New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04
BP4TEPY CLEARS THE STAIN.
From The Chicago Chronicle.


W. IN inf9ntrv For; Sheridan. in serious
trcu5e. lie was forced to submit to a court,
martial ON the charge Of brutality TO an enlisted
man He was convicted and gentcnced TO repri,,
Inaad in orders. july ana OF TINS year ne ga ga
r M" Thch chafed increasingly from the
morning the ''iIanmond afffir" became public
Lovernss situation at shsridan va PeS@ d 15lg
embarrassing me hEhtne ttn ic e'fu in whose
lines Gran; ard other renowned officers served
Sccons Notorious so'H scandal after scandal had
marked the tour Of duty there Of General CToftons
command 1t was the desire Of the War Depart;
ment d!spel the cloud thus gathered. ana III ald
thereof the 9Th called in. 1t was harmo-
Nous regiment. and had never been involved III post
Eirhtccn months passed away. and the ith main
tanned its high reputation for harmony ana ni fAr
cellence Of Department The officers we're popa, ,
lated herself ON their accession 10 louai SnroaHd
Then morning In July the news was spret'u
officer Of the day. hal been guilty Of extreme
cruelty to Private Hammond. q prisoner from Hn-
the AFFAIR and General Brooke caused rigid In,
vestiga;ion. This was followed by cotri-marlal
ing could bo calling to high-srung man
thar this sane in STdf over the find
Ing OF the Go1r 1t w2T o 6F'%a TT of D
kota. In passing. it might be well TO remark tHn
the officers constituting the court. the comfnange
have had but little employment In the war Brooke;
third in rank in the Army was leit IN comman44
sent to Porto Rico as second in command Of Miles,
Shafter at the outbreak was hriSadiGr jnni@r 10
Wade. yet he was sent TO Cuba ana won the glory
Of Santiago.
But to return to Lowering. The Captain was
punished enough and. besides: he was not his
enough in rank to anybody 10 camp on MS
restored to duty ana proceeded 10 cuba with his
regiment His colonel, who backed him so strongly
not allowed TO go and win higher rank In the hel9
lie was made hrigadi.r OF voimmtocrS atn me-
to whip into shapc He is still whipping them nGn4coa
being
than mere military ambition TO sat,Ffy IN Ihnt
self in the ewes of the world ana Tho Of his
regiment Rightfully or wrongfully tho verdict Of
the 4th. it Is said he was known "Weyl"r." be
cause Of his harshness 10 the men He must re-
to restore himself to public favor at Fl Caneyy.
The nEh TIM iS got Of rs ary we're i st eormod
The regiment formed portion Of tho column sent
Bravery Bravery and skill in fghtns was fny sustained
The hero OF FL Caney, according to me Ieporiis
Lowering. Lowering commands Company { OF tho
4th. His company and regiment were In the hottes,
killed in the fight and Mr. Neary was badly
hurt Both were men Of much less stature ,nen
cally in the Army; He was not touched hy bullet
Lowering spared neither himself nor his. company
IN that wild charge In fact IT mas neSn n,. s@ld
his men in a ravine while advancing on the h'inG
line but that he LED thcm impetqouiy across , me
men in line when the advance was ordered When When
the fight ended he had three dead and eighteen
wounded This loss exceeded that Of any primary
organization IN the fight. II had been SAID thai
kin the captain in their first action. r so. the
man never had tho chanc,. as he was killed IN IN"
lowering led his men from their position in tho
resmenta lin" lie wen, straight to me front, re-
He moved on the firing line with I'LL speed. and
then performed an act Of bravery Whit proV Ne,
ocm Hai 81 in The first rush but he looked after
mo A
In the charge up the Hill Of sibonoy the Captain
orders were imperative. and his men swept on and
re,nrninp strength he forced himself forward ami
rcgained his company. now on the firing line and
the dsgraccd officer showed his mettlc as fighter.
of his men. He tried to protect them under fire
lowering saw his mon were exposed to tho mercl-
less fire Of the enemy. lie Is Of gigantic stature
and ghyscay at lest an a l s@ can r. Hg h h
Shovel ana in - rain Of bullets cooy dug
trenches with it, ordering his men 70 take position
this time exnosed to the calling nre u tho span
no ,omchnd lie hinged into trenches ana rescued
Wounded men. although Red cross men were hit
on all sides lie fought all day. and fought as
stature nc came out without a mark. while much
n6iIonfaiiy The ARM docs not furnish tho only
case Of bravery on The part Of an Office who was
similar to the Lowering affair which Is equally sig
rinCant. Several years ago y. II. MriaUa. fh"n an
officer in the Navy. In grave trouble. He was
charged with cruel and even brutal treatment Of
the men under his command. In fact he was go
involved in this affair that he was relieved from
sea duty. and until the war broke out was never
restored to command. Then he was sent 10 the
Marhlehead.
But go great was the feeling asans, this oiicc-
that II there had been anybody Of proper rank
TO take command OF this vessei McCalla would not
have been assigned 20 her. II" happened 20 he tho
only available Of sufficient rank. and received
his first berth In half dozen years. His roc-
ord was not the best in the world but he had
had no chance redeem himself and he was.
therefore very persistent in his efforts 70 &c;
command commensurate with his lneal rank He
got ii and has redeemed himself
Not an action has taken place since tho war be-
gan that the Marblehead missed II sh" were I'm sig
mailing distance No ship has done more consist
entity good work than TINS cruiser. She has heon
fought with c1nsummatc skill ana has proved
voritahc deril 20 the enemy. Her commander IS
.dozed by his men. yet he is the same officer who
has passed through bitter an experience as
over falls TO the lot of officer land
H. has been revOutonized IN feeling
Roth Of these officers have performed services
which seemingly deserve promotion Yet fa-
as known the name Of neither has been mentioned
I'm official reports. Whether not they were right
fully censured. they had 10 suffer for msdecds
charged against them. II IL moro than probable
that their probation has ended. II Is more than
proba bic that but for the clouds which hung over
Them when tho broke out both might have
fame and reward for duty well done"