The age-herald., 1898-09-13
he was traitor. I stand by this asser-

ne was a tfallof stand Dy JnlS aSSef- tion.
 'As we sat in camp and read of these things we felt sure that the people of Ala bama did not really think in this manner. But squibs and attacks continued to sp- pear and I finally determined to come home and see for myself what the people really thought. had resolved that if the people did believe any such inuendo and attacks l would go to some other place where the people were different.
 ''1f l were in Jacksonville today l would repeat the same sermon I preached two weeks ago. When everything comes to light you who have spoken or thought ill of the First Alabama will feel a pain in your heart and will discredit those who have given you the false reports. Authority was given the men of the regiment to say whether or not they wished to be mustered out only once, and that was when Governor Johnston telegraphed that he wished an impartial vote taken. The message came just before regmental re- view pr. Hardee Johnston and l ac- companied Lieutenant-Colonel Mcdonald on that ceremony. He said to the men: T N~NNA'NN bama telegram asking to know the sentl- ments of this regiment about going to | Cuba. All of you who are willing to go | step to the front Of the number who | came forward there were 201 or POP ma l jority. l have heard since that some of the men said that they were afraid not to come forward for fear they would displease their officers. If there was soldier in the reg iment with any such opinion as that he was a disgrace to the uniform he wears. He is not worthy to fight real foe.
 Mir. Lay Arrives
 Soon afterward I read an interview with MT. Lay of Gadsden in The Age-Herald saying that the men had been intimidated when the vote was taken and that he was going to Jacksonville to find out for him. self the real sentiment of the men.
 When he arrived at camp l invited him to my tent and l showed him all the other attentions I could. Afterward I asked him had he authorized any such interview in The Age-Herald; that surely he had not, or he would not have accepted of our hos pitality. He said no; that he had never written any such interview
 He then said that he would do nothing
 
 and asked permission to suggest to the boys to write Governor Johnston their real wishes. The permission was readily grant ed him. The result of the Underwriting substantiated the official count, yet they have been branded false returns.
 Rights of Privates
 ''The humblest private soldier in the American army has the same rights as has l;.x martial we have had in the First Ala bama was where a private had an officer tried for not treating him properly"
 Dr. Fitzsimmons paid a glowing tribute to the gallant Captain Hart, who has just died. He said that soldier never asked to come home, and was among those most anxious to go to Cuba. When the news came to Jacksonville that Birmingham wanted her regiment mustered out, he could hardly believe it.
 'They say now that the officers of the regiment want to go to Cuba for the mon- ey that there is in it to them; that they are receiving larger salaries than they have ever received before, and of course they want to hold on to them Four months ago. when the regiment left R'r- mingham expecting to go straight to the battlefields of Cuba, did any man ar wo-
 
 man say or think then that the officers were going for mercenary motives? Lieu tenant-Colonel Mcdonald is worth over $l0000O. Do you think he wanted to 20 for l the money that there is in it? Do you | think that Major Smith or the chiyalrous Kyle and the other gallant officers of the | regiment have no higher motives than the | dollars they receive on pay day?
 About month ago a man bearing the | name of Hood came down to Jacksonville | for the express purpose of stirring up strife | and thus breaking up the regiment He started the report that the government had | bought up lot of farming implements and that the American soldiers who went to Cuba would be compelled to work the | sugar plantations of that island, and O ther lies Of that character Other agitators like Hood followed. and the regiment finally became sea of discontent To stop all such agitation and to restore calm in the regiment, the officers were determined and they have labored to that end ever since
 IT It had not been for the clamor at home and the agitation in camp I believe the First would still be among those regi- l ments destined for service in Cuba If the | First Alabama Is to die, 1t will have been | at the hands of conspirators
 Boys Look Fine When the boys come marching home | this week, as is supposed they will, you will not find a lot of thin-faced starving soldiers, as I believe some of you expect. but regiment of the healthiest-looking boys you have ever seen. They look far better than any of the young men who staid behind when the regiment went off :" The chaplain here spoke of himself and | said that with the record which all of his | family had made before him as fighters. and for his own record upright man. no one could ever accuse him of cowardice | -Four months ago. he said, "a bevy of | beautiful Birmingham girls and a number of the patriotic citizens of Birmingham came down to Mobile to present the regi- ment with a beautiful silken banner, which had been made by the fair hands of the