The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-06-03
5sth Battalion. .--
CAMP NEAR CuMBERLvSp. May 23d.

llnuerSlgNPu, OIllltcfNO tic octl puI-
talon. O. n. G., having understood
that there Is some hard feeling mani
Tested toward us ut home--md that
I'VE. or some of ns are severely cen.
surcd for the manner in which the
/ men under ON command were mus.
tered into the service and the distri-
button made Of them, would respect
fully ask that we bc permitted thro
the columns of your paper to make n
statement Of the facts ~ they occurred
at Camp Chase. Believing that when
the facts come before the people they
will not unduly ccnsurc us, but will
sot that we did all in our power to
keep the companies together; and
that we did what we, under the cir
cumstances, judged to be for the best
interest ofthe men, without transcen--
ding orders from Headquarters, a2d
throwing ourselves liable to Court
martial. But, in the first place, you
must understand that we--the 6Sth
Battalion--w were without proper
rcpsentative--a field oillcer--Lieut.
Col. Huber having gone West, and
none having been elected to fill his
place; hut one of the Captains--gen.
orally Capt. Foreman--.haying com
mand of the Battalion.
We arrived at Camp Chase Thurs
day evening, May 9th, and early the
next morning an order was received
from the Adit. Gen. for one company
of the Battalion to "report immedi-
ately to Col. G.. $. Innis 81 Regt. y.
G. for consolidation"
On receiving this order, lots were
cast by the Captains ofthe companies
rs to who should 90: it fell on Capt
Waltcrmire, Co. b, and he reported
as per order.
A council of war was then held by
the officers of Cos. A, C., and ID, and
expecting an order for another COM
pany for consolidation, soon, and the
probabilities being that the compa.
MES taken away would he distributed
in the different companies of the reg
imcnt TO which they might be order
ed, it was deemed advisable to con-
solidate the three remaining compa-
mics into two (which would fill them to
about the maximum number, in which
case there would be no danger Of the
companies being divided. And as
Co. C,-Capt. Biggs'--was the small
est, it was consolidated with Co.'S A
and d. Capt. Foreman withdrew
from his command to accommodate
other officers; Capt. Biggs took COM
mand of Co. \, retaining the other
officers, and Lieut.. Taylor held n
Licutenancy in Co. ID.
just rs this was complcted--about
IL A. NJ, Capt Waltermire returned
from the I33d regiment with COM
plant from Col Innis that the compa-
ny turned over to his command was
not full one, and request that the
error he corrected. Men were then
taken from companies A and ID to fill
Capt Waltermire's company to the
minimum number, still leaving Co. S
4 and ID above the minimum number.
About noon another order was re
eeivcd from + ne Adiutant Cen, that
one Co. OF the 5Sth Battalion should
report immediately TO Col. James b.
Armstrong, 4th Regt., for consolida
ton.
Lots were again cast rs to who
should go. 1t fell on Capt. Biggs
commanding Co. A, who reported as
per order; but the Col. on learning
that the Co was full and could hold
its organization, said he wanted frac.
tional campany, and Immediately took
steps TO break the consolidation of
Co.'S 4 c and ID, in order to distrih
; ute the company among his command.
Col. Armstrong ordered Capt. Fore
man TO throw the companies back to
their original organization, which
he refused to do, not being subject
to orders of Col. Armstrong. Capt
Foreman returned to our quarters
and Col. Armstrong threatened him
with arrest,and by the way, this Col
Armstrong boastcd that he was the
man who caused Col. Langworthy of
the Goth o V. l., to be dismissed
from service.
The mastering in officer swore he
would throw enough men out of the
company to reduce it below the min
imum. when lie could distribute it to
the different companies of the regi-
ment. Capt Biggs and Lieut. Green
battled with the officers till late in the
evening amid threats ofarrest, Court
martial, etc. Finally Col Armstrong
went to Columbus, and received Or
ders from the Adit Gen to throw the
companies back TO their original or
iginal organization, and that the or
dcrs for companies, referred to the or
iginal organization of companies, and
not to any consolidation that took
place in the Battalion. The authori.
ty to consolidate was taken from ~
order received ut Findlay, and not
from an order sent from Head quar-
,ters.
And now to go back little. At 8
O'Clock p. NJ, the officer command
ing Battalion received an order from
the Adjt. Cen, to "order one compa,
my of the 5Sth Battalion, lin addition
to the Co. ordered this morning) to
report without delay to Col. G.. S,
Innis, 133d Rcgt"
Capt, Boyles, Co. d, filed that or.
: der. -,