The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-02

How the LilfputtAns Bound CULVER
Upon the signing Of the protocol
there was a published intimation from
war department that there was to
be a large body Of our volunteer troops
mustered out, and that the department
would consider the wishes of the re-
spective commands in the matter.
AS soon as this intimation reached
ST. Simon's Island, a council Of war
was called to formulate plans where
by the officers might continue to draw
from h government a stipulation
Of which they are not deemed to be
worthy. After some debate as to the
best plan TO retain the regiment in
tact" and after they had frozen put
h only officer Captain D. MacRae)
who advocated fair dealing. the follow
ing message was addressed to the ad-
jutant general of the army:
st. Simon's Island, Ga.
August IS, 1898.
"Adiutant General of the Army. Wash
ingtOn, d. c.:
Acting on the published intimation
from your department in regard to as
c~ertaining he wishes Of the volunteer
troops, l beg leave to state that my
regiment, recruited to the war maxi
mum since July 18th, desires to remain
in service and is ready for any duty
you may assign it. See letter through
military
(Signed) "BURGwYN.
Colonel Commanding"
1t is plain to every one that the
intimation above referred to did not
state that the department would con-
suit the officers alone of a command.
bat . - hoo a-- ~~e--- - IL -
means thai the department would
consider the sense of the whole COM
mand. After the meeting of the
"Liliputians' the colonel allows his
name to go out to a statement which
was not authentic; if I am mistaken
in this (and I know I am not) it was
the %cOlOnels duty to ascertain the
will of the whole regiment before send
ing the above message. Having fail
ed to do this, he was negligent of
the truth, a negligence which was in
e~xcusable.
Having aScertained the sense of the
enlisted men of this regiment, I can
state, and the fact, that
there is not less than 80 per cent. of
the enlisted men DESTROYS of being
mustered out Immediately, and say
further that there has been an effort
made on the part of some of our COM
missioned officers to intimidate the
enlisted men and restrain them from
expressing their wishes in this mat
ter.
Were the enlisted men d%esirious Of
garrisOning Cuban territory they pre-
fer service under officers whom they
can respect and under whom they can
| perform their duties with enthusiasm
which at least insures ~aithfulneSs
After this Job lot" of demagogues
had met and constituted themselves a
board of survey "tO retain the regi-
ment intact" Lieutenant Colonel
| COWles was dispatched to Washington
post-haste to inform the war depart
ment Of the wishes of the command tC
be retained in the service, but before
he left, the officers were asked to con-
tribute enough money to defray his
expenses to Washington and back-all
this done, as they thought, with the
! most complete secrecy. Why did they
not call on the enlisted men to help
defTay COwles' expenses, since they say
my regiment desires to remain in the
| service?" Are they too poor? The
colonel has out a special agent selling
pictures of himself to the enlisted men
They are not too poor to buy them
| When there is a Young Mems Christian
| Association tent to be bought, with
what enthusiasm they e forth ar
! orderly to solicit subscriptions from
| the enlisted men.
Why the officers the only Ones in
| terested in this great movement? Il
| they believed the enlisted men were
DESTROYS of staying in the service why
all this wire-pulling? This stands fol-
itself.
This is an argument in itself:
Washington, D. c., August 25, 1898.
Colonel w. H. S. Burgwyn, st. 81
mons Island, Ga:
"Our retention certain. Senator
P~ritchard's request did it. Will go via
Raleigh to tomorrow evening. Inform
officers, but keep from newspapers.
(Signed) GA. d. COWLES,
Lieutenant Colonel"
Inform officers but keep from news
papers,
How often do we see under tn
robes of the patriot, the cloven hoo
of the politician!
When the hospital tent-fiy episod,
/ becomes generally known the com
handing officer will have to answer.
The ways of these Liliputians ar
dark.
Respectfully,
j. H. GORE, Jr.,
Late of Second Papip,apt