New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-11
TO PROBE COWARDICE TALES.
COURT OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE
CONDUCT OF list OFFICERS.
c,or,cT MARTIAL FOR CAPTAINS MBEKS AND
BIEEcKER WHO MADE THE CHARGES

c.or,rr MARTIAL FOR CAPTAINS MEEKS AND
nLprcxBR. WHO MADE THE CHARGES
AGAINST THEIR COMRADES IN ARMS
T, tho conduct Of Major Clinton II. Smith and
c,ntaln John H. white Of the list Regiment
United States Volunteers. at the battle OF san
Jnan Hill is not inquired into. and II the charges
NJ cowardice which were made against THESE OIL
Acers by CAPTAINS Blocker and 1eeks are no.
thoroughly sifted II Will be no fault OF the officers
whose good names have been attacked. court
martial has been ordered to try the captains foi
"conduct TO the prejudice Of good order and mill
tarv discipline but the court-Inartial mas no
authority 10 inquire into the correctness OF the
statements which were mace by the captaiha
against their superior officers n request for court
OF inquiry was made and the request was granted
s will be seen by the following special order which
was issued from division headquarters by General
Roe yesterday:
Upon the written requests Of Major clinton n
smith and Captain John Il. white both Of the
ments and imputations made IN the public press
by officers and members OF the list Regimen
against their character and conduct as officers. a
court OF inquiry is hereby convened by ana win
authority Of the Commander Chief for full In,
vestigation Of said statements ana OF the general
conduct OF these officers while in the service OF
the United States With The Ilst infsntry, new W
1s9s. The court will express an opinion naseu on
evidence adduced at this investigation ana report
II further action Ii necessary.
Detail for the court-coone samuel NJ Wcch'
9th Regiment. y. g.; coionel iranhl-i ,ai ~,
Reglm"nt. = g.. ana Lieutenant- { oloncl Charles
j. Buchanan, Judge Advocate. mira brls"ue- do
The Court viii meet at the armory Of the I'D
Regiment on Wednesday, December Il. at p. H.
10y va STEPHEN H. OLIN.
Assistant Adjutant-GcncraL
An additional order issued. which places the
command Of the list Regiment in the hancs OF
Colonel Francis The order reads as follows
hoeu the
request OF Major e. H. Smith and Captain j. r.
white list Regiment. n g. per : ~. rs' ~, 1ier r
lieyed from duty with the regiment until further
orders. and viii turn over al properly ior c miTl
Aue,rstrs r Francis OF the Hist Regiment y G.
is hereby relieved from duty with mat nnt
y O. until further orders. Colonel francis WI,
receip, to Major Smith for property pertaining 10
BY direction of c. o. Naionai Gg@rd DIN
Assistant Adjutant-GcneraL
General Roe said yesterday that the action as
20 relieving the Interested officers from their com
mand was no reflection them The action was
taken in order TO leave them free to act IN ue
matter. While the court OF inquiry is in session
I'm the 22d Regiment ArmOry the court-martial VIII
be going on In the list Regiment Armory, ana De-
tween the two the affairs Of the list Regiment
will probably be gone into thoroughly
The detail for the court-martial as published III
orders IS Colonel Solomon T.. Japha. p9th Regi-
ment: Lieutenant Colonel Adoph l.. Kline fth
Regiment; Lieutenant-Colonel James NJ JARVIS e'h
Regiment: Major william y. Stokes, I'D Resnneh''
Major Austin A. Yates, "a Regiment, and MAJOR
Edward NJ Grout Second Brigade. as judge-advo-
cate
Colonel Japha is the senior officer OF the court.
He has good National Guard record He was the
senior major OF the regiment when 1t went 10 'he
front but remained in New-York and recruited the
l0gh Regiment, OF which he became colonel Lieu
tenant Colonel Adolph L. Klein has been a meinDet
of the Guard since 1876 Leutenalt i oIohei JaINs
has also served In the Guard since 1876. ana Is now
tho ncItena nj colonel OF the sth regiment, with
which command he went TO the 'front.' MAJOR
Stokes has been a member OF the 23d regiment
since 1854 and its junior major since December ds2,
Separate Company OF Schenectady. j. one OF me
hest-known officers in the state. ana ms superior
qualifications gave him the rank Of major wnen
the % Regiment was formed out o. the seI,ara g
companies The judge-advocatc of the court. MAJOR
Grout is the Judge advocate on the stan OF Brga-
dier-Cianeral NcIeer. lie served as a private III
Componv 4 23d Regiment for n number OF years
and has held his present staff position since jan