Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-04
CALLED TO ACCOUNT.
Capt. G. W. Butler Says Certain Sto-
ries are Untrue.
Referring to Several Recently Published ia
the Springfield Republican.

1HeTe Is llifllt IN the way tnat the
officers will let their men tell of their
adventures. They say nothing so long
as it harms no one else. and casts no
reflections, but the moment that hap
pens. the officer is very sure to investi-
gate the matter and see if the honor
claimed is from the mans fertile brain,
or from actual experience.
A case of this sort has happened in
which Captain G.. w. Butler of Maine 5
Volunteer Signal Corps, has taken an
interest. and his Investigations make
him assured that it is his duty to re-
buke the man who has been blowing
his own trumpet, as well as to tell
the facts of the case.
This is the case where Sergeant" T.
c. Boone of the End Massachusetts,
Regiment, has been telling of some
thrilling experiences through the coli
umns of the Springfield Republican.
These items of so called experiences
came to the eyes of the Signal officers
when they reached Montauk, and the
last one. that came to their attention
made them very angry at the man who
wrote them. The man who was in
command OF the writer of them. was
especially out of patience and half de-
cided to answer them, though it has
never been done publicly. Captain
Butler was quite well acquainted with
the facts of the case and he passed a
long time investigating the affair from
the officers who were present on the
scene of the matters spoken of, and he
accordingly is able to give the true
version and show Mr. Boone in his true
light, and show the paper that printed
his stories, how well they had been
hoodwinked.
The following is the letter of Captain
Butler to the Journal in regard to the
matter:
Il have read SO much of the exploits
of Sergeant Thomas c. Boone of Co. X
End Massachusetts Regiment, that
cannot help trying to correct some Of
the errors which the public has fallen
into after reading these accounts.
read a few days ago in a New York
paper a clipping from the Springfield
Republican, which is the celebrated
straw that broke the camel's back. 1t
reads as follows:
A private letter received from Ser
geant Thomas c. Boone of Company K,
I'd Regiment, whose experiences in the
war balloon ascension in front of San
tiago on July l were told in a letter
from him to the Republican, and who
is now in the government hospital at
West Tampa. Fla, gives for the first
time the particulars and extent of his
injuries. the result of the sad mistake
in sending the balloon up from the
skirmishing line instead of from the
rear. The surgeons at the hospital say
that Mr.. Boones right kidney is turned
around and that an operation is neces-
sary to put it in place. He also sus-
tanned severe internal injuries on his
left side, near the stomach, where sew
eral cords are said to have been sew
cred. Mr.. Boones letter in part says:
I have not told you of my accidents
before while in Cuba, because I did moi
care to arouse the anxiety of my
friends at home. and although / have
been unable to walk for some time
still 1 did not consider my condition as
serious as the surgeons here claim it tG
be. l will tell you how l got hurt. II
was a streak of continuous bad luck
On the first day of July I went up, In
the balloon on the battlefield at A
NJ, and the balloon was being moved
all over the field when shot to pieces
so yards from the Spanish line at 1 p
M. We thought our height, together
with their bad Workmanship, afforded
us protection. We were badly mis-
taken. At least 200 bullets and foul
shrapnel shots went through the in
fiating bag, allowing the gas to escape
and We came DOWN with rush, strik
ing the top Of a tree alongside a creek
| throwing us out. In falling 1 wa
caught in the abdomen by a point .
| the anchor of the balloon, was sus
pended for a moment-it seemed a life
| time-then dropped into the creek, wit
| the water up to my shoulders. / wa
badly bruised and shaken up, but ow
ing to the excitement of the time i di
not notice the pain.
Three Of ourdetachment We're kille