Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-08-10
THE CAMP ALGER AFFAIR.


man was victorious. When report
to this effect reached Colonel Males
men number of them, variously esti
mated at from so to 500, ran across the
sentry line to mete out punishment to
the wagon driver. The belligerents
were finally rounded up and returned
10 their camp with no bones broken and
no bloodshed,
Major General Butler, commanding
the lst division, happened to view the
latter part of the incident, and he took
rather serious view of it. At first he
was inclined to let the question of pun
ishment rest with Colonel Male, but
after thinking the matter over he con-
Guided to take it in his own hands. Ac-
cordingly he dictated an order depriv.
ing the 3rd Virginia of all pass privi-
leges and announcing his intention of
having every one concerned in the as
sault on the negro dishonorably dis
charged.
As stated yesterday an order will be
Issued that no passes will be given out
aud that members of the regiment will
be confined to their regimental quar-
ters until further orders.
Active efforts will be made to appre-
bend every one connected with the in
cid ant referred to, and letter will be
sent to the Secretary of War over Gen
eral Buffers signatures asking that
they be dishonorably discharged with
out delay.
Finally, the order includes state
ment TO the effect that the division
commander himself witnessed part of
the disturbance, and regards it as ex-
tremely unworthy from any point Of
view and as rejecting much discredt
on the regiment and the State of Vir-
GINA.
Col. Male was asked to made state
( ment concerning the affair for the Star.
{. l. is as follows:
81 was at mess last night, when word came
To me that NJ jor Butler the son of our di.
vision commander desired to see me. Major
Cutler informed me that disturbance re-
ilecting discredtably on my men had taken
place while was at supper. That was my
first inkling of the matter. Although it must
have occurred only couple of hundred yards
away, did not hear sound. The facts of
the matter, as far as can learn, are that re-
port was brought to one OF my companies that
one of their men had been injured, and so
number of his comrades ran over TO sec what
the matter was. My officer of the day soon
roun led them up and returned them TO their
camp That is all there is to it, Their
curiosity was unmiitary, perhaps, but never.
theless perfectly natural
Already the guards have appehended three
offenders, but refuse to give out their names.
Maj. Gen. Buffers official order in
reference to the matter teens with ii.
dignation, and in it he speaks of "the
rotous and insubordinate conduct of
part of the regiment" as an affair which
"pothing could Justify or excuse" and
"a disgrace to the service and to the
State OF Virginia" AS far as the
names of these engaged in such u1sol-
dierly and disgraceful conduct can be
ascertained," the report states, 1.-THE
Secretary OF War will be requested to
dishonorably discharge them from the
United States service"
1t is now said that it is not the inten.
ton Of Gen. Butler to discharged every
man who was guilty of breach of dis.
cipline, for in that case he would be
obliged to dismiss almost the entire
regiment, as hardly man was left in
camp when the ARRAY took place. But
it seems that he is serious in his inter-
ton of having all the ringleaders dis
honorably discharged. Late last even
ing six men had been discovered, aud
it will probably fare i'll with them pro.
vided anything definite can be proven.
The man who started the fight with the
negro was so badly pummeled as to be
seriously i'll yesterday, but he is i'm
proving, and it is not probable he will
suffer any punishment at the hands of
his superiors. Ali the other original
combatants, those who rushed across
the line and proceeded to whip the ne
gro, are, it is said, to he dismissed from
the service, but the officers have diff
Guilty in asoertaining their names as all
the men are as mum as oysters when
questioned.
Gen. Buffers attitude in the case has
walked up the entire camp, and the men
were considerably more alert at having
orders yesterday than generally. There
has been q constant round of comp amt
that little heed is paid to minor orders,
but General Butler is determined that
the volunteers shall learn what military
discipline means, the same as the regu-
lars have had to learn the details of
duty.
Col. Male admitted that his men had
been guilty of breach of discipline, but
he said that the fair was not as seri-
Gus < had been reported. His men had
come back TO camp, he said, and he
felt sure tbatsimilar disturbances would
not occur again.
Governor Tyler aud Attorney Gener'
al Montague have been summoned by
wire to Camp Alger in connection with
the trouble that took place in the Third
Virginia Regiment Monday night, when
negro struck Hospital Steward Tho.
DUFF, of Company H, Danville, ard
members of the regiment tried to MI b
the negro and threw the camp into q
great state of excitement. 1t is under
stood that General Butler is seeking the
dishonorable discharge of the leaders in
the attempt to mob the negro, and
hence the summqns to the Governor
and the Attorney General.
Captain ]. r. Hutchins, who wss
officer of the day of the regiment, states
that the following report was submit
ted by him to Col. Male:
"At 7:45 o'clock, the evening of Au-
gust Stb, on my way to mess for sup
per, 1 observed some disorder short
distance outside the lines, I being then
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