The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-16
CAPT. CURTIS INTERVIEWED.
Charges of Various Kinds Discussed
and Some Denied.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK, Sept. 15.-Capt. J. B. Cur
tis, commander of the battery, was Joined
by his wife and young son on board the
transport as soon as she reached the pier
Mrs. Curtis has been visiting relatives in
Morristown, N. j., while her husband has
been at war.
Captain Curtis when seen by the Journal
correspondent, denied in toto the charges
against the commissioned officers of the
battery. ''The charge that the officers
drank to excess at Chickamauga and on
the way to Porto Rico are absolutely
groundless and must have been stated ma
liciously, for there was so far as / know.
no drinking whatever among the officers
Of the battery. AS to the hardships suffered
by the men on the way to Porto Rico, of
course, neither nor the other officers are
to blame. We did all that we could for
their comfort, and a pretty good evidence
of the fact that all that could be done for
the men was done is, in my opinion, the
fact that not single death has occurred
and every man who went away in the bat
terry is now on the way home and none
dangerously ill. One trouble is that our or
ganization was a crack one out in Indiana,
and when the war came there was a rush
to get into our battery. AS a result, some
were taken in who went to the war with
not the least idea of what they had to ex-
pect. Naturally, they did not find soldering
bed of roses and complaint. sometimes
without just cause, has been made.''
Asked as to the charges against Lieut.
Johnson, Captain Curtis said: 'T think
there was some trouble over not making
his report promptly enough and also some
fault found with the report he first made
He then made another report; since then
1 have heard of no trouble about his af-
fairs and the funds of the canteen.
The captain was told of the specific
charges which have been mentioned in this
dispatch and he said he had no knowledge
of them.
Asked as to the truth of the statement
that he had deprived the Rev. Mr.. Hender-
son of some of his privileges Captain Cur
tbs replied: Absolute nonsense; not an
atom of truth in it. The fact is have given
Mr.. Henderson more privileges than other
privates. He has been free from most of
the duties that usually fall to their lot. and
l gave him pass so that, between certain
hours. he was perfectly free to go and come
as he chose and carry on his work of nurs-
ing and caring for the sick, which was self
imposed, and he seemed to like it. / can
think of reason for any one making
such a charge against me except that last
Sunday some of the men came to me and
asked that Mr.. Henderson be allowed to
preach. told them that had no authority
to grant such request, as Major General
Wilson was in command of the forces on
the vessel"
Speaking further, Captain Curtis said the
men Of his company had behaved admir-
ably, and that the severest punishment he
had to impose on any of them had been
some additional fatigue duty. Not a man
has been tried by court-martial,'' he added,
land in that respect believe our battery
stands alone among those who went to
Porto Rico
All of the men were loud in their praises
of the work done by the Rev. Mr.. Hen
cerson in caring for the sick and nursing
them when, at times he was far from well
himself. As a result, Mr.. Henderson is now
one of the most popular men of the battery.
The men, including officers, have subscribed
to a fund to be presented to him after
reaching Indianapolis.
The charges against the officers seemed to
be the thing uppermost in the minds of
most of the batterymen. and they not only
discussed them among themselves, but
talked of them to friends and others who
visited the transport during the day.
Corporal A. H. wilkens, in discussing
them with the Journal correspondent, said
he thought undue prominence had been
given them by many Of his comrades, and
that there was little ground for any of
them.
Maj. John MEG. Woodbury.. chief surgeon
in charge of the Concha on this particular
trip, said: Il invite a public inspection of
the transport do not think that cleaner
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