The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-16
Was Not Able to Raise a Full
Company.
MEN HAVE GONE HOME
OTHER COMPANIES ARE BADLY
SCARED.
TWO MORE NEW ONES COME TO NIGHT
The Tarboro and Lenoir Companies Mustered in
Yesterday One Drop, out IN the TarbOro
Company Causes Trouble. Or
dered to Fair Ground

dered to Fair Ground
The Oxford company went home last
night on the 2:16 train and the Gastonia
company is this morning occupying its
tents.
Capt. Skinner and his officers have
made noble effort to get full company
but they were unable to do it and yester-
day they gave up the struggle.
The company went before the sur
gcons yesterday morning with eighty-four
men. hut the examination had not pro
cecdcd far before it was found out that
in the end the company would be some
thirty men short.
This loss, Capt Skinner said he did not
think he could make good by night the
only time left him. He was thereupOn
ordered to vacate the tents he was 0ccu-
pying and take such men home with him
as did not care to volunteer in some other
companies. Nj the men from Oxford
left last nights A few Of those from 9th
or places joined other companies
When they found that they could not
fill out their company and that they must
go back home Capt. Skinner and Lieu
tenant Britt broke down and cried like
babies.
II am sorry about this" said Capt
Skinner, Il would not have had it hap
pen for anything in the world. And yet
I've done my duty. And so have my Off
GERS. We will go back with that con
seriousness. My mistake was in coming
here before | got a full company. | knew
il at the time. bat was acting under
orders from the Adiutant General. He
photographed me 10 come at once, if /
could bring fifty or sixty men. ] came
and brought them. | have them still. but
the balance are men that either will not
pass the physical examination, or if they
pass will not take the oath. Our only
chance now is to so home. recruit up the
company and wait for the second call. :"
The Adiutant General has ordered
Capt. Wagner. of Asheville, TO bring at
once the company Of one hundred men
he has recently raised. lie is expected
here tonight. The Murphy company has
also been ordered here and is expected to
come on the same train with the Ashe-
vile company.
Two more companies Yesterday sue
cecded in getting their eighty-four men
and were mustered in to the service of
the United States.
These are the Tarboro company, Capt.
John w. Gotten, and the Lenoir-Burke
company, Capt. Edmund Jones.
The last named company arrived here
Saturday night and yesterday morning
they were examined by the surgeons and
late yesterday afternoon they were sworn
in.
When they formed in line to take the
oath Capt Jones announced that Col.
Burgwyn wished to say few words to
the men This announcement brought
forth three cheers for Col. Burgwyn.
Just 81 years ago began the col
onel. there was Il certain regiment in
the Confederate army-and one of the
most gallant in the whole army it was,
making name that will live in history.
That regiment was commanded by my
brother and IA captain of one of the com
panics in it was the brother of your cap
tain here. This is. it seems to me, Il
singular coincidence and prophecy that
this regiment will be as gallant and brave
as was that one thirtyseven years ago.
These remarks brought forth cheers
from the men,who Immediately took the
oath and signed the muster roll.
The Tarboro company didn't find the
process of mastering i'll quite so simple
and easy. To begin with the surgeon
examination left Capt Gotten way below
the eighty-Inen mark. But he went
bravely to work to remedy the defect.
He recruited UP, notified Capt. Gresham
that he had Il full company and was
ready to be mustered in. The men were
lined ~. and commanded to take off
their hats and hold up their hands to
take the oath.
All complied but one. That one was
WILLIAM j. BLOW, Of Rocky
Mount.
He said he had decided that he didn't
others in the company, five more stepped
out. as follows:
G. l.. OVERLY. of Rocky Mount.
G. NJ. JAMES. of Bethel
w. l.. FENDER. of Hamilton.
JOHN COOLEY. of Halifax
S. l.. PEELE, of Williamson.
TO say that Capt. Gotten was mad does
not express it. He ordered that the
white rabbits, as the boys call them, be
taken to their quarters and stripped Of
their uniforms. 1t was done, and the
other men and officers went to work to
get men to take the places of those that
had dropped out
In the meantime three of the drop
overly, Fender and Godley-coh,,
cluded they had made mistake ana
begged to he taken back. 1t was uoic'
This left three new men to be so't '.i
During the day they were secured anu
at 645 o'clock they were sworn H.
When the men formed in line to take
the oath, Capt. Gotten stepped before
them and said:
"Now the mastering officer is about TO
trv again to administer the oath to you.
We came here for business, not for
child's play. IL there is any white-liver-
cd coward among you who Is afraid let
him step out now. l have been made a.
fool Of once to-day by such men and /
don't want it repeated.
Nobody stepped out and Capt. Ores
ham administered the oath At its con