New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-11-02
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that wrong orders by the Colonel III orer.
az now promptly obeying any order given, whether
IT pc according to Hafdee or not. Several days
ago, at battalion drill Col MARKS ordered an order
arms from a present arms The ContinentaIs hssi.
tatng, under the drill ghey had always received,
both Capt. Fleming, and Lieut. Peyton gave the
order, soto yooe, to obey the Colonelss order in
sfantly, and it was done. - A~sS @a%s-, =
AT dress parade, on Thursday evening, the idecf
slons of the General Court Martial were read.
Among them were these: Capt. John G.. Fleming,
or GO. +, Eleventh Louisiana Regiment; charge,
wonnding with intent TO Kill finding, NOT guilty,
Ton, OF same company charge same land finding
the. same. This was the affair with the Dillon
Guards, The particulars of which have published !;
and that isthe end Of IT, except that Corporal Con
S.ag "a s5gssr at2 a -.s GazEtS ri nj 4w Ii Ga
~ s'"' -7s1 SsT9s eoLuxhUs, 'Er., Oct. u, 1861
To oslie Editor of the New Orleans Daily Crescent
Dear Sir: see published in your paper Of the
2lst alt. letter from your correspondent at this
place, which has, in connection with former let
ters, (udging from some letters which have arrived
here from parties linssNew Orleans) created an
erroneous impression in regard to nae and my
company. to the effect that there must be sonae-l
thing wrong in the company, or its officers, when
they are SO often getting intosnarls and difficulties
have entirely too much respect for public opin.
ion, and too much regard for the many kind friends
whom left behind me, and to whose encourage
fnent and assistance owe So much, as well as for
the reputation OF the company which have the
honorto command, to willingly allow any such im-
preston to go uneorreeted.s, rs4sssssgs sr ,.psr
In regard to the scene on the parade ground
your correspondent was neither n possession oil
my motives anor8aii the Sfacts.S When Col. Marks
gave the command 70 STACK arms \ from ordered
arms at rear, open order, thought he gave the
order as q trial, to see If any companies would
obey it, as instructors sometimes do and ordered
my Company not to obey the command, whilst d
majority the companies obeyed the order Mine
and the one on the right OF me did not. Col. M.
repeated the command, and one Of my men step
ping forward from the rear rank to obey it, I or
dered him back to his post, which Col M, I be-
leve, heard me do, and then he asked me why i
did not g stack arms" still thinking that he was
not in earnest, replied that did not know how To
stack arms at, "rear, open sorder.n Is Well; sir
will teach YOU, il you don't know, "swasi his an
swer. told him that was willing to learn, and
that If he would show me how would obey the
order. He then ordered me to march my company
out of the iine whiehf did, and marching them to
their quarters dismissed them and immediately re.
turned TO- the parade ground. After the battalion
was dismissed, Col: Marks approached me and
ordered me to march my company out, again tell
ing me in an angry mood, that he wanted to drill
it,. told him that-if he wanted to lecture, eene
sure, Of disgrace my company. before the regiment
for an act for which I was alone to blame, Cf il
was biamable, thatI did not wish to bring it out
for any sneh purpose; that L was ready itwill
ing to be confined or punished myself, to any ex,
tent that Justice or law would warrant, but that
had ordered my company not to obey his order
and would not be aparty to their punishment OF
censure. He then said to me- s Dare you disobey
my order, sir? o., r.,,,-. = at zt,,s- ~; ,.s.,'s
] answered that for reasons had stated would
certainly disobey that one, ii that was what he
wanted with my company, let the consequences
be what they might. He then ordered me to my
quarters under arrest, telling me at the same time
to send my company out under command of my
next officer. / told him that, since he had placed
me undertarrest he had better issue his orders to
through me-. He then went to the quarters of my
company, and Lieut.. Peyton being officer OF the
day, Col NJ. ordered out the company under the
command of Lieut. Babin and when it was sdrawi,
up in line, he told them that when the battalion
was on parade or drill it was under his immediate
command and that any order he gave, let itbe wrong
or right, must be obeyed and that he'd did not or.
der them out for the purpose of mortifyingor dis
graeing them, but to let them know thatno captain
had right to countermand any order of his, or be
the Judge of its praeticability. 1t was then that
Lieut.. Peyton stepped up and said to Col Marks
that the matter seemed susceptible Of explanation
that the company had in the manual Of arms al
ways been taught to disobey wrong orders, Col.
NJ said that was no place for exp panation. Lieut..
P. replied that il it was no place for explanation
1t was no place for censure, and rendered Col. M.
his sword, which Col. NJ. refused to take, and or
dered the company back to their quarters and
about half an hour afterwards 1receiyed an order
from Col. M. to return to duty, which did.
Ihaye no comments to make on the propriety of
Col MS orders, sxceptto saythat think exaeting
obedience to such orders anything but good taste
but well know that have no right to sit in indg-
ment of my own accord on my Colonel, or any
other superior officer. Iknow that he had right
to give the order and the power to exact obedience
to It, and would not have disregarded his com
mand had I thought him in earnest in demanding
its execution: for think would be one of the last
men in the service to set an example of diso-
bedience Of orders when obedience to it was pos
sible and consistent with honor
" 1t is true, disobeyed his order to march nv
companysout; butI did SO because looked npoI
it as uncourteous his part to make himself tie
direct medium Of instruction to my company, and
dshonorabe on myspart to call them out to be lee
tured for my faults, if faults they were. And ]
still regret, on my companys account, the want OF
courtesy shown by Col. Marks to my company, in
giving them instructions in person when they should
and might have been given through me. - ,fs.a4
Il can truthtully and eheerfullya say that most
sincerely respect Col Marks, both as an officer
and gentleman, and if J. am at liberty, to judge
from his own testimony on oath Sasg well as many
other proofs, occupy atoleFaby fair position in
his estimation, and we are and have been on the
best OF terms at least can say that no hard feel
ings have existed on my part towards him; and
had thought that the order given by him to have
been given in earnest, | would have obeyed it in
respect to the man and the friend, as well as in
| obedience TO the officer. Although Col Marks
regiment has been only TIVE months under his com
lpand, and notwithstanding his Major has been
sick and absent all the time, and he himself con.
fined several days to his bed by accidental injuries
and his regiment detailed four days of the week on
| fatigue duty; digging trenches and throwing up
breastworks and building batteries, yet, by his
firing exertions and assdnous attention to duty he
has today one Of the best drilled and disciplined
regiment in this CAMP &, + w. s,s
This is no servile lattery, but a jast and well
merited compliment to an efficient officer and
kind hearted man ; and believe there are al least
a few in New Orleans who know my independ-
ence Of character too well to think for one moment
that would laud where no merit existed, or play
the syeophant for any person or purpose. - ~.
And, with this full explanation to the public and
my friends, leave them to judge how far was
right or wrong, with this assurance, on my part,
that no man has entered the service of the South.
States with purer heart or better motives than
myself; and although | may not be fortunate
enough to avoid collision with difficulties, will
always constantly endeavor to steer clear of mer
tied ceusnre and my most earnest and constant
desire is to leave behind me name unsullied
either an officer or q man. ~
hays the honor sir. to be yoAr obcdent servant.
Captain Com psny 9, Gontinentsi Guards
A VOunn meefiup acuuaiDtanca said