The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-19
Gretsil's State aoi.raal.
MONDAY EVENING, FEB. 10, 1872.
FREE DlsCuSsYoN.
William and Mary College.

day, headed william and Mary College,
am unwilling that another paper shall &c
forth without denial Of the article above
referred to, and avail myself of the first Cd.
portunity to counterfeit the effect of Sc
wanton and false charge. You say "some
statements have come to us from response
BILE sources, which, if true, justify Congress
in Withholding the appropriation" ~ =
1t is charged that military company.
composed largely of students of William and
Mary, commanded by Captain Wise, now a
professor in that college, tore of the letters
"U. S." from their cartridge boxes during
the last State Fair at Richmond. An eve
witness states that the men, or a large por-
ton of them, refused to parade with these
odious letters attached to them. The act
was done in the most public manner, and
called forth expressions of approval from
portion of the crowd, and especially from
the women"
You then proceed to deliver yourself at
length, of your views of the act, and on
the hypothesis of its truth, to express your
opinion of Captain Wise in terms by no
means complimentary. 1t is contrary to
all rules of justice to discuss case before
the accused is allowed to introduce his tes-
tlmony. 1t seems to me that if YOU were
actuated by pure desire to do Justice, as
you say you are, you would have made the
charge and awaited reply before proceed
ing to the argument. | now demand of
you that you insert this letter, as simple
act of justice. The pretext for your in
formant's charge arose in the following man
ner:
The United States government, in sup
plying Virginia with her quota of accoutre-
ments, turned over to the Governor only
secondhand accoutrements which had been
used during the war. They were old, and
the cartridge boxes were made of saddle
leather, much the worse for wear, curled
up at the corners, and brown and dingy
from exposure. Many of them had lost
the plates and were very unsightly--of
such character were those received by
Captain Wise. When they were unlocked
the company was much distressed at She
contrast which they presented to the trim
new uniforms which had first arrived
Fortunately there happened to beo member
OF the company, named Mouier, aoho had
Ser0ed throughout tue acu,' in The United
States army, and kne,o ho,U to restore them.
Captain WISE ordered him to do so. This
U. 5. soldier Mouier, Zone of the best in
the company with preparation of varnish
and lampblack, made them appear like
patent leather accoutrements. In UNDER
going this process the brass plates (some
eagles" and some u. S., some IN. Y.
NJ" &c., &c., were of course removed,
and when the time came to replace them,
shere was not enough of any one descrip-
ton to supply the boxes. New ones were
not to be obtaind from the government,
and they were too expensive to buy. Cap
tain Wise, therefore, bought sets Of the
letters Nv. l.. |, )" the initials of his COM
pany, and had them put upon the boxes
This has been done by many other compa-
mics.
On. the 10Th of October, the anniversary
OF the battle of Yorktown, saw the COM
pany parade with these accoutrements. |
some weeks afterward, in November, they
came to the fair in Richmond, and the SUI
perioflty Of their accoutrements was the |
subject of much remark from the moment |
of their debarkation until they left the |
city.
Under these circumstances, think you |
will not regard me as rash or unwarranted |
IN the assertion when | pronounce your
responsible sourceso and 'eye-witnesses"
TO have made representations which were
false and utterly unfounded. 1t requires
great charity to restrain the assertion that |
these statements were made ''wilfully, de-
lberately and with malice aforethought and
evil prepense." am lmpellcd to this Ian
guage by sense of the wantoA baseness of
the man who can endeayor to poison the
mind of Congress and the public against
noble college and its professor, by pretend
ing to be an eyewitness of scene which
never occurred, and going so far as to re
cite circumstantial details. Inow call upon
you for your authority, and demand of him,
whoever and wherever he may be, to father
his statement and make it good by proof.
am prepared to prove these facts by gall
liant Union soldiers.
must confess some surprise and pain,
that you should have published this charge
without making further inquiry, when |
reject on the fact that | have now in my
possession, the largest United States flag
Us the city, which | obtained from your
Office TO drape the armory of Capt. Wise's
company upon the occasion of the visit re-
lerred to. This flag, placed there by my
hands, was the most conspicuous ornament
Of the City Hall, and feel confident that
almost every employee of your office was
well aware of the fact. 1t was honored
and respected, and although was with the
company for two days and more, | can
truly say that | heard not one remark of
cOntemnt or 0dium concerning If IN tho