Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-10-20
Rough Treatment of Soldiers.

A dispatch from camp Meade, "a,
to the Baltimore Sun Of Tuesday tells
of an episode of camp life as follows:
The soldiers here are talking about
the unusual punishment inflicted Sum
day morning in the Second West Vir-
GINA camp by order of Lieut.. Col.
O'Brien Moore, upon Privates Mace,
Nose and Plant, of Company NJ,
which was enlisted at Shepherdstown.
Some days ago these men were sent
to the guardhouse for various ofenses.
Yesterday morning the officer of the
day, Lieutenant Ganjot, of Company
X, ordered them to clean up the
scraps of paper and other debris about
the regimental camp. They refused,
and the lieutenant reported the fact
to Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, who
gave orders that they should be tied
up. A detail was ordered to cut but
tonwood sticks, drive them into the
ground, to these the privates were tied.
They were placed none too gently on
their backs on the ground, with their
faces to the sun and their arms and
legs outstretched. Each arm aud
each leg was fastened to a post by a
rope. In this position the men were
kept nearly two hours with armed SOL
diers guarding them. An officer from
another command at camp happened
along with camera and took pho
tograph of the scene. This will be
used at the court-martial proceedings,
which vii! begin in few days. Col
onel Casteel, of the Second West Vir-
GINA, is commanding the First Bri-
gade of the Second Division during
the absence of General Scheafer, and
did not know of the occurrence.
Three other privates of the regiment,
who were manacled at the same time,
made light of their punishment. Lieu
tenant Colonel Moore says that Mace
formerly served in the regular army
and is an old offender. The other two
enlisted at the breaking out of the war.
Charges of disobedience of orders will
be preferred against them, and they
will probably be tried.
Richard Nose and Harry Mace, two
of the men referred to above, are from
Sharpsburg. We do not know where
Plant halls from. The Baltimore
american yesterday published the
photograph showing the men spread
sagled upon the ground. Sergeant
Arch Morgan, Of this place, appears
in the picture as one of the guards.
Lieut.-Col. 0 'Brien Moore said on
Tuesday that he had no regrets for
having treated the men as he did.
"If necessary, l will repeat the punish
ment, he declared II will not deviate
from my duty, no matter what the
public may say. promise to main
tain discipline in this regiment while
l am in command, and l believe that
General Graham will justify my &C.
ton when he learns the rough eharac-
ter of the men with whom | had to
deal If these men had not relented
Sunday, 1 would have ordered de-
tail to dash cold water in their faces
until they promised to obey orders in
the future. l do not regard the pun
ishment inflicted as inhuman, and will
try something equally effective in the
future"
Privates Nose, Mace ard Plant are
still in the guardhouse, manacled with
other unruly prisoners in pairs with
short steel chains and heavy bracelets.
Tuesday the men were released, given
picks and shovels and ordered to go
out and dig sinks. Nose, Mace and
Plant refused and were sent back to
the guardhouse. The officers say
they will again spread eagle" the
men, and in addition turn a stream
of cold water in their faces. They
say this method brought Private Al
len, of Company E, to time some days
ago.
Private Nose was gagged last week
for cursing Captain Getzendanner. A
bayonet was inserted in his mouth,
and held in position by stout cord,
tied about his neck. After a couple
Of hours of this he was released, but
was unrepentant and persisted in u.s.
ing profanity to his captain. He was
then put through a similar form of
punishment, a tent pin being substi-
tuted for the bayonet. After an hour
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