The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-02
NOT A CAMP FOLLOWER.
Maj. A NJ. Harvey Comes to the De-
tense of Ralph Botkin.

I.eavenworth, Kan, Nov. I'm an
interview today Major A. M. Harvey
of the Twenty-second Kansas Yolun-
teers said: Il understand from the re-
ports of his meetings that ]. Ralph Bur-
ton claims to be fully informed as to
Ralph Botkin's service in the Twenty
civilian who had no business in camp,
one who stayed there at his own risk
"a camp follower a hummer.
These statements are wholly unwar-
ranted and false and it is strange in
deed that a man of the learning and in
telligence of Mr.. Burton doesn't know
it to be false. Ralph Botl1in came to
the camp of the TWenty-S Kansas
to enlist. He had already procured
drill book and had learned it by heart
and for three or four weeks he had i'm
portuned his father for permission to
enlist. He came with his fathers writ
ten permission. Our surgeons examined
and rejected him. He did not stay about
the camp but went back to Washington.
In a few days he again came to camp
bearing with him an order from the
adjutant general. The order was adj
dressed to Col. Lindsey and commanded
him to enlist Ralph Burton in "C4'' COM
pany. The colonel then, in the presence
of Captain Parker of t'Cz'' company, or
dered him to enroll Ralph Botkin as a
recruit in his company and have him
mustered in at the earliest convenience.
Every soldier knows and Mr.. Burton
certainly knows that recruits are fire.
quently carried for weeks and months
on the rolls before they are mustered
in and that after muster the govern
ment pays them from the day they are
enrolled as recruits. Nearly every SOL
der in the voluntary army had drawn
pay for time served as a recruit.
after the Twenty-secOnd Kansas
had been mustered in and before it had
left the state a dozen or more recruits
were added to the regiment and were
not mustered in for a month or six
weeks Mr.. Burton also must know
that the sixty-third article of war
makes a recruit subject to all duty and
discipline of a soldier Mr.. Burton
claims to be fully informed regarding
Ralph Botkin and hence must know
that Col. Lindsey ordered him to report
to Captain Parker for duty and that
up to the time Ralph Botkin was taken
sick with typhoid fever that order was
never cOuntermanded. If he had been
absent from camp without leave dur
ing that time he would have been liable
to prosecution.
ralph Botkin gave no mean service
to the government For more than
month, during the hottest part of the
summer, he was at drill five hours per
day and took his turn with the other
duties. He was left behind, detailed to
guard the property which we could not
take when we went on our march The
officers left with the detachment re-
ported MIN as the most willing and in
duStriOuS soldier left behind. A month
later when the regiment marched into
Camp Meade the first member of the
detachment they met was Ralph Bot
kin, standing guard at his post on the
guard line of the new camp with his
gun at present arms waiting for the
colonel to ride by.
IRE Iph BOtkin was not a hummer
or 'ctSnp follower but a recruit who
had a right to be in camp and whose
has done this soldier boy an injustice
that is deplOrable.''