Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-10-15
DEFENSE OF co. D.
Capt. Feland Makes A Spirited Re.
tort To the Charges Of tho ow.
ensboro Company.
Ed. SOUTH KENTucKIAN:

III you allow Inc space Ill yOUl
columns, sufficient to answer the very
erroneous article in the Greensboro
Messenger, copied in The last issue Of
the KENTUCKIAN2 l must say that
there was never as little justice done
company as was mine, by the author
of that editorial. / am inclined to be.
lieve the statement that the Owens
boro boys were in love with us, for
the reason that the rest of the article
plainly shows ii. We never had the
slightest ill-will against Lieut.. Bish-
OPP or any of his men, and as every
body knows It's but nature, that we,
as victors should look upon them van
pushed with that consideration they
so richly deserved. That old princi-
ple-"never to strike a man when he
Is down." is thoroughly imbued in
my company, as it should be in the
breast of every gallant soldier, and ]
am assured that every man in my
command looked upon their COMPETE
tors after the drill was over with a
mixed feeling of admiration and pity,
rather than with knowledge of their
own superiority.
For the expression of kind feeling
and high regard, coming as 1t does
from the officer highest in power, we
are more than thankful and trust that
these out expressions of undying love
will forever spring from the bosom
Of their admirable and gentlemanly
commander. For their thinking that
they were entitled to first money /
cannot blame them. l never saw a
defeated company in my life that did
not think that they were treated I'M
fairly, and l was never "left" that my
first impulse was not TO cry out "Let's
try 1t over again; you whipped me
once, but 1 will bet / can whip you
the next time" Now, in regard to
one Of my men betting that the Ow-
ensboro company would beat us.
This offer was made by Lieutenant
OF mine and he very reasonably ex-
plains by stating that my men were
SO very confident of winning the
prize that he thought it best in order
to make them understand that they
had at least little TO do, and that
they had better not be too certain.
AS for the opinion of the audience,
we too came home with the idea that
the entire grand stand was in our ia
vor, and that if the Judges failed to
give us what our merit entitled us to,
that we could 60 home with the sat-
isfaction, poor as 1t was, that the
crowd was for us. But we will not
quarrel about this. We got the mon
ey, and l am generous enough to let
them have the general opinion.
In regard to the Judges, l must
say, that l never heard of but three
Judges and do not believe that any
body else was called in to decide the
matter. l think that the Judges were
too intelligent to he unable to decide
such drill, even though "two of
three were for Owensboro, and only
one for HopkinsviIle." AS to the
statement in regard to the Hon. Polk
Lafroon promising to do the best he
could for u.s." must pronounce it a
wanton and malicious lie. We did
not see Mr. LafIoon with his coat of
nor do we believe the statement that
he used any influence for us. We con-
slider the Congressman from our dis
trict too honorable and heightened to |
take of his coat and parley about lit
tie prize of 500 at County Fair. We
understand perfectly we'll the motives
that inspired the little piece of malice
towards Mr.. Laffoon coming from the
source 1t did.
Certainly, we admitted that we had
been out.drilled by the Greensboro
Co. beg leave to say however, that
these admissions were made prior to
the decision of the judges. We went
to Madisonville TO get that money, we
got what we went for, and would
have been greatly surprised had we
failed. I wish also to state that &C.
cording to the circular sent me, the
prize was offered for the best drilled
and uniformed company. Because
we had fine uniforms, and they did
not, because we wore epaulettes, and
they had none, because we had he'll
NETS and plumes, and they had moth
ing at all attractive TO present them
selves in, is due to no fault of ours,
and for this reason do not think
that they should feel sore over their
untimely and crushing defeat.
In conclusion Iwish to say this
much. That had we only worn ia
tigue uniforms, that no company,with
men In 1t that can't walk, who load
their guns twice in succession with
out firing, and who charge bayonets
without any bayonets on their guns,
coupled with glazing errors in the
field movements, ever saw the day
when they could "down" Co. d, 3rd
Reg. X. S. G.
Very Respectfully,
JOHN FELAND, JR.,
Capt. Commanding,