The record-union., 1894-08-04
WHERE TEE ODIUM is TO Be LAID
For the UnsoIdierly Conduct of Com
pany G, Third Regiment.
General Dickinson Promulgates the
Findings of the Third Reei-
ment Court-Martial.

The n-commissionened officers and
privates OF Company G. Third Infantry
Regiment, n. @. c., tried by court-mar-
tial for alleged disobedience of orders at
Sacramento July 4th. were all but exon
Grated in general orders issued by Briga-
dier-General Dickinson, through William
Edwards, Lieutenant Colonel and Assist
ant Adjutant- General, and published in
the San Francisco papers yesterday.
The odium rests on the commissioned
officers of Company 6, according to con-
clusiouS in these orders.
At a court-martial convened on July
7th at Sacramento Company G was tried
for disobedience of orders, the specifica-
ton being:
THAT they, said members OF Company
G., Third Infantry Regiment, Second
Brigade, n. q. c.. did on the 4th day OF
July, 1894. at the hour OF about l O'Clock
Of that day. at or near the railway depot,
Sacramento City, Sacramento County,
State OF California, then and there will
fully, knowingly and with the intent to
disobey the order of competent military
authority, conjointly and together, and at
the same time and place hereinbefore
mentioned, then and there refuse and de-
cline, having the ability TO obey the order
to return to the position III the military
formation known as Street Column
after being then and thereto ordered by
competent authority, TO wit, by Major
James f. Smith, Third Infantry Regi-
ment, Second Brigade, n. u. c., who was
then and there in command and COM
inanding the First Battalion of the said
regiment, of which said Company G and
said members thereof were then and
there part
Sergeant w. S. Thurgood and Priyates
ii. l.. Ruppel and Herhily were found
not guilty; and Sergeant Bruenhotfer,
Corporals George Hanson, John Kelly.
j. Scanlan and Priv ates John Costello,
X. Dorrance, j. killeeu, L. Killeen, w.
Gum, Q. Heneken, William Schaunlefiel,
n. S. Power, j. Dillon, j. Dewitt, II.
Munster, Fred Tobbenboske, e. Berge
mann, C. Johnson, Ii. McCurren, Peter
Andersen, T. S. o. Brien, John j. Dunn,
Herbert Samuels, w. Dorrance, A. BAN
mock, II. Lewis, w. Renwick, G.. Smith,
+. Murray were found guilty.
Mitigation, if not justification, for the
accused boyAwas readily discovered as
the following statement reiates
lit clearly appears that the accused
composed the entire company on duty,
with its regiment, al Sacramento OH the
4th day OF July last; that the accused had
that they had travelled all night from
San Francisco to Sacramento, and on
said 4th day OF July were on duty with
the regiment near the depot in Sacra-
mentor that at the time when the disobe-
dience of orders occurred II was about
O'Clock of that day, at which time they
had been standing Tor two hours Xposed
90 the intense heat OF the sun, by reason
OF which they had become almost physi-
cally prostrated. That the commissioned
officers Of the company were away from
it some distance, endeavoring to keep
mem bers Of their own company, and also
of the regiment to which they belonged,
from partaking of water, which the sur
geons had forbidden the men to drink.
"That the accused, being in this condi-
ton, retired IN body 30 seek q shady
place not far distant from where they
were, taking their arms and accouter-
ments with them. That they retired
without any command so to do, neither
was any command given them not to do
SO, and after so retiring they remained
together and retained at all times their
arms, aceeuterments ana ammunition.
That their battalion commander ordered
them to return to their places, which
order many of the accused claim not to
have heard. That there was hesitation
and delay until their Captain returned to
them, which he did very soon, when he
gave them the proper orders in the prem
ises which they obeyed at once, and
thereafter continued with their COM
mand."
Further on the general orders recite
that the boys of Company @ redeemed
themselves by faithful performance of
arduous guard duty, and because of their
attention to duty were specially asked by
the railroad managers to remain at the
roundhouse and shops, which request to
the commander was granted.
Continuing, the Assistant Adjutant-
General writes: I'm view OF all the facts
and circumstances, l am of the opinion
that if a commissioned officer of the COM
pany had remained with them this mat
ter would not have happened, and while
the officers felt justified in being away
from the Immediate presence of their
commands, considering the circumstances
at the time, still, under such circuni-
stances a company should never be left
without Its commanding officer, and in
his absence the next in rank should be
informed of his absence that be may
know his responsibility. The conduct of
the accused was ineXcusable, but the mo-
tive or intention actuating any one in
the commission of an offense is 10 be con-
sidered, and is in the administering of all
law"
The sentence was accordingly mitigated
to the extent that the accused shall forfeit
two-thirds of their pay and allowances
coming to them by reason of the services
performed at Sacramento, and they will
be at once released from arrest and re-
turned to duty.
The general court-martial convened in
the field" is dissolved.