Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-13

" confined within proper limits. They
decided 10 take under adyisement whe-
ther or not General Butler would be all
lowed to file written statement. but
stated that IL he were allowed 10 do so,
Mr.. Montague and others who cared to
do so would have the same privilege.
Mr.. Hamilton: "Was the only ground
upon which you based the second and
third sections Of the order your oonyer-
sation with DR.. Cooke"
General Butler: THAT and the informa-
tion l gathered personally and through
the telephone from Major Wright and
Dr. Cook"
Witness went on to speak OF some other
defects in discipline In the Third. He al
luded to disclosures made In courts-mar-
tial. but the court objected 10 his pro-
ceeding, and the recorder read the order
defining the duties OF the court.
Witness did not receive or require any
report from any officer. He wrote the
Order No. Is next morning. having slept
upon 1t and deliberated upon 1t materially.
ADMITS BAD LANGUAGE.
Counsel drew attention TO the state
ment made earlier in the proceedings by
the General to the effect that the order
had been penned directly he returned to
headquarters. The General denied his
first statement and iterated his second.
The order was not made solely upon his
personal experience. In the controversy
about the time at which he wrote the
order. General Butler was closely pressed
He asked that the record be amended as
to his first statement. He said 10 the
men when he rode UP to them that they
were behaving like q lot of id Indians.
He used language several times on that
night that he should not have used under
the army regulations.
On being questioned by the court, he
said he did got know of the presence Of
officers with the mob until after he had
penned the order.
To Congressman Rixie: He could not
be certain that the man who made the
statement that four or five hundred men
were in the bushes were members of the
Third Virginia. Colonel Nalle responded
very promptly to the order sent TO him
for roll-call. He believed Colonel Nalle
had done everything in his power to bring
about proper discipline in the regiment.
He did not know the result of the roll
call he had ordered. II want to say this
he said, Il had no prejudice against this
regiment. but the conduct seemed to be
so unsoldierly" (before he could proceed
he was interrupted and told that state
ments of fact alone were needed.
General Butler answered with heat that
Virginia politicians and other people had
rushed into print. He was interrupted by
the recorder, whose objection To the trend
of the Generals remarks was sustained
by the court.
General Butler insisted on being heard,
but the court refused TO let him speak of
.f,x a., HI hot 1a
would be given an opportunity TO speak
at the proper time. General Butler had
asked that the statement he was about
TO make should not be entered on the
record, but the court insisted that every
thing should be duly reported.
The General was here excused, but de-
cided TO remain I'm the room throughout
the proceedings.
MAJOR STRONG TESTIFIES.
Major Strong Acknowledgement of the
division. was the next witness. He said
he was on duty at headquarters on Mon
day night. lie was called to the tele-
phone by corps headquarters, and di-
rected to detail guards for the purpose of
arresting a coiored man who had COM
mitted an assault, and escaped. While
he was making the detail the division
hospital cut IN, and as soon as corps
headquarters finished talking some one,
whom he thought was Major Cook, said
he wanted a guard sent TO the hospital
TO quell disturbance. He ordered n
guard of a dozen men from the Thir-
teenth Pennsylvania. and proceeded with
the detail for others, when the di
vision hospital called up again. Major
Wright was at the telephone. He asked
what guard had been sent, and said the
one assigned would be entirely insufi-
cient. There are hundreds of men rush
ing out of camp, and we need a large
force" was the message witnessed.
Witness asked IL a battalion would do,
and Major Wright replied that he hardly
thought so. He reported TO General
Butler, who was In the yard outside in
conversation with Colonel Burdett, Of tho
First Connecticut. The General ordered
the Colonel to turn out his regiment, or
dered his own horse. and left in the di-
rectiOn OF the camp. Witness did not
leave the headquarters building. This
all happened about p. NJ. and about 7:l5
Major Buffers ordnance officer returned.
stating that he had been to the Third
Virginia camp, and all was quiet. a
short time afterwards shouting was
heard In the direction of the Virginia
lines. and was repeated on one or two
OttdSlOllS dlltIWdIuSs 1tntItl DuAitE re-
turned at 9 o'clock.
On cross-examnatiOn, witness said the
shouting was like that Of a boisterous
crowd There was one report from the
chief surgeon of the division on the re-
cords about the disturbance, but no re-
port from General Butler. Neither Colo
mel Burdett nor Colonel Male was
requested TO make n report. The sur
geOn submitted his report on q written
request yesterday. The orders were is-
sued the morning after the disturbance.
The report was made at the written
request of the headquarters.
SURGEON COOK TESTIFIEs.
Major George Cook surgeon of the d.
vision said he was in the dispensary de-
partment at the hospital at Z o'clock on
Monday last He was notified by one Of
the colored drivers that a fight was going
on at the corral. He went there as soon
as he could, and saw evidences OF the
truth Of the report He was informed by
the colored driver that he had been at
tackled by a private in the hospital corps
who was under the influence OF liquor.
II was related that the private came from
the Third Virginia Regiment. The negro
who told the story had his face bruised.
A table near the place was knocked 10
pieces The private had gone TO head
quarters. There was very few soldiers
there. He ordered them to their
quarters. They obeyed Ii seemed that
the private was badly used up and on
his return TO his company awakened the
Of his comrades. Soon witness
saw a number Of the men coming down,
as though they were going TO the Vir-
ginia Regiment. He ordered them back.
They asked whether they could not visit
their regiment, and he gave them per-
mission. Some one said the men were
going to lynch the negro. The witness
the idea. He remained near