The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-04
THE COLORED SOLDIERS
DETACHED FROM 4 REGIMENT DUR
ING GOV. MAITHEWs's TERM.
Adjt. GEN. Gore Now organizing a
Battalion for Them-POrter Of
fered a MajOrship.


ticle charging Adjutant General Gore with
detaching the two colored companies of this
city from the regimental organization of
the National Guard and making them what
are called separate companies. The article
further charged the present adjutant gem
eral with having formed the determination
not to recruit any more colored companies
in the State. Both of these charges were
promptly refuted by the adjutant general
yesterday by documentary evidence. But
their publication served to produce much
feeling among the colored people, and a
number of them, including Benjamin
Thornton, called at the Governors office
during the day to demonstrate against
what he termed an injustice to his race
He was shown letters on file in the adju-
tant generals Office going to show that
there was no foundation of truth for the
charges whatever, and that the injustice
done to the colored companies by detachiug
them from the regimental organization was
an act of the last administration, for which
Governor Mount and the present adjutant
general were in no wise responsible.
DURING MATTHEWS'S TERM.
1t was the result of conference between
Governor Matthews, Adjutant General
Robbins and Brigadier General Mckee that
the companies were detached The order
making them detached or separate COM
panies is on file in the adjutant generals
office 1t bears the date of Jan. 15 1896 and
is as follows:
Special Order No. s, 1S96-First-The in
fantry company stationed at Indianapolis
Capt. John j. Buckner, heretofore known
as Company M, Second Infantry, is hereby
detached from said regiment and will here
after be known as the First Separate Com
pany.
"Second-The infantry company stationed
at indianapolis, Capt. A. l.. Stevenson,
heretofore known as Company M, Third
Infantry, is hereby detached from said
regiment, and will hereafter be known as
the Second Separate Company.
Third-The company commanders of the
nrst ana second companies will address
their official communications and send a du-
pllcate OF the monthly report, formerly sent
70 the reglmental comm ander, direct to the
assistant adJuu5nt general
. Fourth-The infantry company sta
toned at Charlottesville, Capt. james Nc
Daniel, is hereby assigned to The FIRST Bat
TALON, Second Infantry, and will hereafter
be known and designated as Company M
BY command of Brigadier General Mckee.
f. w. Frank, assistant adjutant gen eral.''
The reason for the detaching of the col
ored companies is best known to the adj
minlstration that did it and to the officers
of the National Guard.
The duty of assigning or of detachsng
companies is wholly within the control of
the brigadier general. General Mckee is
cy, as there was great opposition in the
National Guard to permitting the promo
tioa Of colored officers Under the rule of
promotion the ranking captain of a. COM
pany is in line for such positions as major
and colonel The captains of the coIored
companies became ranking captains and de-
fnanded promotion to regimental positions
II was In order to avoid promoting them that
general Mckee detached their companies,
claiming, 1t is said, that such promotions
would demoralize, if not disrupt, the entire
militia force of tho State.
WHY BUCKNER WAS DROPPED.
Since Governor Mount assumed office the
question of reinstating the companies has
been much agitated and last summer Capt
John ]. Buckner, of the First Separate Com
pany, came out in the newspapers with an
lndiscreet attack upon the adjutant gem
eral and his superior officers of the Ma
tional Guard. For this INSTRUMENTATION his
commission as captain was revoked. Since
then General Gore has been carefully con-
sidering what was best to be DONE AS 1t is
Brigadier General McKee's right to assign
companies, he did not see his way clear TO
interfering with that officials prerogatives
and all the more so as the sentiment of the
National Guard was strongly opposed to a
reinstatement of the companies. After a
consultation with the Governor he decided
upon what he considered was a plan that
would give full satisfaction to everybody.
This consisted in forming colored batal-
Js
major. He accordingly sent the following
letter to Captain Porter:
"Sir-By direction of the Governor, you
are informed that your company and the
First Separate Company will either be
placed in separate battalion with you as
major or remain as they are, separate
companies. If you cannot be satisfied with
this disposition OF the two separate COM
panies il is deemed for the best interests
of the National Guard that they be mus
tered out of the service. You will confer
with the officers and men of both compa-
MES and communicate to this office your
answer through the channel as soon as pos
sible."
A COLORED BATTALION.
The charge that the adjutant general had
decided not to muster in any more colored
companies is wholly without foundation or
truth. On the other hand, he now has
under consideration the mastering in of an
other colored company at Marion. Far from
being opposed to additional colored compa-
MES, he would like to see sufficient num-
Der Of them to form regiment or at least
a battalion. And it is his present purpose
to form such battalion, placing in it the
two companies here and the one at Marion.
IF Captain Porter does not want the
majorship of this battalion" said he yes
terday I'VE will probably be able to find
some one else to take it. / have tried to
neither the Governor nor myself wish to
deny any rights or privileges to anyone.
But If the colored companies cannot be
satisfied to form a separate battalion, or
remain as they are, what is there left to be
done?'