The times., 1898-08-13
THE INVESTIGATION BEGUN
Gen. Butler the Most Important
Witness Examined.
TROOPS WERE DIsORDERLY
Eight Thousand Soldiers Barefoot
ed Because of the Inferior Quail
ity of Shoes Furnished-Feu to
Pieces ms the Men Marched
Through the Mud and Water.

The court of inquiry appointed by Adjt.
Gen. Corbin to investigate the much-dis-
cussed disorder in the Third Virginia
Regiment was convened at First Division
headquarters at Camp Alger yesterday
morning.
The court was created by the following
order issued on Thursday night:
Headquarters Second Army Corps,
Camp Russell A. Alger, Va,
August II, 1885,
Special Order No. 70.
In accordance with the 1f5th article of
war, court of inquiry is appointed at the
request of Col w. Male, Third Virginia
Volunteers, to examine into and report
upon the facts connected with the con-
duct of men belonging TO the Third Vir-
ginia Volunteers as charged in general
order 49, current series, First Division
headquarters, Second Army Corps. The
court will meet at the headquarters of the
First Division, Second Army Corps, at 10
o'clock a. M, August Il, or as soon there
after as practicable.
In its report the court of inquiry will
present its opinion of the merits of the
case as provided in the 10th article of
war. Detail for the court: Col. George
Lieut.. Col w. F. Edgerly, inspector gen.
eral, United States Volunteers; Lieut..
Col. w. F. Duval, chief ordnance officer,
United States Volunteers; Lieut.. Charles
p. Summerall, Fifth Artillery, recorder.
BY order of Maj. Gen. Graham.
(Signed) c. S. ROBERTS.
Adjutant General.
| Besides the officers composing the court
tIa fall ha
Col. Nalle, Third Virginia; Congressman
| Rixey, of Virginia.; Attorney General
| Montague of Virginia: Messrs. George
| E. Hamilton and B. x. Peter, of Wash
| ington, and r. w. Moore, of Fairfax.
The witnesses examined yesterday were
Gen. NJ. C. Butler commanding the First
Division, Second Army Corps, and Maj
F. S. Strong. adjutant general of the
First Division.
Gen. Buffers testimony was a repeti-
! ton of the statements already published
In The Times. He stated that he was in
| formed that a number of men were in
| duiging in disorderly and riotous conduct
on the day in question near the First Di-
| vision hospital and that he was requested
| to suppress them. He sent detail OF
| twelve men at once, and at the request
of Maj Cooke, chief surgeon of the First
| Division hospital, an additional detail of
one battalion from the First Connecticut
was sent to the scene
Gen. Butler then rode over to the road
and found a crowd of soldiers running
wildly around and yelling like madmen.
] inf cd bat had bapn a
| disturbance over a negro. When Gen.
| Butler ordered the troops back 10 their
| quarters they went very reluctantly, and
| some of them hooted as they went away.
One of them yelled that they would have
to arrest 500 Virginia boys if they arrested
one The conduct of the men was 'r.otous
and disorderly in the extreme None
of the regimental officers was around.
The cross-exam animation was conducted
by Mr. Hamilton Major Strong was next
| called. and testified to the information re-
ceived by him over the telephone.
Major Cooke will he examined this
morning. Il is probable that the investi-
cation will last several days.
The heavy rains of the past week have
brought to light an enormous steal In the
contract shoes supplied to the troops.
The boys in camp at Manassas found that
their shoes melted like snow in the wet
weather, DtlnR composer OF PRESSED
scraps and pieces of brown paper. Some
of the shoes were in rags after being
worn less than week.
AS a result about 5000 of the boys arr
barefooted and yesterday Gen. Davis sent
in requisition for 5000 pairs of shoes
so that the troops might have something
on their feet.
In the meantime the Second Division
cannot move TO Bradford, Pa. until thei:
footgear arrives.
Assistant Surgeon Duncan of tn,
Twenty-second Kansas, will be tried fol
insubordination by special court-mar
tial this morning. Gen. Cole will pre-
| side over the court.
Private Mahon, Company M, Sixty-fiftl
New York, has been posted as a deserter
Mahon escaped from camp once before b!
Disgusting himself as mule driver, bu
was captured and placed in the guart
house. He escaped again on Thursday
and his description has been sent through
out the country.
The typhoid epidemic is over. Not on
case appeared yesterday, and the case
now in the typhoid wards are doing splen
didly.
The BrickIayers' Union