Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-19

| ne general mas even gone beyond what
may be termed fairness" said Ar. Bruce. HE
/ has taken off our shoulders q very heavy
| burden. He told us that need no; bother
( ourselves about financial matters if this con-
| solidatior can only be effected. He has been
| trying for two years TO combine the battaliOns
I and Il ought to have been done. Now he will
| look after the armory rent if We only az
| range the other matter.
INDICATION OF GEN. oRDwAY.
This is yindication of Gen. Ordway." said
Mr.. Chase. "IIe has been grossly and mali
ciously n.isrepresented. The facts were placed
before us today and we were convinced that he
has been most unj Justly dealt with. In the
presence of the committee Gen. Ordway asked
both MaJs. Reyells and Fleetwood whether there
had ever been any discrimination against them
or their commands and they both answered
No. Maj. Revells was especially emphatic in
his denials. Right there l apologized to the
general for the severe criticisms l had made
nm the subject OF in my paper: had been
doing him wrong ami was not ashamed to say
was sorry for it. In the conference the gen
ers'l told us how he had tried to consolidate the
battallOns. ami we saw very plainly that
II would have been easier to mix water and oil
than to effect consolidation. No con-
verssut with the facts-and those facts were
stated by the cOlOred officers-could avoid
acknowledging that cOiorel officers have been
Just as well treated as any white officers in the
command. When this was plain / said to Mr..
Bruce and Mr.. Lynch: The general has been
grossly mls-eprcsented in all these proceed
lng-. and 10 this there was universal agree
mcnt. NJ head was bowed in shame because
OF things have said and done i'll the past. and
no apology we might make would be too ample.
The general has suffered our calumny in silence,
and the least every right-thinking colored man
can do Is to say he is sorry. / was counsel for
surgeon Sumby when he .cOurt-nar tailed
and know we were favored in every wav.
This consolidation is proper. We ought not to
ask than the white ppOpl, ret bIlt
should be satisfied with an equitable share. We
have been getting more than our portion and
this adjustment is a fair and honest one"
MEETING OF MAJ. FLEETwooD's COMMAND.
There was not a great deal Of room to spare
when Maj. Fleetwood called the meeting to
order in the headquarters room of the seventh
battalion at $50 last night Two members of
the citizens Communicable. Bruce and Mr..
Lynch-were present. The officers of the bat
talon who put in an appearance were Adjt.
II. ;. Smith. Lieut. A. II. Brodie. inspector of
rifle practice: Lieut. Malvin Of company A.
Capt Marshall and Lieuts. simmons and WEB
ster of company y and Quartermaster Sergeant
". y. DodsOn. Messrs. Smith Wormley. W.
Mckinley. Chas. Douglass and Jas. T.. smith
we're civilian friends of the seventh battalion.
Gen. Ordway was represented by Maj. Frank
Aldrich.
Major Fleetwood made a clear statement of
some Of the things which TOOK place at the
II
cluded hrs remarks Mr. James T. Smith gave
utterance to a most emphatic opinion. in which
lie argued that consolidation was unnecessary
and unjust. He insisted that the cOloTed pCO-
pie Of the District were not sufficiently repre-
scnteu IN the National Guard. and then adj
vanced the proposition that the Center Market
Company relinquish all claim to arn,ory rent
because they were not contributing to the Dis
trict revenue. their charter provides thew
should. III a consolidation had TO be made Gen.
IL
methods; he ought to shoulder the RESPONSE
bility.
Considerable time was then wasted in discuss
ing the rents of armories in which white troops
were quartered particular attention being paid
to the New York avenue armory.
Nr Chas Douglass, who once adjutant of
the eighth battalion, insisted that 4 consolida-
tion would mean disbanding.
Mr. Chase arrived at about 1890. Just
as Messrs. Bruce and Lynch were suggesting
that something practical take the place of so
much pointless conversation
Mr. Douglass and Mr.. Smith again OF posed
consolidation and objected 10 Mai. Fleetwood
handing III his resignation. but when it was de-
veloped that Maj. Fleetwood had. at the after
noon conference. pledged himself to the cause
of consolidation their interest in the proceed
ings suffered some diminution.
AN AGREEMENT REACHED.
1t was finally agreed. at about IL o'clock.
that the officers of the seventh battalion would
abide by the decision of the consolidated bat
talions as to a commanding officer and if the
consolidation failed to agree thea they would
accept the appointee who might be selected
either by the President or by Gen. Ordway.
BY the terms of this agreement the resi- ynatipns
Of Majors Fleetwood and Revells will be handed
in whenever the general calls for them. which
will be before the consolidation order is issued.
At least one member of the citizens commit
tee after the meeting was over, expressed as
constituent at the fact that none of the seventh
battalion officers had had anything to say as to
the propositions which came up for discussion.
All the talking or the part of the seventh was
done by Mr.. James T.. Smith. who confessed his
lack of knowledge to military matters. and
Mr.. Charles Douglass. who was once adjutant of
the eighth battalion, but who does not now be-
long to the guard.