The evening world., 1893-10-28
MAY RE0RGAN|zE THE GsTH.
Gen. Fitzgerald Takes the Regi-
ment's Officers to Task.
Reform or Disbnndment Said TO Be
the UItimatum.

There was an opinion to-day con
stantly growing in strengh that the
famous Fighting Sixty-ninth' Regiment
was to be ~reorganiZed because OF its
~decadenCs in strength and efficiency.
What carried a great deal OF weight
to this opinion was the fact Brig. Gen.
Louis Fitzgerald met all the officers of
SiXty-ninth in the armory over Tomp-
kins Market last night and lectured them
severely on the regiments poor condi-
ton. 1t was the first time in the history
of the First Brigade that the command
ing general had ordered the officers OF a
regiment to meet him in their armory
and the import of the order was natur-
ally regarded as serious in it's nature.
AN OF the officers were pledged to Sc
crecy, and information of the proceed
lngs was next to unobtainable this morn
ms. An Evening World reporter,
that Gen. Fitzgerald severely scored the
officers because of the generally poor
condition of the regiment and referred
in detail to the appearance and con.
Van Cortlandt Park manoeuvres.
and the alleged INSTRUMENTATION on
that occasion. of Sergt. Carey. OF Capt.
iades not to obey Lieut.. O'Rrien. who
aad temporarily been placed in charge.
According to this authority also II was
opinion was was that he Brigadier-General
considered that reorganization was the
only hope of the Sixty-ninth, and that
he would recommend such a procedure
to Adjt.-Gen. Porter in the near future,
II was also said unofticially that the
First Brigade commanders, opinion was
that unless the Sixty-ninth was reor-
sanized, 1t wOuId meet with the same fate
as the Eighth Regiment.
The SiXty-ninth officers knew hat the
Eighth was In danger OF being dis
mined to reduce the Eighth to a battal-
lion OF four companies. to retire the
veteran Col. Scott, and possibly Lieut.
Col. Schilling, and place the new bat
sumably Senior Major C%hauncey, they
opened their eyes In surprise.
which carries its prestige high up in
their feelings, was especially interested
in this announcement, and. It Is said,
more than one Of the officers declared
Brig.-Gen. Fitzgerald positively de-
cltned tc talk OF his meeting. WITH the
Sixty-ninth's officers last night. Neither
portended the reorganization OF the regi.
ment. He told an Evening World"
reporter that he considered that me
Sixty-ninth's troubles had been grossly
Exaggerated and hat they were OF no
interest to the public, anyway.
Il could not give any information
whatsoever regarding my Intentions as
to the Sixty-Uinth or n other regiment
without laying myself liable to a court
martial he said. Even IL | had de
tcrmined that reorganization was neccs-
sary, | could not announce my deter
mination All l can do Is to report to
my superior, the Acknowledgement. II
the newspapers keep ON interfering with
military matters, as theS have been
doing, II will be impossible for me to
preserve discipline In my brigade"
Cen. Fitzgerald also declined to say
whether or not the Eighth Regiment
would be reduced to a battalion.
An officer Of the SiXty-n!nth Regiment,
While positively refusing to ak Of last
nights events, said this morning that
in case the regiment was ~Icorganized
the hrst step TO be taken would be the
calling for the designations Of all Off
GERS who would not or could not con-
form to the reform" IDEAS TO be put
INTO force, especially as regards the en-
forcement of strict military discipline,
drill and tactics. said he:
III the commanding officer Of a reGi-
mcnt finds that he is dragging II down
ard hasn't patriotism enough In MIN to
resign, then he should be forced to
do So"