The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-09-01
THAT TlL-RAN NEDAL
Sere,enr :, w. - ft.,: ~. Of The EsIs o
E.G.s. Gfv~ H3- SIDE.

!
! TO TIE +, i;'ar # TIE ;,::'e:
! Enasuuch $ h'r"irr.@! Colonel
/ T;linn-n. in an gry.,-s...- reported 10
fy0ur pe-sr isom S.lsIs. S c., his
mcst uujAsti6s bjg feG"nnceG me-, [
desire thai tie Du&lic Stal know all
the 'acts, IL crdsr that i may est:-
c2ate ct their pr0cer vslu9 the Genuu
cia>ory ptr4ses Of t.!s valiant militia
maa For this purpose ask your
il dulCeuce for a few paragraphs. |
shall not undertake to handy epithets
with him. for must confess, albeit
+! with pride. that I have never been
traiaeG IN the school Of billing sgate
Moreover &0l not al all concerned
with W nat kind Of an opinion Col
Tl:iman nav have % ne si2ca he
has proven himself that kir I Of man
fer wsom could rot have proper re
spect and in whom I could not place
any confidence whatever. lam there
fore utterly Indifferent as 70 what he
may say Or think, as fortunately y my
reputation can neither be made nor
blasted BY anything he may say or do
But cannot permit his assaults on
NV name 10 pass without exposing
their true inwardress. To begin with,
the recent contest iu which Col. TIL
man was defeated by Major C!aTg of
Fort Motte is still fresh In the minds
Of the public. His conduct since the
contest has shown that he is still very
sore over his defeat When Col.
Hall resigned, Lieut.. Col. Tillman
vas the ranking Ctiicer and naturally
exDec.ed promotion. That his regi-
ment should 60 outside and select an
other man SIS colonel was a little too
much for him. The Ejisto Rid:s, of
which company I am member, cast
its entire vote for Major Clafy, against
Col. Tlllnan, and he OF course has not
tie kindiies! feelings towards this
company.
Now, as to the medal part OF the
story: Col. TllIman offered medal
TO be awarded TO the bsst drilled sol
der IN the regiment, the contest to be
cad at the encampment at this place.
I entered this contest as did many
others TIE judges were named by
Col. Tillman, and were his brother,
Capt. B. R. Tillman, Jr., and Lieut.
N. B. Stokes, L. S. a. TIE drilling
was conducted by an officer OF the
United States army. Men were dropp
ing out from time to time FOR various
errors until two others and myself we're
left. After some further drilling The
two judges consulted, but failed to
agree. They then called in the drill
master, who promptly decided the
contest in my favor. Col. Tillman
then directed me TO come to his tentat
9 o'clock .. m., and saying at the
time that be would give me the medal
then. I did so, and was informed By
him that there Was opp osition raised
oy members OF the other companies
based on the fact that the L 1isto Rifles,
of which company I am the fist ser
geant. was not in the camp. Stra0ge
Colonel Tillman did nos think OF
this before he allowed members
from this company to enter the con-
test. 1t was Known several weeks
before the encampment that the Eds
10 Riffs would not take part IN it.
and yet Col. Tillman offered his med
al for the best drilled man in the reg
iment. When I called to see Col.
Tillman at 9 o'clock at his tent he also
said that there would be another drill
on the following morning. He TO
doubt would have Insisted on another
competitive drill, as he was evidently
disp!eased with the award made by
the judges Of Lis own choosing. But
early next morning three companies
left camp, and as Col Tillman's pets
we're amopg those to leave, beard no
more about another drill. On the
contrary Col. Tillman came up to0n
to see me and informed me that he
decided to give me themedal. He said:
Il would stay and deliver il myself,
but have an important murder csse to
attend to, and will 60 by and get Capt
Moss to present it to you for nee. He
also said that he would get Capt.
Moss to 60 up and get it out OF
the postoffica. Now, if the medal was
in the postofice, how could he have
directed me to come to his tent at 9
o'clock the night before, saying that
he would present It at that hour2 One
cannot reconcile these two statements.
As I could not do so, I unwililngly
began 10 suspect something wrong,
and then and there determined that l
would never do myself the honor of
wearing Col. Tillman's medal. After
the lapse Of two weeks Capt Moss de-
livereG the medal to me. There was
not letter on it that would indicate
fer whom i! Was intended or for what
it mad been awarded: in point OF fact
there was ret a single letter on Il. It
was, therefore, IS a badge OF merit,
utterly worthless, and I certainly
would not possess it otherwise. This
fixed mein my resolution to return 1t
to him, which I did accompanied by
the following letter, every word OF
which IS justified by the foregoing
facts:
Dear Sir: Under all the circum
Stances connected with the awarding
Of the medal, and the later develop.
meats. l beg to return the medal sent
ne with thanks. Please find same in
closed. ''N cry RESPECTFULLY,
-. W. Hoffman"
Permit me to add, Mr.. Editor, the
following testimonial which | have
lust received from the secretary OF the
Ed;sto Rifles, Mr.. R. G. Mosaley, with
notice saying that the resolution was
passed at meeting OF the company
held on the Goth OF the month.
"yFhereas Lieut.. Col. J. s. Tillman,
IN an interview at Saluda, S. c., is re.
ported as using abusive epithets
against the honor and integrity Of
Frsl Sergeant 4. ". Hoffman Of this
company,
Be itresolred, That the Edisto Rifles
% hereby testify that Sergeant Hof
man is 2 ycun: man OF the highest
character. His reputation II our com
munity IS stainless and his character
above reproach. And being fully in
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