Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-11-21
A Veteran and His Queue.

The order, in 1901. to cut off their
hair, issued by Brigadier,General James
Wilkinson, then general in chief, caus-
ed great indignation among the veteran
officers, who looked upon it as ''French
innovation" 1t was as follows: s'For
the accommodation. comfort and health
of the troops. the hair is to be cropped
without exception, and the general will
give the example," This was followed
by another, which said, '.whiskers and
short hair lilly accord; they will not.
therefore, be permitted to extend lower
than the bottom of the ear. The less
hair about a soldiers head the neater
and cleaner will he be-" OF these or
ders, the first, as to the cropping of the
hair, is still in force. The second, as
to wearing whiskers in any other man
ner than thus prescribed, was not re-
seinded until 1853; and then it was pre-
scribed and still is the regulation that
''the beard may be worn at the pleas
ure of the individual, but must be kept
short and neatly trimmed" For the
corps of cadets there is still the regula-
ton, which is strictly enforced. that
''the hair is to be short. or what is gen
orally termed cropped; whiskers and
moustaches shall not be worm" In 1901
there was an old and distinguished of
ficer, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas But
Ter commanding the Second Regulrr In
fantry, who had entered the Second
Pennsylvania Infantry as lst lieuten-
ant in l176 st. Clair's Regiment, Jan.
- served through that war with hon
or, having been wounded, and again
twice wounded in st. Clair's defeat i'm
1871. He sOlemnly declared he would
not cut off his much-prized queue.
General Wilkinson did not then press
the matter, but issued the following or
der: "Lieutenant Colonel Commanding
Butler, at his particular request, and in
consideration of his infirm health, has
permission to wear his hair. On the
subject of this order the general will
briefly observe that it has been sanction
ed in America by the first military
characters of the British and American
armies; that it has been recommended
by the ablest generals who have lived,
and has been adopted by the best troops
in the world, and that the cut of the hair
is as essential a part of military uniform
as the cut of the coat or color of the IA
cings." Afterward Wilkinson with
drew the indulgence, and As Colonel
Butler persisted in queue, he sent him
in 1903 before a general court martial
of his own appointment, on this. for
diSObedience of orders and other mat
tiers. He was acquitted of the other
ded, which gave Wilkinson an oppor-
tunity to indulge in inveetive and sar-
casm, and to again order Colonel But
Ter to cut off his hair. The latter in
personal interview refused Wilkinson
to Secretary of War, Washington, Oct.
p, 1904, War Department file, and
having gone to New Orleans and as
sumed command, committed anew the
breach of orders. At this time an ar
tillery officer, writing home, said, ''COl.
Butler wears his hair, and is determin-
ed not to cut it off, New Orleans,
Nov. 10, 1904, Lieutenant Colonel Con
stant Freeman.) For this, Wilkinson
sent him before another general court
''fOr wilful, obstinate and con
tinued disObedience of orders, and for
mutinous conduct" The court SEN
fenced him to suspension for one year,
but before the order was issued the vet
eran had been gathered to his fathers,
and was buried with his queue.-H1y.
of AH,erjcdR History.