The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-22
NOT TRUE.
The Second Virginia Had Plenty
to Eat.

appeared an article to the effect that the
Second Regiment of Virginia Volun-
teers had broken camp, for the reason
that they had only brought two days
rations, and that it was exhausted on
Saturday, leaving the soldiers in des-
titute condition; that the committee
sent them food on Monday morning
after they had tasted several days, but
which the soldiers claimed was unfit to
eat; that if there was not % sufficient
fund subscribed to take care of them,
after the State failed to send them food,
the committee should have solicited
subscriptions to have protected then,
and that the citizens in general con-
denim the treatment that the soldiers
received at the hands of the committee.
TIMES reporter yesterday inter
viewed Col s. S. Brooke in regard to
this tale of woe and from him received
the following reply:
Hearing through some of our citi-
zens that the report prevailed that there
was scarcity of f,od in the camp of
the Second Virginia Regiment at once
sought out Col. Jos. A. Mutton, com
handing the regiment, and inquired if
such was fact. Col. Mutton seemed
very indignant that such report had
been started and stated with much en-
phasis that it was entirely untrue. So
far from such being the case he stated
his command had ample funds for all
their needs and made the generous offer
to contribute on the part of his regi-
ment seven or eight hundred dollars to-
wards the expenses of the decennial
celebration of Roanoke. This offer was,
of course, not accepted, but all further
idea of supplying rations to the encamp-
ment was at once dismissed. 1t is need
less to say that our committee would
have gladly supplied the encampment
il their offer had at all been counte-
nanced by the Colonel. After this in
terview no further efforts in that direc-
tion were made"
Colonel Dunstan was the next one
seen and to the reporters inquiry gave
the following reply:
lin regard to the attack on the com.
mittee, which was altogether unwar-
ranted, l will say that the committee
had nothing whatever to do with fur
nishing the Sec md Regiment supplies.
We were merely to furnish them with
transportation, which we did. Previous
to their arrival we made inquiry if they
we're to be supplied, ana how. and
own food and had engaged caterer for
that purpose This statement is
corroborated by Colonel Nultons letter
published in TIE TIMES of Saturday,
which is as follows:
'HEApQuARTERs SECOND VIRGINIA IxrANrRY,
CAMP ROANOKE, Juno Il. lS!Ea.
TO THE EbIToR OF The TIMES: know You
Will he generous enough to correct your article
the 18th in regard to ompanics II and ID OF my
regiment. There Is nothing. wanting TO make
my regiment comfortable. We are fully able to
take care Of ourselves, and have plenty OF means,
plenty OF grub, plenty of work aud we here
at an expense ef five or six thousand dollars, to
aid In your celebration. We bear own OK
pcnscs and always aim ut that
JOSEPH A. MUTTON,
"Col. commanding Second Virginia Infantry"
lin the Evening World of Friday, the
18th instant, is letter in which Capt.
Baker expressly denies that he came
here under mistake as to furnishing
his own rations and denies that his
company is in want of anything. 1t
seems to me that the author OF the
article, which appeared yesterday morn
ing, does not understand tho difference
between a caterer and committee. In
regard to the provisions furnished other
troops | will state that 1876 of them
we're brought here by the railroad. $50
of whom were Of the Second regiment
who went into camp and were to furnish
their own supplies.
ITO the companies who were con-
sidered as guests the following is list
OF supplies furnished them, which were
of the best quality to be found in the
city and they we're cooked and prepared
we'll: Two thousand pounds of bread
$50 pounds Of hams, 500 pounds of fresh
beef, l72 POUNDS of sausage, so pounds
of Clipped beef, $500 eggs. 324 pounds
of sugar and $50 pounds of coffee All
men in uniform had tho privilege of
going to the quar- ermaster at any time
and getting such food as was on hand.
To prove that there WAS an abundance
of food we, after the last soldier had
left. gave to the mayor large quantity
of provisions to be distributed to the
poor.
"The reporter who wrote the article
yesterday morning we'll knowing that
the secretary or some other person could
always be found at the committee
rooms prepared TO give information,
acted very wrongfully in permitting
this report to be published without ver-
flying it, when knowing as he did that it
was totally untrue and an insult to the
committee and citizens of Roanoke"
Capt a. III. Peck was next seen by
the reporter and gave the following
statement:
1T was my under standing from tho
beginning that we were not to furnish
rations to the Second Regiment. This
regiment, we understood, came not as 4
guest, but on its own account and was
to furnish its own supplies. However,
if they had been in need of food
we had sufficient quantity
to have supplied them, and would have
done so most gladly. We had over four
hundred and fifty pounds of bread that
was not consumed by our guests, and
myself poured out fifty gallons Of coffee