National Republican., 1884-09-30
LINCOLN IN EARNEST.
Gen. Hazen and Lieut.. Pursell Conclude TO Do
rs the Secretary OF War Wants Them To,

rs the Secretary OF War Wants Them To.
All the correspondence between Gen. Hazen
and the secretary of war regarding Mr.. W.
Hallet Greene, the colored man who was re.
Gently enlisted into the signal corps after OBJ.
lection from Gen. Hazen, has been made pub.
lic In his first letter to the secretary, dated
July %, 1891, Gen. Hazcn says ho has been
misreprosented; that he has no prejudice
against colored people, but interpreted the law
creating four colored regiments rs excluding
colored men from other regiments aud
branches of the service. Gen. Hazen closes
his letter with these words:
II II IS intended that the signal corps shall be
singled out as separate branch of the army
where mixed enlistmcnts may take place, l
ieci ~ duty to the best interests of the corps
and the service to recommend that this be not
done. II is due Mr. Greene to say that his pre-
nminary examination papers place him near
me me head of all the applicants for enlistment to
the signal corps"
Under date OF Aug 4, Secretary Lincoln re-
Piled, In effect, that If reasons existed for OK.
Guiding colorcd men from the exclusively mil
itary branches of the service, those reasons
did not apply to the signal corps, the duties of
whose members were 10 more military than
those of the clerks in the war department.
Gen. Hazen replied that their must be either
a law or u custom of the service excluding
colored men from all but the four colored reg.
iments for none had ever been enlisted In the
white regiments lie says that the recruiting
OnCer ueCllnes 10 enlist MIR. Green without
positi We order from the secretary of war, but
in view of the latters communication he
(Hazen) withdraws his objection, "if he ever
had any" 10 Green's enlistment in the signal
corps.
Chief Clerk Tweedale replied that If the re-
cruiting officer declined to act In accordance
with the views of the secretary of war, he
would be replaced by an officer who would so
act.
Gen. Hazcn respectfully referred" this
communication to Lieut., b. NJ pursell, the
recruiting officer referred to- who replied that
personally he was in favor of enlisting Green,
but did not believe that he had authority of
law, custom, or precedent for so doing, and
asked Tor authority to write on the enlistment
papers enlisted by authority ofthe secretary
of war"
This reply Gen. Hazen sent to the secretary
OF war, with the assurance that the recruiting
officer meant no disrespcct to the secretary by
II. Then Secretary Lincoln ended the matter
in this way:
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Sept. 10, 1884. The chief
signal officer of the army Is hereby ordered to
give such orders and instructions to the officers
now or hereafter serving under him as recruit
ing officers for the signal corps of the army as
viii prohibit the rejection MS Il recruit by any
such recruiting officer of any applicant for en-
listment in the signal corps on account of the
color or on account of the African descent of
such applicant. The chief signal officer will
report to the secretary Of war the action taken
under this order, with special reference to the
application Of William Hullct Greene.
RoBT. T. LINCOLN,
Secretary of War.
Mr.. Greene was then enlisted.