The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-06
SCORES Y. M. C. A. SECRETARY.
COL. LAwTON CALLS HIS LETTER
PHARISAIGAL.

The RegimentaI Chaplain Declared
Far More Honest Than the Critic.
No Truth in story That Quarter
master was Drummed out of Camp.
Col. LautOn Assures the Friends Of
the Regiment That the Funds
sent II Are spent Wen and Prop
erIy.
Chattanooga, Tenn, Aug. 5.-The atten-
ton Of Col Iawton of the First Georgia
was called to-day TO the letter of S. Waters
McGm, state secretary of the Young
Mems Christian Association for Georgia,
written 10 Mrs Gov. Atkinson and pub
lished in the Atlanta Journal and the Sa-
vannah News. He had not seen 1t before.
When asked if he cared to reply to it,
ne said :"It is hard to believe that any
man. who even claims to be a Christian,
could state in so short a letter SO many
falsehoods. His charges have not par
ticle of foundation Our chaplain, Rev.
E. F.. Cook of Brunswick, is far more
honest than this man McGiI, who is so
free with his pharisaical statements that
none are pure but he and his. He is still
our chaplain, highly respected by all
mot only has our quartermaster, Lieut..
A. =. Coles of Albany, not been drummed
out of camp, but this unknown man is the
first to cast a stone at him. There are
no army saloons for gambling in this
regiment, nor, as I believe, in any other.
His wholesale charges against the officers,
made without sufficient manhness to men
ton names. are unworthy of further no
tice than denunciation as false so false
that they would seem to be wllfully So
Many friends have kindly sent me funds
for the regiment, and 1 earnestly hope that
this person will not succeed In his effort
to stop them. l will not believe that his
attack upon my honesty will be success
full, and I assure my friends that all funds
sent me are well and properly expended
"On the other hand ] hope the Young
Mems Christian Association work will not
be injured by these vaporings. Great good
has been done by it in this camp but the
credit of 1t is due to Henry NJ. Johnson,
the local secretary, and to Chaplain Cook,
and not to this man who disgraces the
cause he pretends to represent. Funds in
trusted to MIR. Johnson win be well applied
but he does moi claim TO be the only honest
man in the camp"
The regiment is doing some magnificent
work on their company streets, and say
they are getting ready for winter quarters,
as they have about given up all hope of
getting to the front. The men are also
erecting weather boarded kitchen for the
regiment.
Mr.. and Mrs. r. z. Burks of Savannah,
and Mr. and Mrs. w. o. Burks of Chat
tanooga were visitors at the camp to-day.
Lieut.. Mallory and First Sergt Ward.
Company X, have gone to Savannah on a
furlough.
Private Bowen, Company d, First Geor-
gia, of Reidsvile Ga, died at the division
hospital at 9 o'clock this morning. The re,
mains will be buried at the national ceme-
terry. Funeral services Will be conducted
by Chaplain Cook, a squad from Company
d accompanying the remains to the GEM
etery.
The First will hereafter secure their
drinking water at Cloud Springs as will
also the Thirty-hrst Michigan. Yesterday
afternoon Col Lawton made a contract
with the owner of the springs for the use
of the water.
Second Lieutenant James E. McCouts,
who was seriously i'll before the regiment
came to Camp Thomas, was to-day grant
ed ten days leave of absence.
Col Lawton to-day received orders from
the war department discharging the fol-
lowing privates in Company I: Lemuel f.
Griffin, Elmor Brooks, Thomas ]. McRoe
and David Stein. The men are all from
Macon and Col. Lawton is at a loss as to
the cause of their dismissal from service.
The papers In several of these cases read:
This man is discharged without honor.
and is not entitled to travelling rations.''
This indicates that the discharges have
been secured through the instrumentality
of parents. as all the discharges brought
about in this manner contain this clause.