National Republican., 1882-12-09
BURNSIDE'S BRoADSIDE.
A Letter which the Philadelphia Press has
Neglected to Publish.


Neglected to Publish.
The following correspondence can hardly
fail to be of interest to members of the local
military companies and their friends:
To Me Editor.
Sir:-On the evening of the 5th instant wrote
and mailed to the editor of the PhiIadelphia Daily
Press the original of The following letter. with the
request that he would let appear in his paper in
reply 10 the reflections made 10y Col. SchOonmaker
against the Garfield monument fair committee,
and nearly everybody concerned in the Competi.
tive military drill of Friday last which were tele-
graphed from this city OH the evening OF the lst
instant, and were published in the above named
paper the next morning.
As the Press has failed to do us the justice to
publish reply 10 the severe criticism made in its
own columns, | beg that you will give this place
in THE REPUBLICAN,.
Very truly yours,
J. o. p. BURNSIDE.
To THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY Press PHILADEL-
PHIA, PA.-Sir: 1t was not until this evening that
l was show the statement in your paper of the I'd
instant tclegraphrd from this CITY on the author
ity OF Col. Schoonmaker, of the national guard Of
Pennsylvania, rejecting on the management of
the competitive drill at the Garfield monument
fair in Washington OH the 1St ins,a Had seen
the article sooner you would have heard from me
more promptly.
As to Col sCnoonmaker's first charge, we come
here aud find tnat there no prizes ~ be given,"
i have only to SAY that that was the result of an
unforeseen and unavoidable event, which was
promptly explained to Capt Waters, of the Scran-
ton guards, us soon us he arrived with his com
pany III this city, and, Notwithstanding the fail
ure, he decided to drill the next day in the COM
| petition.
| The fair directors had expended 81 900 in erect
| ing seats and grand stand Oh the Wilt lot circle
| TO accommodate 5000 persons, and on wheel
mems day, November 20; knights Templars day,
| November 30, and military parade anu compeii-
| tive drill day, December l. the seats provided
would have been iiied a. the price to be % charged
labor III erecting stand and seats, to be used for
tue przes. 1ne great interest felt in this drill
stood in the extreme cold for three hours oil FRI
day last where the contest did take place, would
have made the scheme successful had 1t not been
for the unusual weather, for this latitude, which
occurred. The snow storm of Wednesday covered
tue swurd of the White lot elieCtuully and frus-
tratcd this plan, although it was not iully given
up until Thursday evening, November 80, When II
was seen the sun had not removed the snow. IL
was then admitted that the White lot would not
be in suitable condition the next day for the
competitive drill No person or persons regretted
this more than did the members of the military
committee, who had the matter in hand, anu
their Chief regret was OH account of Captain
Waters's company, as the other visiting military
drill. ''O''' '''' Jaw ''''''' ''' '' ''''''''
When this fact stared the committee in the face
1t was too late to stop the scranton company fr IN
coming. and think Capt. Waters was made fully
to understand by the members of the committee
that u great disaster had fallen upon them, which
they had hardly the courage 10 explain Not
until late that evening was II decided TO drill on
the concrete pavement OH the plaza at the tasJ
front Of the capitol building, whe the snow had
entirely disappeared, but wneio there was 40 pos
sibility of carrying out the plan of providing and
selling seats. However, the commanding officers
OF the three companies which wele TO compete all
agreed to the change-the only thing lett to do
We cared not for the local organizations but all
deeply regretted on the Scranton companys ac.
count thai the original plan could not be carried
out
This would seem to be a satisfactory eXplaua-
tion of the iailure to provide money prizes. The
directors of the Garfield monument fair never
proposed to devote any Of its proceeds to such a
purpose
Col. Schoonmaker's second charge cannot un-
dorstand. lie says 1t was promised by the lair
would compete in the drill" and that more
than four companies did engage in the contest"
Three companies only entered and drilled viz:
The Scranton guards, the Washington Light ILL.,
fantry, and the National Rifles. This charge of
the colonel is u conundrum which probably re-
fers. to the formation of one of the competing
companies, anu which he would perhaps like to
explain.
"thrd, that the drill would be strictly according
to Upton" and that II was not SO governed. Il
will hardly be insisted upon IN sound earnest that
all failures to adhere 10 Upton were not charged
to the commanding utlcer guilty of the viola
tion No one, on second thought, VIII attempt to
impugn the integrity or question the ability OF the
three distinguished officers who were appointed
by Gen. Sherman to act as judges.
Further, Colonel Schoonmaker says was prom
ised fourth that none but regular company or
ganizaions would be allowed TO take part in the
contest" and he complains that we found COM
missiOned and non n-comIhlsSiohed officers in the
ranks Of companies participating" | beg to say
that this colonel must not use the plural In this
cnse for the National Rifles was not so made up
1t was compose on the day of the drill of twenty
i've pryates, seven corpOrals four sergeants lone
sergeant absent sickl, Two lieutenants, and one
captain. The rifles did not deprive leutenants of
their shouder.straps nor sergeants of their chev-
rons, TO make up It's company. They are MS much
Opposed to that sort of thing rs the Scranton
guards con possibly be, ,.Gnd they never Will again.
with my consent, compete in u drill with COM
pany in which officers and nom commissioned olli-
cersare temporarily reduced in rank to gain asup.
posed advantage.
Col. SchOonmaker closes his complaint by say
ing that "the Judgment of the best military men
we can get here is thut q e prize was awarded us
IL was in order 10 smooth over some difficulties be.
tween Iival organizations here" an insinuatiou
against the integrity of the officers who Ier-
formed the thankess duty of judges, and VINO
neither know nor care about the rivHlres flocal
organizations, which l shall not resent for them
The charge is too contemplate to discuss.
l have never HAD but one interview with Gen.
Ayers, T. S. A., in my life, and that was more than
II year ago. and Capt Rogers, u. $. A.. aud Capt
Anderson, Filth Maryland regiment (the other
member Ofthe bonrd ofjudges), met for the first
time and was introduced TO OH the drill ground
ON Friday last, the day of the drill IN question,
about ten minutes before the drlll begai'. Very
respectfully yours, j. q. L. BURNSIDE,
Captain National Rifles.