Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-08-12
THE THIRD VIRGINIA REGI-
MENT.

Third Virginia Regiment, court of in
qniry has been appointed by General
Graham, commanding the Seer d
army corps, the first division of VII h
is encamped at Dunn Loring. e
court is expected to convene at ne
First Division headquarters to day.
The court will investigate the accusa-
| tons brought against the Virginia reg
iment by Gen. Butler, in the order pro-
mulgsted by him Oh Tuesday.
The court which is to investigate the
matter, and which will probably report
definitely as to whether or not General
Buffers severity was justifisble, is com
posed of Col Gross, OF the Third Mis-
souIi; Lieut.. Col. w. S. Edgerly, In
snector General OF the Second Army
Corps, and Lieut.. Col. William p Du-
vail, ordnance officer Of the Second
Army Corps, with Lieut.. Charles 2.
Summerall, of the Third Artillery, ss
court recorder. The investigation is to
be undertaken a! the special request
OF Colouel Male, who is very anxious
to have the affair probed to tie bottom.
An independent investigation was be-
gun yesterday afternoon by Maj. Mills,
OF the Inspector Generals office, who
visited the camp at the ORDER of the
Secretary of War.
The members of that command
claim that Gen. Butler acted unjustly
and hastily in issuing the order which
placed them under guard. Gen. But
Ter still asserts that the Virginiavs
were guilty and deserve punishment,
and he will not hear of any smoothing
over in the matter.
Senator Martin, of Virginia, and Rep
resentative Lamb called on Adjutant
General Corbin yesterday, as was
stated in the Gazette of that date, TO
ask for an investigation into the trou
ble that has arisen in connection with
the Third Virginia regiment, in Gen.
B ltler's command. Senator Martin ex-
pressed the opinion that Major General
Butler, in issuing the order combining
the Third Virginia regiment to quar-
tels, had acted under o misapprehen-
sion, being led by appearances to be.
lieve that the men OF the regiment had
bt en- guilty Of gross breach of discl
pine, when in reality such was not
the case. He represented TO General
Corbin the state of the case, as explain
cd by the officers of the regiment, and
said he thought an injustice was being
done both the regiment and the State
of Virginia. He said he did not believe
General Butler intended auy injustice.
but that the order had been issued
without thorough investigation into
the matter. As result Of the inter
view, an immediate investigation has
been ordered by the department, and
Major Mills has been ordered to begin
thorough investigation at once.
A Gordon of sentinels is still station
ed thirty feet apart around the quar-
tiers OF the Third Virginia, and neither
furloughs nor passes are given.
The Washington correspondent OF
the Richmond Dispatch says: the
tvraunical treatment of the Third Vn-
giuia regiment by Major General But
Ter, who is South Csrolinian, an ex-
Confederate officer and an exhibited
States Senator from that State, Is the
absorbing topic of conversation in both
civil and military circles to-day, and
the action of Butler is severely crlti-
cised on all sides. He now stands ar
raigned before the military authorities
and the bar of public opinion of having
perpetrated an unprecedented outrage
in military history. 1t is not the Vlr-
gnia regiment, which is admitted to be
one of the finest and best disciplined
organizations in the service, that is OIL
trial, but it is Major General Butler,
and it is limited that the investigation
which will now take place will bring
forth some very unpleasant revela-
tons about the expressions he used
and the threats he made last Monday
evening"
A court of inquiry WAS convened this
morning at 1st Division headquarters
for the purpose OF investigating the
recent disorder in the Third Virginia
Volunteers. The witnesses examined
were Major General NJ. G. Butler, com
manding the division, and Major F. S.
Strong, adjutant general OF the division.
Two MILLIONS ISvoLvED.-Hon. Holmes
Conrad, of Winchester, solicitor general Of
the United States under Cleveland's last ac-
ministration, has been appointed with L. M.
J Ward, city solicitor, to defend Winchesters
| interest in the estate of the late Judge JON
| Han Hey, OF Scranton, Pa. Tho estate is be-
| ing sued by alleged heirs. Judge Handlcy
WAS prominent Pennsylvania judgc and
millionaire He died III 1894. leaving The
| bulk of his fortune, estimated at over 81
| 100000 10 the city Of Winchester. Two
hundred and fifty thousand were left to the
city in the specific bequest for public IL
b1ary. and the city also shares as Iesiduary
legatee Tor about $2,000,00Q for industrial
schools. provision of the will was that
| the money is to be invested In Vir
einia State bonds, and not to be used
until the accumulated interest equals the
principal, or not for about twenty years.
| The suits of the alleged heirs, who are
ondeayoriug to break the will, will come
~ for trial in the Pennsylvania courts i'll
September. The executors the city OF VIM
chester the other bcneficiares as we'll as the
contestiug claim ants, will make bitter fight.
| The case will be carried t. the United States
Sup enc Court by the defeated side.
An Enterprising Druggist.
There are few men more wide awake
and enterprising than E. S. Leadbester