The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-14
GUNDER IN COMMAND.
Governor Takes Up the Question of
Authority and Settles 1t.

Authority and Settles 1t.
The question of commissioning the officers
of the four Indiana regiments and the two
batteries has been settled satisfactorily to
all concerned, and the trouble over who was
in command of the camp is adjusted. After
it had been decided that General Mckee
had no authority to command soldiers who
had been mustered into the United States
service the question came up as to which
of the four colonies of the regiments should
take the rank. Colonel Studebaker assumed
the command by virtue of the fact that his
regiment was the first to muster in and he
claimed that he the first colonel to
be mustered into the United States service
he had the right to command all the United
States troops. This question came up after
all the troops had become United States
volunteers. Governor Mount took a differ
ent view of the situation, and, although he
is no longer the commander-in-chief of those
troops, his view prevailed, and. Colonel
Studebaker is no longer in command of
Camp Mount. The command is vested IN
Colonel Gunder. of the Fourth Regiment
He was, the senior colonel in the Indiana
National Guard and as such is now the
ranking colonel at Camp Mount.
Governor Mount yesterday sent Secretary
Wilson to Camp Mount with the commits
slons for all the officers of the old Third
and Second Regiments. Colonel Wilson also
carried a commission for Colonel Gunder
of the old Fourth Regiment. The latter
commission was dated May 9, while the
commissions of the other colonies are dated
a Few days later. This was done in order
that the senior colonel OK the Indiana Ma
t1onal Guard might become the ranking
colonel of the federal troops, for the APP
pointment of the members of the regiments
TO regimental offices lies with the Governor
and no one else. There was a conference
OF the colonies, and at o'clock everything
was settled satisfactorily, and it was agreed
that Colonel Gunder's right to command
should not be questioned further. The COM
missions for the officers of the One-hundred-
and-tifty-seventh and acknowledgements
ty-elghth Regiments were distributed yes
terrday evening, and those for officers Of the
issued TO the men early this morning.
Governor Mount had decidedly the best
of the argument in the wrangle over the
command of the camp, and his position is
now recognized as having been the correct
one by all the army officers here and by
Colonel Studebaker himself. He assumed
that wien the members of the Indiana Ma
tional Guard were mustered into the United
States volunteer service they became pri-
Yates, and nothing more. That one man
should be addressed as colonel and another
as major captain, and should be respect
ed and obeyed as such. was merely a mat
ter of common consent That the men
would eventually be entitled to these ranks
was not questioned, and the fact that they
mad held them was recognized but for the
time between mastering in and receiving
new commissions they were no higher in
actual authority than the humbiest private
They really had no right, except that ac-
corded to them by the individual members
of their regiments. battalions or companies
to assume any command. With this view
of the matter Governor Mount came to the
conclusion that there was an element of
the ridiculous in any man assuming to COM
mand more than he had commanded before
being mustered in. The mastering in re-
duced his powers rather than increased
them. The Governor was asked yesterday
why he should select Colonel Gunder as the
one to take the command, and said:
Because he has been the longest in the
service In the capacity of colonel He was
the ranking colonel in the National Guard
and ought to be the ranking colonel in the
volunteer army. l am actuated by no preju-
dice. II is not because Colonel Gunder is a
favorte. 1t is merely a matter of right
Personally, know Colonel Studebaker and
Colonel Smith better than Colonel Gunder,
but right is right and it must prevail"
The strained relations between the Gov
ernor and Captain May have ceased. and
the commission of the latter as lieutenant
colonel or the Northumberland fifty-sev-
enth Indiana Regiment will be issued 1t
was withheld on account of the trouble
over the command of the camp. it being the
belief of the Governor that Captain May
was Colonel Studebaker's adviser in the lat
ter S action in assuming command