The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-07
Is Under Fire
Again.
MEN OF THE SECOND
Start Afresh the Charges
Against Their Colonel.

Complaints against Col Clark of the
Second Massachusetts regiment have
been signed by nearly so members of
Companies b and X of Springfield, and
have been given TO the public. The
charges cover many pages of paper and
are principally a collection Of the
charges that have heretofore been
made and have been printed in nearly
all of the state papers.
The statement is decidedly interest
ing in portions to all military men.
The document opens as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned, enlisted men of
the Second Massachusetts regiment
United States volunteers, issue the fol-
lowing statement Of our experiences in
the Cuban campaign as an answer to
the criticisms which have been made
of our kicks" against the treatment we
received. 1t IS our wish that the public
should know our side of the case ana
decide for itself where the responsibility
belongs
1T was our purpose TO issue this or a
similar statement at the time the signed
statement of the Second regiment cap
tains was published, but not wishing
10 be accused of having political mo-
lives in making public these facts al
time when our commanding officer was
a candidate before the people, we de-
ferred action until the present time.
The statement signed by the captains
we will pass over with little comment.
The manner in which that statement
came to be circulated is known to US,
also the fact that a number of the sign
ers were placed in a position where they
could not we'll withhold their sigma
lures however much they might nave
desired to. Our respect for our captains
and our confidence in them is not dim
inished by the fact that they signed
the statement
$500 The document then goes on 10 tell oil
f'he many discomforts and trials the
men say they were subjected 10. Ihey
say they were obliged TO sleep without
shelter at Tampa when other regiments
=. Went aboard the transports. Ana lntg
claim also that they were poorly lea
and that appeals to headquarters re-
ceived no response. The document
reads upon this point:
Appeals to headquarters for relief
accomplished nothing, and finally cur
company officers, on the evening OF the
9th. held an indignation meeting and
discussed ways and means Of relieving
OH distress. This was the occasion on
which the officers outside of the colo
nel's staff We're practically obliged TO
take matters in charge themselves
This statement has been denied, but we
insist that it is correct in every par
ttcularf
The statement also recites the har-
rowing time at lll Caney and that at
no time. to the mems knowledge, dld
Colonel Clark visit the company streets
to inquire into the condition OF the en-
listed men or did he ever" says the
document, send food-or delicacies to
the sick
The document closes with the words:
~ NJ Ia
Second regiments campaign in Cuba.
-st-4Col. Clark, when shown the
charges" says the Springfield Union,
did not take the matter seriously, and
said that there was absolutely nothing
new in them, and the source from
which it originated is not much of a Sc
i, cret,'
co. Not a single name from Company G
of Springfield appears among the list
Of signatures. They are all members
= of Companies and K.
Colonel Clark is said to have laughed
at that portion of the document which
referred to the fact that it had not
been signed and made public before his
election, and that he had no idea that
those men would be so considerable.
The Springfield papers stated yester-
day that some men who had signed the
document did not know what it was
= but supposed that it was a reply t.
some statements made by Worcester
people about the Springfield companies
and they gladly placed their names tC
get square with everybody in the heart
Of the commonwealth.
worcester military men have very
little to say upon the subject The Off
GERS of the three local companies have
always openly stood up for Colone
Clark.
Phe Springfield document is signed By
privates and nom commissioned Off
GERS only. Not an officers name APP
-eneRrs upon the list