The times., 1898-04-27
AT THEIWHITE HOUSE.
President Kept Busy Entertaining
Visitors Yesterday.

There were quite number of visitors
at the White House yesterday and the
President passed very busy day. Be
fore the official day had fairly opened.
Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture called to introduce a friend
for whom he desired commission in the
volunteer army. Senator Platt was the
next visitor, and he was followed by
Senator Quay of Pennsylvania, VINO talk
ed with the President about the quota of
troops which their State is to furnish for
the volunteer army. They referred 10 the
yeoman work done by the Keystone
State fighters in the civil war and stated
that in the present emergency every man
who volunteered from that State could
be depended upon to do his full duty.
Ex-Governor Oates of Alabama was the
next visitor to engage the Presidents at
tention. He was asked by the President
what he thought of the application of
Gen. Wheeler for a commission in the
volunteer army Col Oates replied that
he indorsed it unequivocally and that he
| believed that there was no braver man
in the civil war than Gen. Wheeler.
CCi' OeilNo tii'O NOlulittIlSu ii' So ''SS.'
should they be needed. He added that
there was many ex-Confederate veter-
ans in his State who stood ready to
| fight for the old flag when they were
wanted. Many of them however. felt
| that they were too old to do very much
active work.
But they'll fight like blazes, he said,
emphatieally and the President nodded
! his appreciation.
Col Oates has brilliant war record.
| He went out as captain of the Fifteenth
Alabama, and he was the seventh cap
! tain in point of rank in the regiment. The
! fortunes of war, however. caused him,
after a short time, to act as commander
! of his regiment in a number of battles
1 as the senior captain and he soon was
promoted to be lieutenant-colonel COM
manding the Fifteenth and the Forty
! eighth Alabama, at the instance of
ANDY" Hood. 1t is due to him that
Alabama has its present splendid militia.
When he was governor of the State he
! organized the National Guard of the
/ State upon its present substantial basis,
/ forming it into three regiments of cav
] airy. five of infantry and three of artil-
| lery. These, together with two regiments
/ of colOred troops. form a superb guard,
which is the admiration of the army
| authorities of this country. Speaking of
! the tOlOIeu troops OF his Sldlt " Il re-
| porter of The Times, Col. Oates said: 81
| consider them to be fully the equal of
the white men. They have seen no fight
ing but they are good soldiers. They
/ will be of the greatest service in the in
/ yasion of Cuba as they will be thorough
| ly acclimated and in every way able 10
! do good service" The colonel related a
number of his experiences during the
| civil war TO the reporter. and he told
them with all his old-time fire. He was
| wounded in the arm, necessitating its
| amputation, in his twenty-seventh bat
tie. after having been wounded five
times before. He was one oil the bravest
of the men who fought for the lost
/ cause" and he viii fight just as bravely
for "Old Glory" should he be needed al
the front. Senators Pritchard of North
Carolina. Lindsay of Kentucky Gear OF
! Iowa, Fairbanks of Indiana and SpooneT
! of Wisconsin, and Representatives Jen-
lSins and Grdsvener also called. Lieut.
Gen. Schofield and eX-Minister to Italy
| Wayne MacVeagh also called. EX-Sec-
retary of the Treasury John w. Foster
was closetedi with the President for a
! few minutes. He would say nothing, ex-
| cept that the President had told him no.
thing about the news from the front.