Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-20
UNITED srArEs orrIoNRs.
The ''Army and Navy Journai'' on
Endic0tl's Order.

New YoRK, Aug. 14.-'The AJmy and
Nary Journal, referring to Secretary
Endicott's order, says:
'After much labor we are prepared to
give list of those who will be relieved
Gas soon as prncticable) from their
present duties and ordered TO Join their
regiments or corps. In order to cover
mileage, separate orders will be issued to
each officer by their division commander.
To the list we add the officers present
duties and the length Of time on detached
service.
"The conclusions of the Secretary of
War as to army administration are further
indicated by his reply to the friends of an
officer who wrote asking that his assign
ment to station might be changed. This
request the secretary declined to grant,
and in answer to one of the
letters he had received, announced his
determination to enforce the order,
saying you will pardon me if say a
single word. 1 find it very common in
the army, where an officer is relieved for
proper reasons, indeed for necessary rea-
sons, for him and his friends to remon-
strate, as if he had a peculiar right to
perform particular duty, and his friends
bto NClJ hpb w DbCuubb UG
does not like the removal, that some
personal injury is cast upon him or some
reflection is made upon his character or
his services. Quite the contrary. Re-
movals and appointments, SO far as I
know anything about them, or have any
thing to do with them, are made simply
because the good of the service requires
them and this is one of these cases, and
INV 30,
The following letter, addressed to a
member of Congress who has been work
ing to secure change of the assignment
of one of the recent graduates
to colored regiment, is in
teresting in this connection as
showing what other graduates may expect
during Secretary Endicott's administra-
ton. At the request of the war depart
ment the names of the parties referred to
are withheld.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Aug. 7,
1885-Sir: Your note of the 9th inst. asking
the Secretary of War to reconsider the
action stated in my letter of the Sd inst.
relative to the assignment of Lieut..
to the -- Regiment, was handed to the
secretary yesterday and his reply thereto is
us follows:
"The Secretary of War regrets that the
reasons stated in the letter OF the atjutant-
general do not convince you that he cannot
properly change the assignment of
Lieutenant II every officer
assigned to duty in colored regiment
objects to such assignment on
account Of the fact that the troops are
colored, it may be impossible to procure
officers for those regiments. You must bear
in mind that they hold the same status in
the army of the United Staes as
any other troops of the line. All regiments
stand on perfect equality before the law,
equally entrusted with the keeping of til,
flag, and with the honor OF the
country; and IL is as important that
colored regiments should he az well OIL
cered and well led on all occasions us other
regiments. While. under the law, they are
maintained as part of the army of the
United States, the Secretary of War can
recognize no inequality; and 1t is his duty
to assign officers to them upon the same
principles which govern the assignments of
all officers. The good of tho service,
the provisions of the law, the disci-
pline of the army and the
unhesitating obedience to orders demand
that officers should acguiesce when as
signed to such regiments"
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
II. g. Drum, Adiutant-Gcneral.