ▁Smith ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁court - mart ial , ▁and ▁so ▁Smith ▁wrote ▁the ▁colon el ▁a ▁nast y ▁letter . ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁not ▁court - mart ia led , ▁and ▁instead ▁Major ▁John ▁Pope ▁lect ured ▁Smith ▁and ▁recommended ▁the ▁whole ▁affair ▁be ▁dropped ▁since ▁Smith