Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-05
Charges Made Against Com
mander of a Colored Post.
SAID TO HAVE BEEN DISRESPECrFUL
A Scene That Occurred With the
Department Commander.
COURT MARTIAL ORDERED

court-martial of Geo. H Boston, comman-
der of Oliver P. Morton Post No. T. Oliver
p Morton Post, No. 4, is composed of col
ored members to the number of 557, and is
the largest post of the Department of the
Potomac of the Grand Army.
Department Commander Marion T. An
derson last evening issued the following:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT
OF THE POTOMAC,
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC,
WASHINGTON, September 8, 1895.
General orders No. 8.
l. A general court-martial is hereby ap
pointed, to meet at these headquarters on
Thursday, September &c, 1895, at 7:30 p. M,
or as soon thereafter as practicable for
the trial of George H. Boston, commander
of Oliver P. Morton Post. No. 4, and of
such other comrades as may lawfully be
ordered before it.
Detail for the court: William Gibson, past
department commander, president n. NJ.
Brooks, past department commander; T. r.
Senior. past commander post No. Z; A. ].
Cunning, past commander post No. 9; ].
H. Day, past commander post No. s; II. H.
Martin, past commander post No 3; Calvin
Farnsworth, past commander post No. 5;
j. P. Lothrop, post No. = judge advocate.
The Charges Against Boston.
Last evening charges and specifications
On which the court-martial was ordered
were mailed to Post Commander Boston,
who received them this morning. These
charges state that the said post commander
has violated the laws governing the Grand
Army, when Department Commander
Marion T.. Anderson and Assistant Inspec-
tor General VIM. p. Saville visited Post
Commander BoSton'S post, and that when
the former demonstrated with the post
commander for his conduct they were told
to Go and do your worst" The charges
specify that orders were issued to investi-
gate the finances of Oliver P. Morton Post,
for which the visit in question was made.
These charges were made by Assistant In
spector General VIM P. Savile, and
them Department Commander Anderson
ordered the court-martial, and relieved
Pest Commander Boston from command of
his pest. ordering him to turn it over to
Vice Department Commander James A.
Wells. The charges name as witnesses
Marion t. Anderson, James F. Benjamin,
assistant adjutant general, and James E.
McCabe, assistant quartermaster general.
BOston's Statement.
Mr.. Boston was seen by Star re-
porter today shortly after he had received
Iotice of his court-martial. Mr.. Boston
said that Department Commander Ander-
son was extremely unpopular in the de-
partment, not only in the colored posts, but
in three-fourths of the white posts. He
said that Mr.. Anderson had evidently
thought that as the Oliver P. Morton Post
was composed of colored members, he could
do as he wished with them, and that it
appeared to make no difference whether he
(Anderson) violated law or not. He said
that Department Commander Anderson had
failed to secure an inspection of Oliver P.
Morton Post in lawful way.
An Inspection without Notice.
"a couple Of weeks ago. said Post Com
mander Boston, Il met Comrade Anderson
on the street and he introduced a gentle
man to me, saying ne was the assistant
nd 1ya yiSit
to my post for the purpose of inspection.
told him 1 had received no notice of the
inspection, and he replied that it would be
sent to me.
THE regulations of the Grand Army re-
quire that notice of an inspection shall be
given at least one meeting night in ad
vance in the form of a general order. l re-
ceived no such order. Last Monday night
as our post was adjourning, Department
Commander Anderson came to the door
and demanded admittance. The guard told
him that the post was about to adjourn.
The rules of the Grand Army provide that
no one shall be admitted to the post while
it is being opened, is being mustered or is
being adjourned. Comrade Anderson sure
ly understood the rules. Yet upon being re-
fused admittance he forced his way into
the hall, showing the man on guard at the
door back against the wall. He was ac-
companied by a gentleman, whom 1 now
presume must have been Assistant In
spector General VIM. p. Saville. He came
to me and said he had come to inspect the
post. I told him that l had received no
notice of his visit and that the post had
adjourned. He became angry and shook
his cane over my head in a threatening
manner. l thought he was going to strike
me, and if 1 had given the word he would
have been pitched out of the window. He
said he would disband the post. l told him
to do nothing to the post, but to hold me
responsible.
The Posts Finances.
'Some time ago. continued Mr. Boston,
in explaining the causes that led up to the
difficulty, 1.-The department commander
complained that our post had not paid
it's per capita tax. Now 1 have nothing
to do with rendering the accounts of the
post That is in the hands of Quarter
master Walter Middleton, and on July
appointed committee, consisting of John
w. Hunter, James Wells and H. c.. San
ders, to investigate the financial affairs
of the post I have not yet been able to
get report from this committee. Some
time ago Mr.. Anderson told me that the
Grand Army people of Washington who
would visit Louisville would travel by the
C. and o. railroad. He said he wanted
members of my post to go by the same
road. told him that did not propose
to go by that road, but that I would go
either by the Baltimore and Potomac or
Baltimore and Ohio road. He said that
the order had been given and that would
have to obey it, and I told him I could
not help what order he had given, was
not going by the road he designated. Mr.
Anderson has proven very arbitrary and
dictatorial in his command of the Depart
ment Of the Potomac. and appeared to
think that he could boss me because was
a colored man. But I happen to know
that the Grand Army is governed by law
and that I have rights under the law.
Why since Mr.. Anderson visited our post,
August 20, I have been told that when
asked by some one else about the order
notifying me of his proposed visit, he had
replied that he had not issued the order,
but would inspect the post and issue the
order afterward. Another example of the
way he does business is shown by letter
he wrote to Vice Post Commander James
A. Wells, instructng him to take COM
mand of my post. This letter was written
days before the notification was sent to
me that 1 was to turn the command over
to Comrade Wells.
"Of course, at our next meeting Monday
night 1 will turn the post over to Comrade
Wells, according to orders. My post is
with me on this fight, and heartily against
the course that Department Commander
Al del son has taken. Only last night Post
No. o, the other colored post, passed reso-
lutions condemning the course that the de-
partment commander is pursuing toward