New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-07
COLONEL DOWD'SCOMPLAINT
HE ACCUSES GENERAL FITZGERALD.
4 DISAGREEMENT WHICH MAY END IN COURT
u.pr1,1-rur ATTENTION OF GENERAL


MARrIAL-TnE ATTENTION OF GENERAL
poprrP CALLED TO THE AFFAIR
Numerous subordinate officers have had ''eir
ouarrcls and been ordered before courts maru"s
and courts of inquiry in the Nauohai "usru VI
this city within the last year or two, out u oeens
.''' .ov os if there would he rel-hot fight
h,,.,,oor Bricadier-Gcncral Louis Fitzgerald. the
aomm.nder of the First Brigade and Colonel He
an Dowd. of the 18th Regiment Charges have
49,. "a, been preferred by Colonel Dowd against
C..o,ol Fitzgerald, but a letter has been received
=. Albany bv Adiutant General Josiah Porter from
Colonol Dowd complaining of certain uttcranccs
~ General FITZGERALD and calling attention to
naraeraph of the regulations which these utter
ances are said 10 violate.
What the next step win be is not known. Bu'
those who are acquainted with Colonel Do"d Ne
Novc that if the State authorities do not take mp
his letter Of complaint, formal charges VIII %" ha"e
against General Titzgerad1Shich will make nece'-
sarv a court martial. court oil inquiry aV
least.
Tho trouble all arose over an order ior an c'ec
tion of ma ior in the eth Regiment le" weeNs
AGO. Colonel Dowd wanted 10 have the eicc'ion
held at his office in the National lanh VI ->oi''
America on one Saturday afternoon n'' "'"''"'
Iy,zoe,o,d rcfusel TO allow il to take place there
arm6rv on the following Monday. Accounts were
published in the newspapers OF TINS u'>'"rec''e''
and General Fitzgerald directly puotcd III
.ome Of the morning newspapers as having sal l.
in substance. tha; Colonel pOwd had eNceeoe"
h;s authority The tenor OF these remarks diu hoV
n,aase Colonel Dowd, as is shown by his ic'ter 10
Ceneral Porter He cut the articles out an" S"'
them with his complaint
In this letter he called attention TO par"9tap"
Of the Regulations which prohibits Oh" o''c'' "o"'
saving or publishing anything detrimental 10 ar
other officer Colonel Dowd declares 'ii'' "'"''''
Fitzgerads remarks were in violation OF '"l' reg
u,at;on and that his action tended to ce'e' @"'''
order and military discipline in tn" Nat ohai ""'r"
He SAWS further that one IN the .'h i'cei"''i'
knew of the controversy between "enefa' r"nIrr-
aid and himself and that consequently news vi ','o
.frair must have reached the newspapers IN the
first instance from some leak a' we o'''
of tho limo Further. he asks for advice and IN
strucfions as TO whit course he shall pnrsns./
This letter caused considerable stir among ,'e
Got. officials at Albany, as it was known ina 3
Colonel Dowd was fighter, and that nc d'" n"'
40 into an affair of this kind bndN and wlth-
ont considering the result of any step whch he
might take He is West Pointer ana 80 IL uh-
doubtedly understands the custom ana law III cas-
of this kind because such things are tausn' '"o'
ouehy tc the cadets. Bsldes 'his trainings 'I
served in the Army from June 10, io'o' "'''
June I. 1883. when he resigned. lie was s"c''"
lieutenant in the I'd Artillery, and was 'ha'o
Hrst lieutenant in the sane ORGANIZATIONS wy
.nr;, 90 1857. he was elected heutcnant-coon'i
of the 18th Regiment and he h''';h cor''h' !
October II. 1889. At present lie is tine a-'is'a "
eosh;.r of rho National Bank of North America
in the Eauitable Building lie lives in orange
when seen at his Office by a Iribunc reporter
Yesterday Colonel Dowd refused absolutely 10
discuss the affair in any way. lie wculd ne'her
admit nor deny the story
Rricadier-(ie3cral Fitzgerald is also an old
soldier. with a long and hOnordb!' record III '''
the Union Army aud the Nation Gualn' i,''
first military service was as private III 'he
9TH Regiment in which he enlisted OIL Dec'I''''
40 Is51 lie served with the regimen; III the
early DAYS Of the Rebellion az sergeant III
Company &. On June =, 1861, he was c''N
u,ssioned a first lieutenant in the l1th New
York Volunteers, and he served during the war
lie was promoted until when he was discharged,
in February, 1865, inc was icatenant-co'onci o'
the 1st Regiment OF militia. District OF N1cks-
burg Miss. On October IA following he again
entered tie 9TH Regiment first lieutenant
and became lieutenant colonel Of tn" oraaniza-
,ion on November @, 1876. This position he
held until he became l'rieadic:, ,Gcncras com com
nlanding the First Brigade. OH March -, IN :.
lie has retained this position up 10 the pr'snt
time with the exception of Il fcw days, Wirn
he was on the supernnm'rry, list - lie Is ~"
nresd,.;t of the Mercantile Trust Company, III
The Equitable Building and is an officer in other
corTOrltiOns. a II. =
from the prominence Of the two officers u Is
,bouoht that there will he lively time if Colonel
Uowd should decide 20 press the complailt
Those who have heard "f tne disagreement s.A M
that they d., not sce how he can back ont now,
having gone thus far. ..
A Tribune reporter made several attempts 70
So. q, neral Fitzscrald yesterday, but withort
success Ho was not at his office III the after
noon. and when the reporter called at his house.
No 2j3 Leyington-avc., last evening he was
told that General Fitzgerald was not al nome