The sun., 1897-10-26
''COL." GARDENERS MEDAL.
THE HISTORY or 4 HOLE IN WAR
DEPARTMENT ARCHIYES.

WARRINGTON, Oct 25.-Ohcials OF tho War
Department who were ON duty as far back ms
the frat Cleveland Administration, when Col
oncl" Asa Bird Gardiner the present Tammany
candidate for District Attorney on the to-hcll'
with.reform platform, were amused when they
read OF tho daily exploitation ofthcColonels mill
tary record. The army officers who are at present
in charge OF the bureaus of the department., ana
know tho Colonel" only from his record as set
forth In the archives of tho AdjutRnt-GeneraIs
office, are more indignant than amused.
Many of these officers, who were sure-enough
fighters both during and after the war, think that
the medal OF honor business has boen overdone.
They long have had strong suspicious that men
have managed by hook or crook to get their
names upon this so.callod roll Of honor who
never smolcd powder The attention of these
officers had not been directed, however, until
quite recently to the case Of Colonel Asa Bird
Gardiner, but they have had constantly before
them the official record of the fact that officer
who is at present in charge of one OF tho largest
and most important branches of the military
service received medal Of honor for his gal.
lantry in going into action with his regiment
when he did not feel at all well. The OF
Colonel Gardiner is somewhat different, be.
cause 1t cannot be made to appear that .he ever
went into u battle at all, whether feeling well
or otherwise.
To put it all in q nutshell, Colonel" Asa Bird
Gardiner received in 1872 n medal OF honor for
nobody knows, what, and for what nobody can
hnd out, and ia 1883 ho was retired from the scr
vice for incapacity due to chronic dyspepsia and
nervous prostraton. The fact that this serious
combination of ailments, from which Colonel"
Gardiner no doubt long since recovered to de-
gree that renders him capable Of performing
the duties Of District Attorney, should he bo
elected, caused the retirement of the Colonel Is
set forth duly in this private records Of the War
Department, and carefully withheld from
the eye of tho public that 1t Is brought to light
now only after the most persistent effort.
The gallant exploits. Of war which, won for
Colonel Gardiner place upon the roll Of
military heroes and tho privilege OF wearing
upon his broad breast on timely occasions
medal of honor granted BY grateful Gov
crnlnent to those who wero most conspicuous
and brave In their efforts to maintain 1t, are
not spread upon either the private or public
records Of the War Department, and there is
good reason to beleve they never will be. An
Investigation into the cause Of this omission
from tho military history of the country de-
velops O somewhat remarkable state Of facts
and throws much light upon the real character
of Colonel" Gardiner's gallant services to his
Government during the civil war.
In 1891 thewar Department first began tho
publication OF the medal Of honor list author
lied under the act Of Congress Of March 3,
1868. In the list for that year and in that for
1892 the name Of Col" Asa Bird Gardiner
does not appear. It is in the list for 1898 and
,uhseouent years however and IL will be in
tsres,iny tn the nubic tn learn for the hrst tims
how it got there.
When In 1891 and 1892 it was discovered
that the name of "Col." Asa Bird Gardiner did
not appear in tho list Of those to whom medals
of honor had been granted. hia friends perhaps
having In mind his political asuirations NAV
have thought it well TO bestir them selves and
have the records of the department changed to
,,netbing lilo what thew tbonubt these shonld
he instead Of what tbey wore Thereupon thew
nlared on Ale the following ahadayit prepared
by man who was chief clerk of the War Do
hartman, in tho oavs when tho now Sol" Asa
Rird Gardiner candidate for Distriot ATTORNEY
nm the m,phurous plstform and his .rmv re.-
ord was n plain Major and judge Advocate:
..J ,hserve that in tbe medal of honor rst
nuhIishod in tho Army Ree,ster for ls9a tha
mama of Judpe Advocate Asa Bird Gardiner
IInited S,ates Army retired has been inad-
vertent,v omitted
"when l was chief clerk of tho War Depart
ment I became personally acquainted with thu
foI,ow,ng facts.
"In 1872 the late secretary. Gen. William ".
Belknap. caused a medal OF honor under the
act of Congress of March g. 1868 to be duly on
Rraved and himself handed it to that officer in
my presence in tho War DEPARTING ont. directing
me to send to that officer who was about going
to New York, an official notification of this
action, which communication was made to
him Sept. %. 1879, and stated that tho medal
was conferred for distinguished services Der.
formed during the late war.
1.-The official statement of this offacer's mill.
tary services-certifled by the Adiutant- G en-.
oral of the army-from the records, that this
medal of honor was conferred for the Gettys.
burg campaign is correct.
~, was 0ivep as 7 know for co,onio,,o,.
A-u - .t.,i.a, ~ ~ I,,
80. 80 e lA'
.,. s..ta pa,S o. .no an 'no Ao'
,Hs a. Spo ,. ~' uAo oU' ieoo anu nun Az
- ueeo y. |,Ai1.at, s-' oui' !, :, 300
e Sct 's 10 G"p'"'' i"on'y se'ohu hesi
ment, Ne" iork volunteer militia Infantry.
Inc uetais were set forth IN papers which
were poiore tne secretary "heh MS action was
tuAoh' anu Suo9eu"eh''y came INTO my hanus
"hen inc medal was ordered to be engraved