The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-23
Read Better than Pension i" on page T..
THAT COURAGE. ="
The Ii5lh Ohio. Side Of the AFFAIR at columbu

The li5ih ohio's Side OF the Affair at Columbus.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: There ap.
peared ia the columns Of your paper Feb Is an
article entitled An Outrage" by Lieut. Col
Geo. p. Hawkes. 2lst Mass. ~ which no gives
an account Of the Provost Guard at Columbus
o., firing upOu troops OF the Ninth Corps PASS
ing through that city, stating THAT the meu
who did the firing belonged 10 the lljth Ohio
This matter was brou Eht TO the attention of
the llJih Ohio on the 10th OF September at its
annual Reunion. aud committee Was appoint
ed 10 investigate and report. The matter had
been previously discussed and evidences OIL
tanned, 50 that the committee WIS able 10 report
the facts the same day. The following is the
report Of the committee:
Csl. 7. c. BooNB. President ll5ih Ohio Assooia-
erR: Your committee. charged with tic duty Of
investigation IB the matter 81 the charge recently
iubshrd iu TuE NATIONAL TGIugvE under the
hctti.ig Au Outrage aud the signature 81
George J. = H-rs Lieutenant L3.5isel 2Ist Macs
brl, 60 o. ri that made supn inquiry ua
our limited tiiie aui opportunity nf, rIcd NJ We
hHd beyond dDu1i "a the time IA question there
were 40 Columbus only "a portion ~ one company
Of tac li5ih ONO, the balance Of tltc company be-
iug 81 Dny iCu o.. aud the remainder OF ihc TeEi.
Ii5cnt at Cincinnati, o, ard Govingtun Ky On
the day in question Ainj. SkyIer "a one armed vet
Gran then % command Of the post had ordered
out heavy detail Of provost guards TO form line
across the lower pHH Of the cy and prevent troops
rDulc from leaving the railroad station and run
iiAE over iiH Town ample provision iT Their com
lpfl having been made al tlie depot VIC find That
Ills Whole extra detail Of guards included only
four men from Co. -, li5ih Ohio two Of whom arc
now members Of this committee. They were Bar
met Neal, Samuel sOury. Henry Bsiz aud John n.
Paxton. and they were widely separated un the
line Most Of Tie detail made up OF GONZALES
! cent and parOEd prisoners Of war from perhaps "a
hundred organizations. No officer Of tite 18Th
{ Ohio WAS duty that day. The troops ca route
I took notion 10 go up lDHn iH spite Of the guard
placed there TO prevent their doing 20. They be-
came bgisieTous aud disorteriy. usulted the
guards and on being met by ltmncas Oh the part
81 tlie latter they assaulted the guards aud
tempted 10 seize and di-arm the men. They did
sczc samuel BDury, 81 Co. D. niid took from hini
ba sn aut, perhaps IN tle spirit nf good nal ured
biHtcriHE. stripped him % his clothing They
seized the gun 81 John y. lsciz, Of Co. H. aud
wTcuched tBe bayOnrt OF. Sergeant oi the
Guard ordered his guard TO FIRE upon them. and
DAD himself IRE ~ short range with biE revolver. lie
was parOled prisoner 81 war mud Is Is believed
. by your committee from evidence oblaiuable that
the casualties occurred at iBe point where le wa
stationed and that none Of our men were intiJ!i.
! Gated ia u. Those now present say they did not
FIRE and they think that fehcr Of the others did
/ 10th B0uTy and Neal dead. IL Is now
thought by your committee that when Boury wa
I seized, dlsarmed and stripped, lIs asked 20
What command lac belonged. and he replied that lac
81 tIe llJin OHIO. Nit siicli breach Of dis
/ cipiine aud outrage a guard on duty under or
defs from superior Ia command. does Lieut.. Col
Hawkes., 81 the 2isl Mass, construct and pub
! lzh gross aud wantoH libel a whole reg nlcnt
u brave men. who were his comrades ia "a com mon
! cause. Your committee condemn ia the seyere4t
! terms such wauton aud false publication and
/ recommend that tiSs report be published in TIE
! AATiOsAL IEiiH "a, aud "A copy bc sent to Col.
/ Hawkes.. with request that he apologize for the
iEEult offered 70 tiie regiment by his publication
| Respectfully submitted.