National Republican., 1885-01-15
THE M,KEEvER CHARGES.
A Trial Refused-The Language Alleged 10
Have Been Used.

hNNt hNNh NnNNs
Lieut.. Gen. p. H. sheridan refused yesterday
to talk OF the charges and specifications pre-
ferrcd last Saturday by Brig. Cen w. b. Ha'
zen chief signal officer, against Lieut.. COL
Chauncey McKeever assistant adlutant gem
oral, but the opinion is freely oppressed ~
other army officers on duty here that no lrihl
will follow OH the charges, and the papers IN
tho case have already been referred pack 10
Cen Hazen with letter explaining that
court martial In the case Is deemed unneces-
sary. The charges were not referred 10 uen'
In transmitting the formal charges andspeci-
fications against Col. McKeeyer Gen, hazen
wrote the following letter to Col. NJ v. Sherl'
dan, the military secretary TO Lieut. uen'
Sheridan:
SIGNAL OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT, WASH.
iSGToN CRY Jan 6, lSSj.-My Dear tof, MgIt, ,1si,
dan! | received your note of Dec. ", IN Wnlcn
you say you have shown the informal cnhIsess ss
against Lieut. Col. McKeever TO the lieutetait I
general who expressed his opinion that tnore
Is not sufficient in them TO warrant his NC, NC
Kecvcr'sl trial by general court-martial, ana
! checrfully yield to his wishes. .,,--.,,..,
Such publicity has beengiven TO TINS snplecl,
however It is but Just TO Lieut.. ColtMckeeVet
that now make the charges formal thet ne
may have the opportunity, If II is thought pest
10 refer them TO him, to withdraw MS ooJec.
tonHGe statements S wish q "a any y0 EepAra'0n Vi
! discaim anything personal TO myself IN IN
what he has done, but 1t seemed plain anu
simple duty, alike to men OF my command 20
causelessly wrOngod, to due regard lQI i, US,
cipline and proper sense of what should
actuate an officer OF the army, that onclhl
notice be taken of his actions. ureely anu ms
men had suffered 30 much they ought 70 n%nVe lay
been spared this cruel and wanton huminh'
tion from quarter where they had right 10
expect kindness
10 briefly sketch the case, in the first few days
Of september during my absence roniion and a9GGs
of Sergeant Brainard, there appeared IN ihe
evening papers of this city thc Sdr aud Criicl
a series OF interviews, credited to g an orhceT OF
high rank" severely and harmfully criticlslng
Lieutenant Greeley In his management in the
Arctic. his capacity and integrity, and even
intmating that his records were being mutt.
lated in my Office to cover up g unweleome
facts" This was at a time when the public car
was eager and sensitive. and coming from an
"onicer of high authority" these charges were
published and believed By many In every part
Of the world where the English language IL
known,
had no difficulty in finding the full facts,
and that the officer Of high rank who iur'
nished these statements is It. Col. Mckeeyer.
that he was then acting as adjutant general OF
the army, and that their publication was in
mild form, as compared TO the statements ne
made
In these protracted interviews among Il great
deal else that Is erroneous ana deiamatory,
dGreeiy has been guilty of deception and
prcvarication, In his endeavor to Keep from
the public the iacts about MS party anu wy
diaries disclose q mystery about Dr. Payys
death that Greedy should not have allowed 10
remain unexplained"
Lieut. Greedy was an utter failure as a
military commander" "he was guilty OF de-
ception and prevarieation," he brought
away from Lady franklin bay tons
Of coaw unnecessarily, when he
should have taken food. "He quarreled with
his officers and men from the start" his camp
was divided into two parties that did not
speak to each other" one headed by Long
and the other by Brainard; "his Official re-
port Is not consistent or honest" there was
no sign of discipline In Greely's camp" But
then, why Brainard told the story the very
first thing. You know he was much
stronger than any Of the rest. When he came
aboard the Bear, surprise was expressed at it,
AND when he was asked why II was he said,
I oh, / could eat the d--d stuff and digest 1t,
but the others couldn't When some one Of
the regcuing party remarked the absence OF
DR.. PAWS body, and expressed wonder as 70
what became Of It, Brainard said, He's all
gone, finished the last of him just before you
arrived"
These errors of fstatement, which led to the
belief of willfulness, were libelous and harm
| full, and were given to newspaper reporters he
knowing them TO be SUCH and were published.
| Taken In connection with the heartrending
| circumstances surrounding the case, calling
| for kindness and sympathy from all men, this
conduct is such as Is usually known as "un-
ofhcerlike and ungentleinanly.'
am, colonel, very respectfully,
W.B. HAzEE.
Chief signal officer.
LIEUT.. Col. NJ. v. SHERIDAN, Washington,