Richmond planet., 1898-11-19
Editor John Mitchell;
Richmond PLANET f;

x<0itOA a. OAtu GAttVACAs
Richmond Planet
Dear Sir ir.-Asthe daily papers gen.
orally have given their supposed YER
sion of the designations OF the nine Of
ficsrs of the Sixth Virginia Vol lnteers
and it has ell been unravorable to the
officers in question. it may be well TO
let our friends hear our side.
To begin with, by on act of Congress
the commanding officer OF q regiment
is allowed at any time he 81 es fit, to
ask for q Board to examine into the
qualifications, efficiency. conduct and
capabilitY of officers under him.
A COMMANDING oFFIcER's OPPORTUNITY.
This of cou :se gives a commanding
officer an opportunity to get rid OF any
officers who may be Objectionable to
him, wheter on acconnt of color or any
thing else. A West Pointer can have
room made for his fellow school-mates
TO the detriment OF the volunteer Of
ficers, and the colored officers can be
gotten rid OF for the volunteer officers
of choi &c.
1t is stated that we were incompe-
tent. If West Point is to be taken as
the standard Of efficiency. we admit
that we were incompetent, so is every
one else, not West Point graduate.
POINTED QUESTION.
Again, If we were incompetent, what
is to be said of any who are inferior to
some of us resigned. in mental cspaci-
ty? When we reason along this line.
we can see that the object was not to
hnd out our etfici ency ETC., but to
| throw US out.
Had the Board met at the time ap-
| pointed, we would have been summon
/ ed to appear before the Board, not
knowing what was wanted of us. The
| order called for 3 meeting of the Board
on Monday, Oct. Sd, at 10 A. M. We
received the order from the Adjdtant's
Office Monday, Oct. Sd. 8 P. M. Snap
| judgement.
SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS.
We were not aware or anything oi
the kind to take place till we read the
order. Tuesday, A. NJ. some of ouI
designations were iH the Adjutant's of.
! flee. At 8 A. NJ. the President Of the
Board arrived in camp. We were sent
| for. While some of US were standing
at the front of the commanding offic-
er's tent waiting for the Others to ap.
| pear, we heard the question coming
from within the closed tent "Are there
any officers or men fit for promotion?'
| The reply was NO." In a few min.
utes the President of the Board anne
| oft and said to us, THE Board will
convene Wednesday, 5th, at A. NJ.
sIexlFIcANP HINT.
eff any of you wish to resign you
had better do so before the Board
meets. If your designations are not in
| before we meet we'll have to report on
ycu." Those words were significant.
Why should behave said that2
The intention 20 get rid OF colored
officers was evidf mt. We did not fear
fair examination IS some of US had
been examined more than once, and
| one of US three times, being always
successful but we were satisfied that
| it was case of trot them out and
knock them down.
THE MILITARY BOARD OF VIRGINIA.
We consider that she officers COM
| posing the military board of the State
| of Virginia. Colonel 10 Lane Stern.
| General Charles J. Anderson and other
| prominent gentlemen who examined
US, or some of us at least, and pro
nounced US qualif fed for our positions,
knew their business as well as the com
manding officer of the Sixth Virginia
Regiment, and their signatures to our
| papers are enough for US, The sigma
! lures Of all the examining boards that
could be established would not have