The National tribune., 1882-09-02
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
Changes in the Management of the Institution
Removal Of General Sturgis and Other Officers
Statement Of Secretary Lincoln.

CAaHgcS IN the management OF tne
Removal Of General Sturgis and Other Officers
Statement Of Secretary Lincoln.
Brighton. Martin d. Hardin, retired, U.
S. A., has been detailed to relieve General
Samuel d. Sturgis colonel Seventh Cavalry, as
governor of the Soldiers Home, near this city.
He is about forty-fve years of age, and has
brilliant military history. He'is native of Illi-
nois, entered West Point in 1854, graduated in
1859, aad was made brevet secQnd-lieutenant,
Third artillery. He was promoted to second
lieutenant i'll January, 1860, and May A. 1861,
became first-lieutenant In July, 1862, he was
made lieutenant of the Twelfth Penn
sylvania Reserves, of which he became colonel
in September of the same year, and retained
that rank until mustered out in June, 1864, he
having in the meantime lost his left arm at
the battle Of North Anna, Virginia. July 3
1864, he was made brigadier-general of volun-
teers, and served in that grade until the gen.
eral muster-out of volunteer generals, January
10, 1866 In July, 1866 he was made major of
the Forty third Infantry, and in December,
1870, was placed on the retired list as brig
adler general, having lost his arm while COM
manding a brigade.
The secretary and treasurer of the Home
Capt. Stevenson, was also removed, and Capt
B. F. Rittcnhousc of the retired list of the
army, appointed in his stead. The friends of
Gen. Sturgs are very much incensed at his re-
moyaI. They say that he tried hard to reform
the administration of affairs at the Home
which are controlled by the Board of Com
missioners, and that he was the only one who
gave evidence against them before the Senate
committee.
Senator COngcr, of Michigan, called on the
Secretary War to demonstrate against the order
removing Gen. Sturgis. The Senator called at
tention to the action of the Senate passing
bill, after prOtracted investigation of the
affairs of the Home, which provided against
the removal of the present Governor until his
regular term had expired, and that this bill
was on the Speakers table awaiting the action
of the House The Secretary intimated that
he had not favored this removal, but that he
looked upon the law as requiring him to act in
accordance with whatever recommendations
might be made by the Board of Commissioners.
The Board, however, had led the Secretary to
suppose that the Senate bill contemplated the
removal of Gen. Sturgis by providing that
hereafter the Governor should be taken from
the retired list of the army. The fact that the
Senate had adopted an amendment which pro-
vided that this provision of the law should
only take effect upon the expiration of the
present detail, was not made known to him by
the Commissioners. They have thus succeeded
in placing the Secretary of War in the position
of taking snap judgment upon Congress pend
ing action taken as the result of an inquiry
aJ
designed to correct them. The position in
which the Secretary has been placed is the
moro embarrassing from the fact that this
amendment excepting General Sturgis was in
serted in the bill for the very purpose Of pre-
venting the members of the Board who were
incensed ut General Sturgis for testifying fully
when called upon by the Senate Committee,
from uniting to punish him by forcing him
out.
Senator Conger asked to see the recommen-
dations submitted by the Board of Commission
ers for the removal of General Sturgis. The
Secretary thereupon sent for Adjutnnt-G General
Drum, who is member of the Board, and he
appeared with the papers in the case From
these it appeared that the recommendation for
the removal of Gen. Sturgis was signed first by
Gen Drum and next by Gen. MacFeely Sur
geon- General Crane did not sign this portion
of the paper, though he did not express any
objection to it. He united in another recon-
mendation for the change of the secretary and
treasurer. The Board had made the point
that General Sturgis did not cooperate with
them and had failed to attend their meetings.
Senator Conger thereupon informed the Secre-
tary that Gen. Sturgis had especially requested
to be notified of the meetings, so that he might
attend.
When the question turned upon the charac
ter of the abuses of which the members Of the |
Board had been proved guilty by the Senate
investi CATION Secretary Lincoln intimated that |
he was not aware of its nature. Senator Con-
GER then took occasion to state the grave points
of this testimony and very full discussion of
the matter followed. As it now stands the
case is this The Senate ordered an investiga-
tion of the affairs of the Home. Gen. SturgIs |
acted with the Senate committee and did what |
any honest officer would have done. This led |
to exposing the scandalous abuses which were |