The Portland daily press., 1895-01-05
MEDALS OF HONOR.
COmrade Whitman ssShOots His Mouth
OFF, Very FOOlishly.

A Slur Upon the 27th Maine voiunteers-A
Few Facts That will Set the Matter
Right.
A number of army veterans. to whom had
been given the medal of Congress-the
bronze star for gallantry under fire, met at
Marston's on Hanover street, Boston,
Thursday night, for reunion. There.w were
4S0 comrades who won this special d1stlnc-
ton.
Comrade Manning called to order, ana ex-
planned the object of the meeting, which
was to enlarge the membership of the pres
ent Legion of Medal of Honor Veterans.
Companion Rowe presided. and Companion
Whitman was toastmaster.
Comrade whitman detailed the singular
and unwar anted act of Secretary stanton
in forwarding 1893 of.the Congressional
medals to the Twenty-seventh Maine vol
unteers, because 800 of that command on
their way home from the front volunteered,
at the SecTetary's request. to remain IN
the defences of Washington. While the pat
tie of Gettysburg was fought. he salo snat
the sacred emblems intended by the Con
gress Of the United States to lolo equal
rank with the Victoria Gross. and the cross
of the Legion of Honor of France. were
hawked out to cooks and transfers, to men
who never had smelled smoke in battle, en-
tirely in violation of the act creating the
original 1000 medals OF honor. passed fully
IL, 1852.
The medals were thought SO much of that
they were stored in the barn of colonel OF
the regiment since dead, and long after the
war passed round at a Tegimental reunion
to any comrade present The facts we're
that, had the regiment been father south
it would have had no option about contlnu-
ing its service at the front had the oomand-
ing general SO decreed. He rehearsed at
lengththe efforts madeby the Medal ofHonor
Legion to get justice at Washington Tor the
men. whom il, some cases. these medals
were awarded while in the service at dress
parade Immediately after the battle when
the air was full of glory. Today, the medal
of the nation is worthless thing of dress,
robbed of all its glorious intention.
The facts in. the case are simply these
and Comrade Whitman seemsto have made
q fool of himself. The 9th Maine regiment
was commanded by the late Judge Virgin
of the Supreme Court of Maine and Mr.. Ed
ward NJ. Rand of this city. Mas adJurant.
The brigade to which the regiment was at
tached WAS camped at Chantilly. Four
miles away at Fairfax Courthouse was Gen.
Rockers headquarters. The 9th was
nine months regiment and it's term of ser
vice had just expired. Gen. Hooker thought
it was three years regiment and ordered
it to Leesberg, as it was known that II
Gettsburg proved a defeat for the Union
armies Washington must fall If there was
not sufficient force to bar the progress of
the Confederates.r When Gen. Hooker
learned his, mistake he ordered the regi-
ment to Arlington heights. Then Secretary
stanton, at. Mr.. Lincoln's request, sent
letter to the 9TH asking them to volunteer
for few days longer. The letter was
read at the head of the regiment and all
willing o volunteer were asked to step for
ward. There were 312 men did so. Those
mon were just as liable to give up their
lives if the Confederates had succeeded
in gaining Gettysburg, as any men in the
Union Army. They did brave deed.
They aoceeded to the Presidents request.
They have never Haunted their medals on
any occasion and have never felt called up
to get up dinners to parade their acts of
bravery. ~