The Washington bee., 1888-10-20


to the recent drawing of the "col-
or line" by the present com'd. Off
Ger of the District Militia, the BEE
detailed one of its efficient report
ers to investigate the case. 1t seems
that Information was given to tn
public through the press of the
city that on the evening of We'd
nesday. Oct. 8, 1888, the officers
of the District Militia and promi-
nent officials and citizens, would
be invited to a formal opening of
the Headquarters, which were
described a. length and commend
ed very highly.
The appointed time came and
went.
The daily press chronicled the
proceedings, noted the prominent
persons attending, the officers of
the District Militia who were
present and noted the further fact,
that attracted general comment al
the opening; viz, the dbssnce of all
cotored officers Of the District Nil
itia. Of course the energetic re-
porters were soon on the wing to
interview the parties supposed to
be most interested.
The Washington Post of Oct.
9TH, contained the following:
"Gen. Ordway told Posi- re-
porter yesterday that be had no
excuses to offer for the manage
ment of the entertainment given
at headquarters on Wednesday
last. 1t was purely personal and
social affair, and was carried out
by him just as be would any other
private dinner or supper. Invi-
tations were sent to those persons
whom be desired to have present,
and those who were not present
could not have any reasonable
ground for complaint.
The entertainment was not
given to the officers of the Guard;
it was a private and unofficial
affair, prominent citizens and
army, navy and militia officers
being invited as friends of the
General and for no other reason. %
This was a very small door
through which to crawl and but
for the fact that General Ordway
is very small man he never
would have succeeded in getting
through the opening. But un-
fortunately for him, in closing the
door through which he crawled
he opened another. Major Fleet
wood of the 9th Battalion, is too
old and too good a soldier to criti>
else his superior officer, but of the
personal social act of Mr.. Ordway,
Mr.. Fleetwood, in his usual brief,
courteous, pointed manner, had
this to say:
ITO the editor of the Washington
Posi-. i stated to your courteous
reporter that | did not care to dis
cuss the matter of the opening of
the militia headquarters that /
conceded to every man the right
to invite whom he pleased to a
feast paid for by himself, and that
/ had not heard any discussion
among our officers about it, outside
of remark that it was odd or
strange that none were invited.
There were two reasons why / did
not care to discuss the matter, one
of which has been removed by Gen.
Ordway's published interview.
First, as soldier, / did not care to
criticise for publication an act of
my superior officer, and secondly,
as gentleman, / felt that as Gen.
Ordway and most of the members
of his staff had on several occasions
lunched and wined at our head
quarters, and at our expense, the
action under inquiry was too small
to dignity by notice.
"Not long before the formation
of the National Guard here, it was
my pleasure to attend, with two of
my officers, an inspection of the
Washington Light Infantry Corps,
on invitation from Col. Moore, it's
commander. There were present
on the occasion the Secretary of
War and numerous high officials of
the War Department, officers of the
Army and Navy, with civilians
prominent in official and social life,
and of the bluest blood. NV officers
and myself were invited to the sup
per room. Happening to be con-
versing with the Secretary Mr..
Lincoln, and Col. Moore, / entered
the room walking between these
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