The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-06-22

ing their farms neglected and uneultivated
for want of help; that we are satisfied that
our services at home, raising grain, would
be much more valuable to our country
than any service we could perform in our
!. present situation; that the regiment is now
J, so much reduced that not more than three
hundred men are fit to do guard or garri-
son duty, whilst our muster rolls show
over six hundred men, as we are informed
and believe; that we believe that the regi-
ment is burthen to the government, as a
large sum is paid to field, staff and line
officers, to keep the regiment together,
whilst all the duty it is able to perform
could be performed by three good compa-
ton.
Your petitioners would therefore respect
fully but earnestly urge upon your Excel
lency the propriety of ordering said regi-
ment to be disbanded and mustered out of
service at an early day, that we may be
able to return to our homes in time to
raise crops the present season,-and as in
duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
Rock Island Barracks, April %, 1864.
/ While this petition was being circulated,
I the officers took every method in their pow
er to prevent it being signed and snatched
one having over thirty names on it. Two
hundred and tifty-one names We're signed
to the petition. The original was sent to
our Colonel, accompanied with a note from
one of the petitioners, requesting him to
! forward the same through the proper chan
mel, to the President.
After receiving the petition, the Colonel
at dress parade. stated that he had received
/ the petition, but would not forward it un-
/ til he had ascertained if all the names were
/ rightfully there. The roll of names on the
petition were called by the Captains of sew
eral of the companies, and all We're asked
, il they wanted their names taken off-but
| t,ro or three asked to take their names off,
and at least five in each company, who had
not signed it, asked the privilege of doing
so. Many of the men were refused their
usual passes, and some were made do DO
lice duty, or what is called the dirty work
| about the camp. After the lapse of few
days, being satisfied that the Colonel had
not forwarded the petition, a duplicate was
sent to Colonel johnson, commander of
note from one Of the petitioners, and a
copy OF the note to Colonel Kincaid, and
asking him to forward the petition through
the proper channel to the President. Hav-
ing exhausted all the military channels of
communication to reach the President, and
fearing the petition might not reach him,
two days before the regiment left Rock
Island a letter was drawn up and address
ed to Hon. J. b. Grinnell, NJ. c., and sign
e ~ Ji nAe er1on II nv w! and asking
him to present the same to the President.
From this communication we received no
answer until short time after the regi-
mont reached Ohio, when a communica-
ton was received by one of the petitioners
from Mr.. Grinnell, stating that the petition
was promptly presented by him to the
President, but that the authorities informed
him that the petition could not be acted
upon unless it came from tho people thro
the Governor of the State. He also stated
that he had sent letter to Mr.. Hull, one
of the signers to the letter. and that it had
Just been returned from the dead letter
office, marked '.no such man in the 37th
regiment" This letter must have been i'm
the hands Of the officers and by them thus
marked, to prevent Mr.. Hull receiving the
answer. This act of theirs done great in
justice to Mr.. Grinnell, who was censured
withoutmeasuref forneglecting the privates
of the regiment. Being satisfied from the
fact that repeated applications had been
made to Governor Stone to assist in getting
our discharge, that we had noting to ex-
pect from him, from what he stated in
letter to Lieutenant Shellady, in which he
said he had been annoyed by letters from
factiOus individuals in the regiment, and
he hoped the men would rest contented to
serve their term out. We are gratified to
say that the Hon. J. b. Grinnell and Hon.,
Mr.. Wilson have done us good SERVICE
We therefore recommend the adoption Of
the following resolutions:
LIST, Resolped. That Col. G.. w. Kincaid,
1t. Col. G.. r.. West and Major Allen, the
field officers Of the regiment, by the course
they have pursued while this regimenth has
been in service, have shown total lack Of
judgment and want of capacity to fill the
positions they have occupied, that the ty-
rannical course they have pursued toward
the non-commissioned officers and privates
deserves and receives our condemnation,
rs they should the execration of all good
men, and with a full knowledge of their
acts from an intimate acquaintance of over
two years, we pronounce them unfit to fill
any position Of trust, ,:either in military or
civil life. ra "
I'd, Resolved, That the united effort of
the line and staff officers of the regiment,
to suppress the right of petition while the
regiment was at Rock Island, deserves,
and receives our condemnation, as itshould
Of all liberal minded men.
Sd, Resolved, (That the intelligence hav-
ing reached us at SO late an hour as the
present day that an order had been sent to
Col. Kincaid in October, 1862, notifying
him that mo bounty would be given to the
37th Iowa,) that he is guilty of n gross
swindle, fraud and intrigue upon the men
of the 37th Iowa.
4th, Resoiped,; That those officers in the
S7th Iowa, that were knowing to that Or
der being given to Col. Kincaid at that
time, are guilty equally with him in base
deception, and are a disgrace not only to
the men of the regiment, but to the State
Of Iowa and to the army of the United
States in which they have been officers.
5th, Resoiped, That we will use our ut
most sndeavor to bring these men to JUS
tice, and that they are unworthy of a place
anywhere within the State of Iowa.
9Th, Resolped, That the leading State Off
GERS of our State, knowing and taking part