Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-16
REct<LEss SOLDIERS.

There are scores of reasons why the
government would better rendezvous the
volunteers in a dozen camps rather than
in a few.
At not many places are the railroad
facilities adequate, when it comes to
moving fifteen or twenty thousand men
in a hurry. Then there is nearly always
n question about the water supply. And,
again. where very many soldiers are gath
cred together, some of them become null
sances to the adjacent country.
our volunteers are not yet disciplined,
and the result Is, that soldiers who are
prankish and some who are pilferish have
made bad names for themselves and their
regiments. Last week Major-General Ar
mold. commander OF the Second Division
at Jacksonville, found it necessary to call
by name several of the regiments whose
men were accused by citizens Of doing dis
reputable things. General Arnold declares
that he means to put a stop to such con-
duct. He ought to. IL is not good for
our young sons and brothers TO be MEM
bers of regiments that are undisciplined.
or where the officers cannot, or will. not,
puH a. STOP 10 outidbS9 upoh pt"SSoDIo
citizens.
But the worst stories come from Chick
amaGIga. where 1900 troops are quar-
tered. 1t would seem that General Brooke,
the commander, has enough good relia-
BILE officers and men under him to hold
the rough element in check. But If so,
he does not know how to do 1t, or does
not try 10 curb the vicious propensities
OF his men.
So many outrages have the citizens of
that vicinity suffered. and so free from
punishment have the offenders gone, Gov
ernor Atkinson has been besought by
numbers of the best men and women in
the State TO come to their relief.
The Chickamauga National Park is in
Georgia, near the Tennessee line. and
Georgia has retained her jurisdiction over
the grounds. but her officers ave been
powerless to make arrests in or near
camp. In some cases they have been re-
sisted; in other cases, the accused per-
sons have been spirited away from them.
To permit such conduct to pass nno
ticed is asking too much, and we are not
surprised to hear that Governor Atkinson
means TO try to put a stop TO it. If
necessary, he will appeal to the President,
and we cannot but believe that the Presi-
dent will see TO it that the commander
at Chickamauga does his duty in this
matter.
For the President 10 deny protection to
the citizens OF Georgia in a case u as
this would arouse the utmost indignation,
and would set the whole country TO think
ING.
OF course. we all know that the bad
men In camp are few in number compared
with the good men, but II those in au-
thority will not try 10 control the bad
fellows. II Is inevitable that the whole
camp viii suffer in reputation. We learn
from the Atlanta Constitution that the
offences complained OF are not mere boy
ish pranks. but that the revolving stories
of the extraYagancies of the volunteers at
the fort CparkD and Of their Wild acts
OF disorder and rioting have been brought
10 the Governor by responsible persons.
and ne feels justified 10 take prompt ac-
tion to stop the disgraceful orgies of the
young soldiers, who are budding into an
archists. thieves. and cut-throats.'
II General Brooke has more men than
he can manage. let the men at Chicka-
manga be separated into half a dozen dis
tlnct aud remote camps.