Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-10-07

Trouble In the Fifteenth Regiment
"A Defeated Candidate for Second
pany Is COMMUNICATIONS
ton ofGhe Men abOuttt.
Editors LnteIligenesr:
Permit us to use a small space 10 your
columns to make known to your readers
the existence aud cause of difficulty IN
Company H, 18th Regiment Virginia In
fantry. The citizens of Wheeling well
know that this is the company raised by
Capt Lukeus and Lieut.. Schnf. by the au-
thority ofthe War Committee of Ohio coun-
", to fill her quota of the last call. These
officers went to work on the condition that
they should fill the Offices they now hold,
If elected by the members Ofthe company.
Mr.. SchOff was elected LIST Lieutenant, aud
subsequently, an election was held for Cap
tain, when Mr.. Lukens was unanimously
elected TO fill that position. Now the Sc
lection of 2ud Lieutenant was TO be
made. Accordingly Mr. Luke Fitton and
Wm. Leonard entered the ring, aud the re-
suit was that Fitton received SO votes
while Leonard got but 10. The members
of the company congratulated Fitton AS the
successful competitor, and felt satisfied that
he Was TO be their future 2nd Lieutenant,
when, TO their surprise, the defeated cam
didate declared that he already possessed
the commission for that office.
1t appears be had been commissioned
with a number of others as I'd Lieut. in the
18th Regiment. for recruiting Purposes but
failing to get the required number Of men
he claims to have had his commission
transferred to this company. Now Messrs.
Editors, is it an act of justice, thus, with
out the Knowledge of the company to COM
mission 6 man, TO hold an office. snbordin-
lot 10 hath Of thOaa yyh f,Hiyila0a WAC
theirs to Gil by vote, and one also, in every
similar instance. filed in like manner
Aud again is it not the surest way to de-
moraliZe a set of men by forcing upon them
an officer, so obnoxious to them. one if he
should again dare to enter the election
would scarcely receive the vote of Il single
member of the company. If William Leon
ard was commissioned I'd Lieut.. of Co. H,
why did he, with the commission in his
pocket, enter the election in opposition to a
man, who he alone knew could not hold
the position after receiving three fourths OF
the votes of the company2 Why permit
such farce as Ihis7 Why notlet the men
know il was none OF their business r.
| Perhaps it was his Intention, in case he
was elected, to keep the fact of his having
been commissioned for some time past
secret, and make it appear as though he
had jnst been commissioned by the Gov
ernor in accordance with the decision of
the company. We have enlisted for three
years with the intention of doing our duty,
of periIing our lives for eur county's sake.
and we simply ask the same rights granted
our fellow-soldiers. Why should we be
deprived of any oftheserigbts The mem
Der of the company met and passed reso-
lutions requesting him TO resign, they also
sent memorial (signed by a of the 80
members of the company to Gov. Peir-
point and Adjutant-General Samuels, pray
ing for his removal, aud received the con-
soling reply that the Office of ID Lieuten-
ant of Company II was not vacant, and that
WIN. Leonard was commissioned to fill it.
To make the matter short, would sim
ply say, if we are wrong in supposing
thnt we had the same right other compan-
les have of voting for End lieutenant, the
same rs either of the other officers, we are
ready at once to grin and bear it, but if we
are right in our opinion, we ask to be re-
lieved of Wm. Leonard and the granting
of commission to Mr.. Luke Fitton to fiji
the position. If We are wrong, inform us
of it aud if we are right let US know how to
seek redress, aud by SO doing you will con-
fer favor on many
MEMBERS OF CoMPAsY H.