The age-herald., 1898-10-06
Not Minister Vas Present at The
 Funeral OF PRIVATE SIZEMORE, co, K Unfortunate Affair Grew Out Of Gen.
 eral Misunderstanding. CHAPLAIN FlTZSiMMON'S CARD Says His Services Were Not Wanted By Colonel Higdon-Colonel Ex- pected Dr. Gray to Oficiate
 Notified Too Late.
OF PRIVATE SIZEMORE, co. K
CHAPLAIN FI1zsIMMoN'S CARD

Notified Too Late. Here in a civilized community the body of a soldier of these United States of Amer ica was consigned to earth without prayer being uttered over his grave for departed, soul.
 A prayer may have been silently breathed from the lips of some comrade as "taos" were being sounded over the last resting place of Private Sizemore. But not spir | itual adviser was present. Not a man clothed with the authority of the church. Private Sizemore was member of Com any K, Birmingham Rifles. He was from S.-elby county and paid his own expenses l to join the command and respond to the | ca.4 for volunteers.
 He was good soldier. He was stricken w..-l a wasting disease in Jacksonville, and was little more than a skeleton when brought to Birmingham with his regiment. He grew worse and soon died.
 That there was not a minister to off, ciate at his funeral seems to have grown out of a general misunderstanding. Rev. Owen P. Fitzsimmons, who is chaplain of the regiment sent the following card to The Age-Herald:
 The ChapIain's Card To the Editor of The Age-Herald: | In this mornings account of the funeral of Private Sizemore you do me an injustice in stating that "Adjutant Brown tried to get Chaplain Fitzsimmons, but he was un- able to attend" I am not informed of Lieutenant Browns action, and have noth- ing to say about that, but the following are the facts far I was concerned: The afternoon preceding the funeral I sent to Colonel Higdon, through the cour- 1 tesy of Lieutenant Going, my compliments and rendered my services in the matter of S-zemores' death. Lieutenant Going re- turned to me with the statement that Col onel Higdon had replied to my message by stating that he and the chaplain (mean- ing myselD were not on the friendliest terms that he hadn't time to look up the chaplain, or words to that effect and had already engaged Dr. Gray to officiate at the funeral. I concluded from this that my commanding officer did not desire my services, and I had nothing to do except to step aside Lieutenant Johnston was present when my message to Colonel Hig- don was sent and the reply received and he and Lieutenant Going agree with me in this statement of facts and with Colonel Higdon's refusal of my tender of services. l could not act otherwise than I did
 O. P. FITZSIMMONS, Chaplain First Alabama Regiment. VoIun-
 teers.
 October, 5, 1898.
 Col. Higdon's Explanation
 "Yes,' said Colonel Higdon when Chap lain Fitzsimmon's card was shown to him. those are substantially the facts in the case, though they require a little fuller ex- planation.
 When the regiment first returned from Jacksonville Chaplain Fitzsimmons was ab- sent on furlough, and the regiment had no spiritual adviser. In view of the fact that Dr. Fitzsimmons had manifested such ani- mostly toward me and the manner in which I commanded the regiment, did not feel called upon to ask Dr. Fitzsimmons to act in any emergency where a chaplain might be needed while he was off on furlough. q accordingly asked pr. Gray, who was the chaplain of the old Third Alabama A. N G., if he would not act as chaplain if one were needed, and he said he would When I was sick at my home in Wood lawn, instructed Adjutant Brown that in case anything happened and chaplain was needed, to call on Dr. Gray When Sizemore died I naturally concluded that he had been notified of the death and would be on hand at the funeral. When Lieutenant Going came to me, offering Chaplain Fitzsimmons' services and telling me to let him know if they were needed, I told him that Dr. Gray would officiate, and that I hadn't time or the inclination to be looking up Dr. Fitzsimmons.
 'I regret exceedingly that Dr. Gray was not notified earlier than he was, and if I had had any idea that such was the case I would certainly have seen that a minister was present at the burial. Poor Sizemore was a good soldier, and was entitled to every mark of respect and honor that should be paid dead soldier.
 Another little thing that might men, ton is that nearly all the regiment being on furleugh, the ceremonies over a de- ceased soldier would be more of an infor- mal voluntary nature than of strict mili- tary regulations, and as you well know, the company to which Sizemore belonged, Company K, managed almost entirely the details of the burial. They paid out of their own pockets all expenses of the cer- emony above the $35 which the government allows for burial. If Dr. Fitzsimmons or any other minister had cared to officiate at the ceremony I am sure that, had their services been offered to Captain Ledbetter or to any othO of the company officers, they would have been readily accepted"
 Not Informed in time
 Dr. Gray, when asked about the matter. said that he was notified that his services would be needed at the funeral only ten minutes before the ceremony was to take