The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-01
TWELFTH OF ONE MIND
PRIVATES KEEP APPEALING TO
THOSE AT HOME

Ahey want to- lie Mustered Out and
Want the People of Minnesota to
Know They Want to he Mustered
ject--Life at Camp Hamilton Is
an Improvement on Chickamauga.
The Twelfth regiment boys are Just
as anxious to return to their homes and
their business as are those in the Four
teenth. They seem to have gotten 1t
into their heads that the impression
had got abroad in Minnesota that they
wanted to do garrison duty. The
u b can assure the boys of the
twelfth regiment 1T is generally known
In Minnesota that the prlvates of the
Twelfth, as we'll as of the Fourteenth,
want to get home and get here as
quickly as possible, since there is no
more fighting for anybody to do The
people understand there is nothing in
1t for them to so to Cuba or Porto Rico
now that there is no fighting to ia
done.
1t is doubtful If there is one man in
a hundred in either the Twelfth or
Fourteenth regiments who could not go
to Porto Rico, or any other place. and
engage in profitable civil occupation.
They are competent men, all of them
having at least a business education
and able to make a remuneratiVe liV-
ing. 1t is considered little wonder that
they protest against being compelled 20
go and do garrison duty at little more
than what they ordinarily spend for
cigars.
The fact that they, the Twelfth and
Fourteenth and their friends want the
regiments mustered out is known to
Minnnesota's representatives at Wash
ington as thoroughly as to the men
themselves. Why they are unable to
accomplish anything is a matter Of
opinion. There is little doubt, however,
that the pressure that has been
brought to bear will produce the de-
sired result shortly
The G b received a number Of
additional letters from the boys on the
subject yesterday. Among them were
the following:
To The st. Paul Globe:
AS member Of Company L, Twelfth Min
nesota volunteers, will you kindly allow me
space to correct a misleading statement that
appeared In your valuable paper few days
ago, TO the effect that the boys of Company
l. were willing to do garrison duty and
which caused quite a stir and a good deal
of i'll feeling the evening The GIob e with
the above mentioned statement reached camp
Now, l interviewed almost every member
ing, and can say positively that fully 50
per cent OF Company decidedly OPP
posed to doing garrison duty. The boys of
/ signed petition some time since, and be
fore Spain cried Enough" to Hon. c. K
Davis, requesting him to use his influence
to get the Twelfth Minnesota to the front
and, II there was no place for us there, to
try. and get garrison duty for us either in
Cuba or Porto Rico, thinking that were we
sent to do garrison duty we may in time
be put to active service, but are not will
Ing to do garrison duty now that the war Is
over. l appeal to you, Mr.. Editor, and 1 be-
lleve l am vocing the sentiment of 50 per
cent Of the enlisted men of the Twelfth Min
nesota when do SOTO take up our cause-to
assist in making our feelings known to the
people of Minnesota and to the authorities at
Washington, that we may not be forced to
do garrison duty in foreign island in time
Of peace.
We sacrificed homes and position and BUSH
ness interests when there was lighting to be
done, and would do so again under the same
circumstances, but we feel as though it
would be too great a sacrifice to continue
us IN the service, now that the war is over
Inc opinions OF the enlisted men of the
Twelfth are being suppressed by men who
made no sacrifice to join the army but did
so to better their condition in life to draw
lat salaries and are trying desperately to
hang on by spreading the reports that the
men OF the Twelfth want to do garrison duty.
"A peutlon was started through the Four
| tenth Minnesota when We were in Chicka-
manga asking the signatures of the men who
| did not want to do garrison duty, and which
was to be sent to the war department at
Washington. Our colonel, learning of it,
called the captains Of all the companies to-
gether and told them that if a petition of
that nature should appear in the Twelfth
1t must be suppressed The captains in
turn called the companies together and
stated what the colonel had said; that if
any man attempted to circulate such a
thing he would be arrested and dealt with
according to the crime he had committed.
That 1t was mutiny and should not be at
tempted by any soldier. Just think of it,
crime to make it known that we do not
want to do garrison duty. They tell us we
ought to be patient and be good soldiers
Have we not been good soldiers when we
endured with patience the HOMOGENEOUS drills
many hours each day for months, under the
blistering sun, on the clay fields Of Georgia ?
Yes and not because we were lettering
our condition in life, as those were doing who
are now acting so un-American as to threaten
to have us dealt with severely if we at
tempt to circulate a petition asking to be
mustered out; We are anxious that the rep
| resentatives from Minnesota in Washington
should be made aware of the state n affairs
here, and, knowing the weight a few words
from you in our favor would have, respect
fully ask you to speak for us.
"A Member Of COMPANY I,
Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Aug. 2S
Here is another one:
To the Editor ST. Paul G o e: I happened
to notice letter in your paper of Aug "a
stating the wishes Of different Minnesota vol
unteer regiments. 1t also stated that the Of
fcers and men of the Twelfth Minnesota VOL
urteer regiment wished to do garrison duty
but l wish to correct you in this and show
you your mistake. There isn't one man out
of ten in this regiment that wishes to do
garrison duty, and another thing is If they
send us to do garrison duty there will be a
hot time in the old camp and one long to
be remembered by this country The boys Of
the Twelfth do not wish to do garrison duty
and any officer that says the private wishes
to is telling a falsehood and he knows he is.
If the boys were allowed to voice their SEN
timents this regiment would be mustered out
at once There was petition started in this
regiment, asking for the mastering out Of
the Twelfth But it did no good. 1t is the
officers of n
rison duty, not the men. II the government
had sent us to the front in time of war we
would be willing to do garrison duty. If We
could but get somebody to voice our senti-
ments we would be thankful. The boys are
tired and wish to get back to their work and
jobs. Some left fine homes and situations and
school. Now the officers wish to send us off
to some foreign shore because it is to their
interest but to the privates harm. Well, per-
haps you understand this letter and hope
you do. Now you know the sentiments of
the private. Yours respectfully,
Private
Twelfth Minnesota Volunteers.
Lexington, KY, Aug. %.