The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1898-06-11


please indso~ts ea rnr-ss ance yoar Dissemination
In the matter.
Pardon the use OF pencil; have no pen and
ink Very respectfully,
JAMES X. YARDAMAN.
Executive Department.
Jackson, Miss, June 3, 1903.
Hon. James K. Vardaman Camp Pat Henry;
Sir--Your letter of yesterday, mark personal
was handed to me last night. In It you say you
are advised that have refused to insist upon your
appointment to the oaptaincy Of the Water Valley
Rifles because had not been informed by you
that ycu really desired It,. You also say that you
should be very glad to have me Insist upon your
appointment, that your physical disabilities may
thereby be removed. The war department at
Washington directed the mastering officer to
muster In commissioned officers notwithstanding
their rejection by the surgeon for physical de-
| fect3, If insist upon their being mustered in.
Yesterday, was notified by the mastering Off
Ger, Lieutenant Lockwood, thatyou and Lieuten-
ant Mcfarland "were rejected physically" at the
same time asking II psisted ''that you you and
Lieutenant Mcfarland be mustered in" Cap
tain Mcfarland had previously been to see me in
reference to his physical defects, which consisted
merely Of his age, 81 year4neXt winter, the loss
! Of vision common to men Of his age. and request
ed me to insist upon his being mustered in, not
withstanding these defects. Believing that his
physical defects will not materially dctract from
his efficiency, and that the military service will
not suffer by hisbeing mustered ia, and there
being no reason why should not do so, u insisted
upon his being mustered in.
Afterwards, MIR Stubbleaeld and -L'eutenant
Knox oalland requested me TO insL'u upon your be-
ing mustered in. replied to<~oui that you mad not
rsonasted me fo ~>on your being mustered
I in and eitod them A~odr persistent abuse OF me
in your panese'oe nave been IN position that
r..s,saas been long continued, unjust, unfair and
y l,sPf1yoked, and informed them that under these
(ciroumstanoesI could not insist up your being
mustered In and preserve my self-respect. Mr..
otublehed asked ne IL would insist in the event
you requested me TO do so, to which | replied
mat would consider that when the request
shouid be made, but that would not, in advance
of request by you, say what | would do | do
not feel that there is any public or military neces
sty or reason or cause for mo to Insist upon your
oeing mustered Ia, but that IL | should do so it
would have to bo on personal grounds. Indeed
you seem to recognize as much by marking your
letsef 70 me personal" Before / could, "a a
personal" matter, have Insisted upon your being
'-'A''~i d pO5lJOn winch QOu uDtIe83 others
would gladly accept 4 feel that the newspaper
assaults you have made upon mo should have |
been publicly withdrawn, being the least repara-
ton that could have been offered UnaoeoTnna
-s.sF.se.- nityo =, .4.g- 70, II
nedby such wlthdra~al, your request oY4f 5f'J
insist upon the mastering in Of one who bitterly
assaults me- This, It Is impossible for me to do.
take no pleasure in nreeountlng these matters, but
do so that you may see that my refusal to insist
upon your being mustered In was not because
had not been informed by you thatyou really de-
sired it, and that IT may be sean how your letter.
unaecompanied with any reparatlon leaves 1t i'm
possiole for me, after your rejection by the sur
geons, to insist, as a personal matter, upon your
being mustered into position which numbers Of
others would, doubtless gladly have.
Very respectfully, A. j. McLAURIN.
Upon receipt of the above let
ter, Captain Vardaman ordered
his company drawn into line, and
addressed them as follows:
"Gentlemen-l have just received from Cover
nor McLaurin most remarkable letter, He
refuses to commission me as your captain be-
cause have eeen lt TO make few structures
l-,aIl1.fl..s..