Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-11

l
Second Army Corps.
Camp Russell A. Alger, Va. Aug. 3.
General Orders, No. IS: Until further
| oruers there will be four company roll
calis sacn day Sunday not exceptedD In
| the Third Virginia Regiment-at reyille.
| az dinner call, at retreat, and at tattoo
tne aDsentees after each rol-call TO be
quarters.
-, a sufficient guard will be detailed from
| thls regiment 10 place Gordon of senti-
nels every thirty feet around the regi-
ment, and no one will be allowed to get
out or its camp, except in the discharge
or some proper military duty
| If this method of confining the members
| or this regiment within regimentai camp
limits shall prove Ineffective a report viii
be promptly made and details from other
regiments Of this division will be made
| for that duty.
| The major-general commanding Witness
| ed In person. with painful regret. the
| riotous and insubordinate conduct of a
| part of this regiment on the
| night OF August Sth. II was a
| disgrace to the service and TO the
| State Of Virginia. Nothing could justify
or excuse 1t. As fast as the names OF
| those engaged in such unsodierly and
disgraceful conduct can he ascertained the
| Secretary Of War will be requested TO
dishonorably discharge them from the
| United States service.
No furloughs. leave of absence. or
passes will be granted to members Of the
| Third Virginia until further orders Mean
| time the rules and articles of war will
| be published at dress parade, Antil the
officers and men have become familiar
with and learned to obey the same.
This order will be published at every
company roll-call and dress parade in this
division for one week, or until further
ordered. and to that end copies of the
same will be furnished 10 brigade and
regimental commanders.
BY order OF Major-General Butler.
Major L. S. STRONG.
Adiutant-General.
SENATOR MARTIN ARRIVES.
Senator Martin arrived here this after
noon, and Immediately called at Colonel
Males tent, where the two went into
close consultation. Congressman Lamb
reached here from Philadelphia at $50
this afternoon, having started as soon as
he received y telegram from Captain Will
lard. There Will be further developments
tomorrow, when others or the Virginia
delegation are expected here. The Vir-
gina camp is far from cheerful tonight.
A hard rain is falling, and the sentinels
are going through an experience that
would not have been relished by a soldier
in the civil war. The boys are stationed
only thirty feet apart, and the mud I'm
which they are forced to stand is awful.
Indignation in camp continues to grow,
and all OF the distinguished gentlemen
here are most earnest in their efforts to
probe the matter to the bottom.
PROTEST OF OFFICERS.
The following statement from the staff
and line officers of the regiment was
handed me this afternoon:
Camp Alger, Va, August TO- 1898.
Every officer and man in the Third Vir-
ginia Regiment is justly and intensely in
dgnant al the absolutely false and un-
justifable article published this morning
relative to an occurrence in Tor rather
near our camp the evening of August Sth.
The facts Of the incident referred to are
as follows About 73O O'clock on the
evening in question, just after dress pa
rade, a few men were standing near the
picket line along the public road discuss
ing a rumor to the effect that a member
Of Company II had been attacked and
seriously injured by a negro teamster in
the field opposite. Considerable indigna-
ton was expressed over the occurrence,
and when the statement was made that
the negro was then crossing the field
some of the men started in pursuit OF
him. We are safe in saying that not
many OF whom were doubtless men of
other regiments who happened TO be pass
ing along the road at the time, and who
joined i'm the chase more for the purpose
OF seeing the outcome OF the affair than
for anything else. However, the officers
present soon succeeded in getting the men
back within the lines, and the whole
thing was over in less than fifteen
minutes.
SPEEDILY SUBDUED.
There was not a drunken man in the
crowd, and while the negro would pro-
badly have been roughly handled, II he
had been caught the excitement was
speedily subdued, and the camp became
quiet and orderly In fact, the commo-
tion was so slight and soon over that
Colonel Nalle, who was at supper a short
distance away, knew nothing of ii until
It was all over.
In short while by order Of the major |
general commanding the long roll was |
sounded. Notwithstanding the fact that a |
tremendous rain-storm was in progress |
at the time, preventing many who were |
at the Young Mems Christian Association |
tent and other places within the lines |
from hearing the call, only about thirty |
men in the whole regiment failed to an
swer roll-call. This shows how the whole |
thing has been magnfed and eXagge- |
rated. and I'm place of these facts, and |
without due investigation. a highy-cOl-
ored and distorted account Of the fracas |
with the negro has been published. with |
charges that the Third Virginia Regiment |
was guilty Of ri0tous conduct The ylate-
ment was made that Colonel Male, see
ing that almost all his men had left with
out permission. vainly endeavored TO call
them back that he threatened and in
turn pleaded with his men, but I'm vain;
that some Of the men even hooted him;
that he then, in despair. went over %
the Thirteenth Pennsylvania and asked
the boys to drive back the Virginians, |
but as he had no authority over the |
Pennsylvanians, the latter refused to go
out OF camp to support him against the
toughs he himself could not hold in. sub
ordination. The article goes on to say
that Colonel Male then went to the
First Connecticut quarters, where he met
Colonel Burdette, and that the Yankees. /
who already had wind of the trouble,
we're ordered into ranks. They shoulder
I'd their guns, carried plenty of ammuni-
Ion, and marched out against the Vir-
yinians, a thousand strong, as though |
hey were about to attack an army OF
Spaniards. Meanwhile. II was stated,
Colonel CorsOn, Of the Thirteenth Penn
;ylvania, heard of the plight i'm which mis-
Virginia friends were placed. and he, too.
ordered out a portion OF his regiment.
As the two hosts advanced the deserters
yavered and then returned TO camp. etc
rhe whole account is grossly libellous. |
md does great injustice to one Of the
regiments In the service.