The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-10
CAPT. DUNCAN EXPLAINS.
He Holds Himself GuiItless and
Praises the Soldiers Whose Graves
Were Decorated,

Praises the Soldiers Whose Graves
Were Decorated.
Capt. Duncan has written as follows TO
the New York World in reference to his
alleged completely in grave dissertation"
while in the hands of the military au-
thorities did not deem it proper or mill
tary to make any statement for the press,
but now that have been delivered to the
civil authorities, feel free to speak and
deny the many false and malicious state
ments made against my name and charac-
ter.
'As to my connection with the desecra-
ton of the grave of the Confederate sol
otter Duke court martial composed of
a brigadier general, four colonies, four
majors and four other officers, has al
ready adjudged. Two of these officers are
eX-Confederate soldiers.
"Over sixty witnesses testified, and 500
pages of evidence were recorded and what
was the decision? That 1 took no part
in these dissertations; that l was guilty of
neglect of duty only because 1 did not ar
rest privates who were digging in the
grave. My part in the deplorable affair,
as testified TO in the court martial by my
self and borne out by other evidence, was
as follows:
ION the morning of Aug. 6, while the
Second Division was camped near Bull
Run, L was out sketching, as is my custom
when 1 have leisure. While strolling about
the battlefield l came upon a body of men
digging in a little hole, about two feet
across.
Il had already seen dozens of men all
over the field searching for relics and not
a few digging, so 1 thought nothing of 1t.
1 stayed some ten minutes, watching the
digging and talking to another officer who
was present. Then 1 learned that a grave
stone was thereabouts, and found 1t ly
ing out some fifteen feet from where the
men were digging.
II learned what was on it, but as had
been informed that all the bodies of SOL
diers Whereabouts had been removed to
Arlington and Manassas 1 did not think
much of the matter. However, l saw "A
hospital corps man there, and ordered
him back to camp Che was the only man
there over whom 1 supposed 1 had au-
thority.) The other men there were not
under my commandment even of my
regiment. As l am a surgeon, 1 have no
command.
Il started to go away, but stopped to
think the matter over, and then came
back and told the men to quit digging and
go away. They did so, scattering In ev-
cry direction. The excavation at this time
(about $3.50 a. m.) was about one and
half feet deep and two feet across, and
nothing whatever had been removed, ex-
cept dirt and small stones.
After ordering the men away I left
the spot at once, and have never seen 1t
since. That is the sum and substance of
my guilt And there is no evidence to
prove that 1 was there again.
Now, as to the dissertations. 1t was
shown on trial that some parties began
digging again, but were Immediately stop
ped by captain of the Third New York
about 1920 a. m. At that time the exca-
walton had reached a depth of two feet,
but nothing had been taken out except
dirt. This captain stopped the digging,
had the hole refilled and the stone re-
placed.
1.-The evidence further shows that re-
turned to camp before II a. m, and was
there the remainder of the day; that some
time in the afternoon, probably between 2
and 3, other parties again opened the
grave and this time took out the skull
and one or two bones, but that nothing
was taken away.
Another officer came up, replaced the
bones, refilled the grave, had placed a
guard over it. This ended the deplorable
affair.
IT have one thing more to say. 1t has
been charged that / was the leader of
this, and that I did it out of feeling to-
ward the Confederate dead. l want to
deny that accusation. 1 do not believe
that it was made by ex-Confederates, out
by reporters who wish to ingratiate them
selves with the South. i want to say
that for the Confederate soldiers, living
or dead l have a profound respect. I
too am a soldier, and have read with adj
miration of the dashing troopers of ]. =.
B. Stuart, the foot cavalry of Stonewall
Jackson and the often hungry, ragged,
ust-browned men in gray that followed
Robert e. Lee to a hundred fields, and
finally, at Appomattox, gave up their
flags lowered, but not dishonored. No
man living honors them more than 1. The
memory of their heroism is a heritage to
all.
Neither do think that the men who
actually took part in the sad affair did
it out of sectional feeling. l think rather
that it was the outcome of recklessness
in young men, engendered by camp life
in a volunteer army, added to a foolish
desire for relies
81 am far from home and among strang-
ers. For the sake of my family, to whom
this is a torture, ask fair treatment until
it has been proved that have done wrong.
Louis c. Duncan,
"Captain and Assistant Surgeon, Twenty
second Kansas Infantry, United States
Volunteers"
Nil