The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-12-14
TsAE RECIPIENTS AND HE
BATTLES EEHER EN-
GAGGED IN.
what secretary of War Nc
Creary says of Ihe ESec-
ord Ia the 'sArnY
Register"
Special TELEGRAM to the Inter-Ocean.

-
Special Telegram to the Inter Ocean.
WAsHINGToN, pee. 3d.-There has
been much criticism of tie action
of Secretary McCreary in leaving
out of the "Army Register" the ac-
customed list of battles in which
each regiment participated. The
Secretary has also received several
letters from his Iowa friends on the
same subject. In reply to one from
the Hon. James Z. Wilson, he wrote
as follows:
"You very properly ask me to
explain to you the reasons for the
order. and | cheerfully comply
with your request, appreciating full
ly the friendly spirit in which it is
made. For several years effort
have been in progress for revision
of the "Army Register" in this res
pect, with view to perfectly fair
treatment of all regiments. This
work of revision is not yet finished.
L have given orders to complete il
as soon as practicable, so that an
edition of the Register" containing
correct lists of parties may be is
sued at an early day. In the opin-
ion of the General of the Army, to
which l concur, il was not practi-
cable to complete this work in time
for the edition of the "Register'
now in press, and, consequently,
upon his recommendation, the or
der for the publication of these
lists was temporarily suspended,
not revoked.
"The necessity for this reivIson
grew out of the fact that the lists of
battles as heretofore published were
not prepared upon any uniform
plan. The "RegIster" should con-
tain. under each regiment, list OF
battles in which the regiment has
been engaged, but the difficulty has
been to determine what engage
ments are to be regarded as battles,
within the meaning of the order.
Great diversity of opinion has exis-
ted upon this point, and also upon
the question whether a battle in
winch only q part of the regiment
was engaged-for instance, only
one or two ompanies-should be
included. 1t is not very important
how these questions are decided,
but it is of great importance, in or
der to prevent injustice, that the
same rule should be applied to all
regiments. This was not done in
preparing the lists as heretofore
published, and hence the necessity
for a careful revision.
"These lists were furnished by
commanders of regiments, each act
ing upon his own judgment as to
what was proper. Some, instead of
combining themselves to battles, ia
cluded skirmishes, campaigns, and
scouts. Others forwarded for in
sertiou only battles-in the sense of
engagements of Importance. Some
included only battles in which the
entire regiment had been engaged,
while others reported ali battles
and skirmIshes in which any por-
ton of the regiment had taken part.
every numerous requests for
amendments have been received
since the lists were first published,
aud many complaints have natural
ly resulted from the want of con :
sisrent rule to apply in all cases.
"Under these circumstances, on
the recommendation of the Gener-
al of the Army, the order suspend
ing the publication of the lists of
battles was issued for the purpose
of awaiting the establishment,
through board of officers or 9TH
erwise, of proper rule or stand.
ard as the guide hereafter.
81 need hardly say to you that
was surprised that any one should
charge that thA order was iSSued
with view to obliterate any part
of the glorious record made by the
army in the war for the suppression
of the rebellion and the preserva
tion of the Union.
Very truly, yours,
y GEORGE w. MCCRARY."