The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-22

Montgomery, of the Scott county
company, for two offences-tl.c first,
appearing on guard with dirty
shirt, bobtail coat, and a bloody
nose, (not received in fight, for lis
nose commenced bleeding of itself, J
and in this unolIicer-like plight call
ing out the guard to present TO the
General as he passed and the Sec
ond for permitting a part of the
guard to leave the guard-quarters
to 90 to their dinner, practice that
had been invariably followed up to
this time by both regular and volun-
tcer officers.
The discharge was that of Capt.
Richardson, under the following
circumstances. 1t was again Capt.
RS time to be officer Of the guard,
and on passing around with his last
relief on the morning of the 2lst
inst, one of the sentinels, instead OF
falling in the rear Of the relieved,
and following the captain around
the lines, without Capt. r. noticing
it, went straight back 10 The guard
tent. The triiling circumstance was
noticed by Col. Churchill, who re-
ported it to Gen. Wool, and few
hours afterwards, after Capt. r. had
got through with his guard duties
for the day, and turned over the
guard to another officer, he had
thrust in his face the following mis- =
sive from Head Quarters:
"HtiD QvAErrus, C,srHr DIV J
"Ismp near MohcLoyA, MrIIco.
Orlsr, No. lac.
Vow at. 1916
"cspr m. A. Richardson. Company L, II
R'sim-n, III. V,lun'ecrs FIR repeated r,. l,cr
NJ duty wit ca snar6. &. disc ,'grI he ser.
vice Of be Tuned states. l.y order If
"JNO. Wool,
"Comr.n my 6 moral
Jas II rnsvrlss.
"A.-. Ady't. CON.
F,r C,,, ". 4. RicaaapsoN, Lar. Reg. III
"V"lunlctrs,"
(Jndrr cover to the Colonel of his Regimeer }
The repeated "neglect of duty y
charged in this laconic document,
had reference to the neglect to give
out the countersign at particular
moment, as I mentioned in my last,
and which Gen. Wool ten minutes
afterwards acknowledged was no
fault at oil and the circumstance Of
the sentinel, stated above. Never,
therefore, was a body of men more
completely taken by surprise than
this whole command was at the APP
pearance of this "order" Capt. X,
could not even form the most dis
tant idea of what his offence was,
for he knew nothing of the affair OF
the sentinel, and if he had knew it,
would not have imagined ii to be
an offence FOR which lie deserved to
be so uncerimoniously cashiered and
sent home in disgrace. The fact OF
Capt. Rs. dismissal, soon became
known, ard in less than an hour,
half the officers in the command OF
one accord were in one place, and
with a universal expression of aston
iShmcnt there was mingled a univcr-
sal expression of indignation; for,
whatever Capt. Rs. offence might
be, it was conceived on all hands
that it vas an illegal, arbitrary, and
most high-handed act 10 dismiss him
from the service without at least a
hearing before a court martial. All
determined, that in the present pha-
sis of the case, at least, they would
pay no attention to the order, but
would regard Capt. r. as an officer
as fully as if no such order had been
issued.
But in the midst of the wonder
ment and indignation of the officers
at the treatment of Capt. r., let us
look up our friend Capt. Montgom-
cry, whom | left under arrest two
days before this affair took place
The General, it appears, had set
aside the 2lst as day to "attcnd
to the cases" of the volunteer cap
tains. So but few minutes after
he had issued the order dissm;ssinC
Capt. Richardson, and before it had
become known, he sent for Capt.
Montgomery, who appeared at his
tent, and after being informed that
he might consider himself released
from arrest, was addressed by Brig.
Gen. Wool in about the following
gentlemanly language, as Capt. NJ,
atiirms:
"This is the last time intend to
release any Of you, { he had been
speaking of volunteer officers that
had been put under arrest and re-
stored intend hereafter to pur-
sue different course: | will dis
charge you fellows and send You
home in disgrace until | get clear
of every one Of you. and will put
ssrgcants TO command your compa-
MES. The two Illinois regiments
are composed of the finest men and
possess more Intelligence than any
two regiments cvcrsaw. But their