Evening star., 1898-10-08
CHAPLAIN DOOLEY'S STATEMENT
A Correction That Throws Light ON
Eexed Question.

teXed Question.
To the T ditor of The Evening Star:
In the report of proceedings before the
war Investigating committee, given in last
evenings Star, l notice that Gen. Boynton
was interrogated concerning certain state
ments attributed to Chaplain Dooley of the
Sth and 9th New York Volunteers. In the
interest of truth, l desire to state some
facts apparently unknown to the committee
and to Gen. Boynton, otherwise they
would not have treated these statements as
actually proceeding from the chaplain.
Father Dooley was overcome by the in
tense heat while horseback at Chicka-
mauga and fell from his horse insensibe,
breaking his collar bone in the fall. He re-
manned unconscious for several days, and
though he was subsequently able to return
with the sth to New York. he was still far
from well when the writer conversed with
him on the 14th of September and he now
lies i'll of typhoid fever at his home in
Lexington avenue, New York city. Other
wise, he could speak for himself, and this
communication would be needless.
Father Dooley stated, in the writer's
presence that no interviews with reporters
such as related In the newspapers, had TAX
en- place with him Indeed, no one who
knows this quiet and modest gentleman
neeC be told that such expressions as "a
veritable hell on earth never emanated
from his lips. He said that others We're
interviewed, VINO OlQ not WISH tnelr names
used for fear of military punishment, and
these persons referred reporters to him,
because he was not commissioned.
He was, IN fact, too weak to hold con-
versaticn of any length, and when a re-
porter would tell him that a certain officer
had made statements, and weuld ask him
if they were true, he usually replied that
he supposed the officer knew what he was
talking about or he would not make sucn
assertions. On the strength of remarks
like these, made by man too enfeebled
by illness to support an interview, certain
sensa tional papers in New York published
alleged "intervtews' with the chaplain
which never took place. Jnfort ately, his
physical condition since his return has pre-
cluded him from making any public state
ment, and will prevent his appearance be-
fore the committee, though he has said he
would be perfectly willing to give his tes
timony. 1t seems hardly the proper thing
for the committee to assume that the a.
legged interviews occurred. since everybody
knows the unscrupuious way in which the
yellow" journals manufacture news"
But Gen. Boynton need not feel thai he is
called on to take issue with Chaplain
DOOley on the basis of these reported
statements. Gen. Boynton stands too high
to permit his word to be questioned. AT
the same time, II must be RENE mDered that,
while general officer Views the camp as
an entirety, chaplain, devosins his time
to the needs of the sick and dying, has
his attention concentrated on many details
OF care.eSSness and inefi1ciency that easily
escape the eye of the general. The real
fault lies doubtless, in the deficient train
ing of volunteer officers und soldiers in
to the preservation Of health where many
thousands OF men are kept for months at
one station. CHARLES C.. SNOW.
October 7. 1898.