Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-12-24

TOOK THE RAJ 0Rs AWAY.
the regiment is his own barber any
number of razors and shears were
found. Very few soldiers are without
pocket knives and so hundreds OF those
were taken for safe-keeping. that is til
the sixth had become conspicuous fol
its excellent discipline. When oul
arms were returned last Friday. only
about ore-thiri of the tt zors, knives
and shears taken away, were returned
As to whether the battalion of white
engineers who carried these article,
away for "ssfe- keeping were 10 need
Of hair cute and shaves before they
took them, deponent sayeth not. Bu;
there is one thing the long bearded
man is no longer curiosity in their
camp.
BASE FALsKHooD.
Saturday and Sunday limited num-
Der of passes were granted say about
fifty for three hours leave, and despite
the fact that every man returned on
time and in an orderly condition, the
Constitutions Macon correspondent.
had many of the men so drunk in town
that they had to be placed under ar
rest by the police, baser lie was new
er peDned.
said. in commencing this letter.
that the men had been placed from un
der arrest. This is true, but not a sin.
gle man is allowed to pass the gua.i
lines unless he has pass so we are
still restricted to our camp limits. No
civilian or member OF another regiment
is allowed in camp unless he is escort
ed by a guard to the soldier whom he
wishes TO see and his talk with the sol
der can be of only two or three min
utes' duration. Men out on passes are
given a close search on their return to
camp, even express packages sent to
the men by dear ones whom thew left
in the Old Dominion, are broken omen
and searched. This is a specimen OF
the freedom which we enjoy. Even
officers are not allowed to leave Camp
unless they get permit from the com
manding officer.
THE WHITE OFFICERS IN CAMP.
The white officers are still here and
as the commanding officer is anxious
that they remain every one il at sea as
to whether he will keep his promise
true, as to recommending the accep.
lance OF their designations and the ap-.
pointnent of men of color. Ever6
preparation Is being made to fit the
command for foreign service, and/yet
when the corps commander seEt to
Col. Croxton asking how many men
could be furnished for service upon a
moments notice, his reply /was 97I
men, but that he had written to the
Adjutant General of the ARMY asking
that the regiment be mustered out, be-
cause they have said they will not be
willing to accept white officers.
There are many reasons to argue
why nor one Of the officers should be
white. First of all the two battalious
of Virginia have always been distinc
lively co,ored sd efficiently com
manded again the understanding was
when we were mustered in that we
were to have colored officers; expert.
ence has shown, and Col. Croxton b as
seen. that the efficiency of the regi.
ment ca n be better maintained under
colored officers than under white ones
that with all the officers colored. less
expense will be brought upon the gov.
eminent.
THE HOSPITAL TENT AS A MRss-RooM.
Now there are some who NAV ash
how this latter may be brought about
Since the advent of white officers two
large tents, intended for the hospita
corps have been brought into use az
mess-tents for the officers, one for the
colonel and his white officers and this
other Tor the colored officers. Before
the advent OF white officers, the colo,
mel took no thought of the comfort o.
| colOred officers, so the officers mr.
chased lumber and had their own mes,
hall built. This, the white officers dif
not do when they came, and THINKING
it too much like social equality to mas,
with colored soldiers, used the lumber
which the governm emit had bought 70,
tent flooring. to build their mess-haII
and later appropriated one of the large
hospital tents as q meas-hau r.
course the colonel saw it would not dr.
to have the white officers onIv nse /,
large hospital tent, so requisition wa,
made for second tent, which the col
sored officers use.
SINKS SEPARATE roo.
When we reached Macon. il wa
found too distasteful for the white off
GERS to use the sinks used by the col
Ored officers, so another sink for whit,
officers was dug and housed in, tina
meant the needless waste Of more thai
five hundred feet of dressed lumber
W hen colOreo Heues nants were detail
ed as reglmental adjutant and Quarter
master, they occupied tents with tn
company lieutenants, not so since tn
colored officers have been relieved an
white ones substituted, for the whit
: adjutant and quArtermaster occup
separate tents on the left of til
coloners tent. The colored officer
have as their cooks hired men whor
they brought from Richmond. m
white officers have detailed men fror
: the second battalion. The hostlers n
the colored officers came from Rjcf
, mond and are also hired men. NJ
white officers hostlers are detaile
from the second battalion, and thes
detailed men do no company dutie,
yet white officers add to the efficier
Icy Of the SERVICE"
| Next week shall give to the publ,
, through the medium Of the PLANET.
lew more interesting notes about til
4 IlnQIna vunph inn - -