The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-26
LET THE MEN DECIDE IT
FRIENDS OF THE BOYS IN THE
FOURTEENTH
They Object to the officers of the
Regiment Saying What They
Want to DO-Criticism of the
Reported Action of the Officers Is
Freely Expressed at the Meeting
in Minneapolis.

FreeIy Expressed at the Meeting
in Minneapolis.
The friends Of the boys in the Four
teenth regiment met at the West hotel,
minneapolis, and declared themselves.
If Col. Van Duzees men prefer home
to garrison duty, then home it is GO
ing to be. if Minnesota's representa-
tives have as much strength at Wash
1ngton as they are credited with.
The meeting was called to order
with j. G. NcGrew, of Duluth, in the
chair, and proceeded at once to give
contents of letters received from men,
bers of the regiment, in which it was
shown that the officers had tried to
take snap judgment by wiring Wash
ing-ton that the Fourteenth was very
desirous of going to Cuba to do gar
rison duty. These letters showed con-
| clusdvely that the men did not want
| to go, but that the officers, knowing
| that 1t would be a nice thing for them,
| had taken the matter in their hands,
and had even court 7martialed privates
and thrown them in the guard house
| for daring to speak against a removal
| to the islands taken from Spain.
| The chairman explained the state of
| things, saying that the officers had
| tried to terrorize the men, and that
| only one officer, Capt. Bartlett, had
| been in favor of free speech, and had
| said that his men had Alright to sign
a petition if they wanted. Other Off
GERS had threatened trials for mu-
| tiny and sedition If their men signed
any rolls, and some of the companies
! had torn up their lists as a result of
| the threats.
AT this point E. B. Smith, a Mime
apolis newspaper man, vino was at
| Camp Thomas for some weeks, read
| the following message:
Chickamauga National Park, Ca, Aug. %.
We, the undersigned members of Company
A, Fourteenth Minnesota, learn with regret
that, led by misleading statements of some
of the members of this regiment, our friends
and relations in Duluth have decided to call
a meeting at the West Hotel in Minneapolis
with the proposed object of protesting
against the hardships and oppression which,
1t Is alleged, the officers Of this company
have imposed upon the enlisted men, and
which do not exist. We desire to state fol-
lowing facts:
During the time that we have been in
service we have endured no hardshtps be-
soldiers life. and no oppression or coercion
whatever on the part OF our officers, who
possess the fullest confidence Of us all. The
petition asking to be mustered out which
has been referred to as being presented by
the members Of Company A, and the entire
battalion, was promptly turned down by
them without the knowledge of their officers.
The only part that Capt. Eva took in this
matter was to thank Company A for its ac-
tion upon the morning after the circulation
of the petition, and all statements in the
unfounded, and do the captain great in
justice. While garrison duty in Cuba would
not be our preference, and our desire to re-
turn to homes is as strong as that of
any others, We enlisted to perform such dr-
ties as were necessary and not such as were
consenial The treaty OF peace has not yet
been signed and we consider it unsoldiery
TO try in any manner to escape our oath
OF service or take any action which might
embarrass the government in its Efforts to
conclude the war. (Signed),
crance, Melby, Anderson, Cupp.
Corporals-Heinmick. Shannon, Whitaker
Heydon, Barnard, Willis Carhart, Murphy,
Schneger.
Privates = Watts. whiteside, Heuricksen
Thorsby. Marvin, Kennedy, Hopes, BaSsett
Nee, Paulus, Penprase, Matson, Melby,
Gelb, Whiteside, v1!i smythe, cappil; Dgnphy,
| Briggs, Olsen, Durham.
| The reading of the telegram added
| fuel to the feelings of those present
| Mayor Truelson declared it was sim
| ply the result of coercion.
The mayor declared that the officers
had been disgraceful. They had been
inhuman, and an outrage had been
committed against the loyal privates
| who had enlisted to promote the cause
| Of humanity. When those officers came
| back home, he would set their minds
easy, for he would make it very un-
| pleasant for them. The officers as
| rule were drawing more money than
| they had ever drawn In their lives,
while the majority of the privates had
| left paying business, and now that the
| war was over they would like to come
| home.
| Col. A. A. Harris was very forceful in
| his remarks. He thought that there
! had been criminal neglect. The men
were living with the fear Of the hospi-
| tai in their eyes, and if they were treat-
| ed SO, in the heart of their own country,
what must they expect when they were
| hundreds Of miles away. There was
| no need Of them now. Regiments were
| being mustered out and the Fourteenth
| was likely to be kept in, because of the
outra geous conduct Of the officers, who
wanted to draw heavy pay and bask in
the smiles Of dark k-eyed senoritas, while
they drank Spanish wine beneath the
shade of the spreading palm, and were
lulled to rest by the roundelay from the
light guitar.
Nearly every person present spoke,
| and there were representatives for
every company. 1t was undoubtedly
a fact, that the men wanted to come
home Senator Davis had promised
that he would see to it that their wish
es were carried out, and Page Morris
| had said he was willing to jump on a
train at any moment and go to Wash
| ington to help get the regiment home.
| AS a result Of the words, and intense
| feeling, the following was drawn up,
| and wired to Washington, to Senator
Davis:
Whereas, The enlisted men of the Four
| teenth regiment, Minnesota volunteers, in
| common with their fellow citizen soldiers of
| all the states of the Union, joyous1y and
| with sublime patriotism and unsurpassed
courage offered their lives in the war for
| entered with Spain; and,
| whereas, Said enlisted men have borne
| the hardships and privations Of the SOL
| dier's life without a murmur, and would
| most gladly have met their country's foes
| on the field of battle; and,
Whereas, Since the war Is ended their
! services as soldiers are no longer needed
mothers or others dependent upon them for
| support, and many. Of them left profitable
| busines engagements at the time of their
| enlistment; and.
Whereas, The government can undoubted-
| ly procure without difficulty all the men
needed for garrison duty in conquered terri
| tory; now, therefore, be it
| Resolved, By the relatives and friends
| Of said enlisted men now here assembled
| That we most respectfully submit that such
Of said as desire to return to their
| homes and engage in the pursuits of civil
| life, should be permitted to do 80; and, be it
further
Resolved, That the action of the officers
of said regiment who refused to permit their
| men to express their wishes as to whether
or not they desired to continue in service to
do garrison duty. and who by threats Of
court martial and other ignominious pun
| ishment stifled the expression of the men ON
| that subject, was tyrannical and cowardly
attack upon the right of free speech and mer-
| ing persons; and be il further