The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-09

| How our Soldier are Treated by their
own OHicers nader the Very Shadow
Of the National Capital-InhuHlan N
| Punish me a: for Trivial Offences
The Guards Ordered TO Charge upon
Women aud Children for Expressing 2
| sympathy.
From the Washington Chronicle, june 81
Statements were made to us yesterday,
by some Of the most respectable citizens
| of Capitol Hill, concerning recent d0iugS
of the military officers at Capitol Hill
barracks, which, if correct, are sufficient
| to excite the dis.ust and Indignation of
every man. woman and child possessing
| a rrain Of common sense Ur Il single spark
| Of humanity. The most prominent and
disgusting of these acts are said TO have
been witnessed by a large number of res
idents in that vicinity OH Saturday even
| ing. We give the stories as they are
| told to us: A soldier Of Co. II, Eighteenth
V. r.. c., Che regiment stationed in that
barracks), named Christopher Elder
brand, visited lie Twentieth corps for
the purpose of seeing a friend, became
| intoxicated, and did not return to the
| barracks in season ~ answer II roll-call.
| Consequently, at s o'clock, OF Saturday
evening, Elderbuiad was suspended by
the thumbs to a rjnnd of Il ladder placed
| with one end on rho ground and the
other against the caves of one of the
buildings. He was kept suspended uir
| til fifteen minutes SO 8 o'clock After
| two hours of suffering, the cries of Elder
| brand, who is ab9ut seventy years of
! age. we're SO loud and heurt-rending that
a gag was placed;in bis mouth to sup
press the noise. The soldiers of the req
nrent became 50 indignant thar they as
sefIibled in squads and groaned at the
officers This groaning of the men drew
| TO the scene large number oi meu Wo-
I men and children, whom one oi those
present remarked tbut ii was harbar-
l,ons mode OF punishment, and should he
bmade known to Gcuk5al AugnT Another
said If should be referred 10 the Secre-
tary ot War--a maljw hom he knew TO
he humanc-but conuselled that no overt
act be committed On hearing these re-
marks Captain DHnton, of Company II,
! demanded their names, at the same time
| threatening them Ia. interfering. Sec
| nnd Lieutenant MaEtland, an artillery
officer who was on the ground, appeared
about this time, having put on sash
and aimed himself With sword and
ristol. He ordered the guard to charge
| the citizens, which they did, driving
them 10 the opposite pavement. AT
about 2 o'clock lady residing ncar by,
| the wife ola major now in the army, pto'
posed to go ont and cat the sufferer
! down if several other ladies' would &c
company her. They agreed to do so, and
started but before they passed of Of the
pavement, opposite the barracks, the
1 guard again charged, and drove the la
I dies. at the points of their bayoneIs, into
their houses. The Major attcrward or
| derei Lieutenant HawieY to make It
charge on the ladies aud children who
were standing on the pavement, which
the Lieutenant refused TO do, ut the same
time rendering the Major his sword
| This the Major would not receive, but
! ordered the Lieutenant under guard.
The cries OF the sufferer excited the
wife of-TifTrutenant in the barracks TO
! such degrees that she threatened to
cnt the man down herself If no other
persou would. Those who were present
and saw Elderbrand taken down say that
| blood issued from both his nose and
mouth Yesterday morning the two cit
liens whom we have mentioned above as
| having made remarks concerning the
punishment, We're before Colonel john
son, the commander OF the regiment. one
/ of them having been taken there under
! arrest. ColOnel Johnson charged them
with melting the crowd to riot, and or
dered one 10 report at fixed time, and
the other ,7hen notified The one, how
ever, who was taken before the colonel
under guard, Yesterday called on Secre-
tary Stanton, and laid the facts before
him The secretary called in General
Fry, aud requested him to investigate
| the case. The general stated that the
regiment was under the orders of Genor-
al Augur, and suggested that he should
hear tie case The secretary is said to
have insisted that General Fry should
fry the ease. aud report the result of the
investigation TO him The secretary then
dispatched a courier with an order 10
Colonel johnson, requiring the releasn Of
the gentleman who called on him lIom
arrest with which order the colonel is
said 10 have complied. While III cOnver-
! satinn with the Secretary nj War, this
gentleman also informed him that sol
dirl had been confined in the guard d-house
of the barracks for three months, lacking
a few DAYS. and had been living very i'll
for the most OF the last month of his con-
fuemcnt, having been deprived Of the
services OF a physician, and until within
the past few days, still remaining in the
guard house This, the secretary said.
should also be investigated The folks
in the urighbDrhooa testify tnat II Is Il
general practice Of these officers to place
men for the slightest offences on the
street. with ladder around their uccks,
and to compel them 10 carry il t'r two
hours at "A timc. In one instance, we are
told. two men were compelled To car. V
this ladder for two hours, having their
bands tied behind them. Som. ladies in
the nei.hbnrhood noticing that the lad.
! der had rubbed the necks nf the men
very sore, sent word to the commanding
officer that Il .hc mems hands were not
united ia five minutes they would report
| the treatment TO the Secretary nf War.
The hands were united within the tim"
given. We are also informed that on
Thursday last "a day set apart by the
! 4 l. ..,.l