The Van Buren press., 1898-09-03
LIea1. Garland Defeuas Hfnself With
Ready PEN
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ErzH z.HHia aaeV #fzzsfze
Second I5saa. Efll Garland 5e eom-
HlaH e zsr arkansas volunteer m
aaHzF 5Ha gas aiae=a aHder f bF
a-Iarff IlI Chandler #ar =iFeu .afing
: Hsafisa sskfeg zbat e4s regiment y
mustered HHa aHt who Vas I1sr=
asnfGe eassa and 5hen resigned
szaHaiV IaIuts5ns zhat Hde sentiment of
raz regiment zaeimluglq ia
fsE0r 5f aeiag mustered 9at. He
writes tne following letter
camp = a Thomas. Aug l9.
10 sts CHATTANOOGA T5nes
WI son nlease eiye shs following
conspicuous place iu FoaH HaueH
lFdesarg=a 5.e attention &c 81 friends
81 Che enlisted men aad speaking for
fnv own regiment Is endorsed ~ one
zhonsana and more volunteers 4E the
T Irzt Arkansas
IN the morning 1f ths sth inst. a
petition was drawn no bg myself which.
81 subsfaHce Hsad sais Wise.
20 the President We. sha rank
and fe Of The Eifsf Arkansas Fdlun-
taer infantry. ask hat re b. mustered
ont Iae purpose for which ~ en-
listed das been accomplished By 0uf +
most fortunate brothers 10 arms Being
neither soIaIrrs 6v birth nor occupation T
now that be war is over we wisH 10 F
return Haue Whenever V0u aeed men F
for lighters ISSUE cad and wa viii
answer
an net able 70 q1ote Yea bhe szact
language nf Che petition a. i5 has deen +
suppressed bY the commanding officer 0f
this regiment
Enlisted men gathered around that T
paper and signed Is mueh faster than
fhev ever did = government paw roll and +
when thsv signed If 5Bey did % 9at
in the oBen IiQat Of day. 5neY did It be-
eause thsv were heartily In favor 0f IL
IHav did 50 because The war = over
and thav ars citizens ~ peace they did
sa because the var and war only can
keep them away from nome cheerfullg
enduring 1ne hardsbIps of campaigning
Hhev did 40 because they have an honest
aud honorable longing to 20 home and
auatie fhev have an InviDIate ri9bt Of
free speech and peaesable petition.
That paper WA purely unofficial III
WAS simply 2 spontaneous expression Of
a sentiment which 9uF men believed
and still believe President Mckinley
VIII HTflFHF NNsAfAH H4lflh no
on It and for one thought when +
wrote the petition that the officers 0f
onr regiment when they saw the will Of
the men w0nid cooperate with them /
heart and sOul.
Did they do it7 They did not.
Word was taken to 0ur colonel that a I
meeting was on foot that the men were I
efforts t. break MP the regiment f
that / was spreading seditiou
The petition was ordered in / was /
placed in confinement, and am hsid 80
More than that fhe colonel pro
nounced ths petition entirely useless in /
the first place and ridiculous ia I
the second
Is It useless for men to ask well earn
cd freed0m7
Is it ndieulous for men to exercise a /
God given rightG
Again Our colonel says it Is inex-
pbeable Why T who have the privilege
10 resign aH will should sign petition
10 be mustered out.
signed it because the men Of the
First who have not such privilege
want - 70 home
still again Dnr colonel said in my
HAHAt Att#h i#fAi lux AsAfH" hAA7 mon ~ AAt'
First who lacked nerve to - en- with
the regiment would be given 9ppOr
tInity 10 go home.
~hame
The men who volunteered when tbs
hght WIS hot; the men who received as
surances from all sides titat they would
meet the enemy; Che men who have
waited without murmur until the
cannon dying echoes told the world
that war was over the men who have
dag and drilled, drilled and dug until
they have at times h0pelessiy c0ufDuud-
ed the separate uses Of a rife and a
shovel
3hame
The men who are the brain and
Drawn Of old Arkansas should be
termed towards for saying the truth.
While ] write hear The men singing
Home Sweet Home, and up and
down the camp, and even while the
notes are tenderly waited outward by
The evening breeze q command comes
from gan officer, Keep quiet down
there you men
DO you believe me friepds2 IF yOu
don then come ont here and ask the
men. Yours truly,
WILL GARLAND,
Second Lieutenant Company II First
Arkansas Volunteer Infantry