The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-11
THREE BASE EDWARDS
Senior Officers ofthe Seventy
First New York
DiSGRACED THEIR STATE
And the Service at San juan
RooSeveIPs Roast.

Albany, y. z, May s.-The findings Of
the court of inquiry appointed to inves-
tigate the conduct Of the officers Of the
Seventy-frst regiment at the battle of San
Juan Hill were officially made public to-
day for the first time.
They find that Colonel Wallace A.
Downs, Lieutenant-Colonel Clinton H.
Smith and Major John H White in that
affair were cowarIly and incompetent.
They find that Captain Gilmore F. Aus
tin, of Company L, was guilty Of serious
breach Of discipline in disobeying orders,
and he is publicly reprimanded. This is
done by the publication of the findings of
the court.
Governor Roosevelt, in his comment
upon the findings, centuries these officers
with all his vigor; calls attention to the
fact that Colonel Downs and Major Whit
tie have resigned, ami says Of Lieutenant
Colonel Smith:
at is not safe or wise that such a man
hold high office either in the volunteer
army or in the national guard"
He orders Lieutenant-Colonel Smith to
appear before a board Of examination,
which shall inquire into his moral char
acter, capacity and general fitness for ser
vice in the national guard as a command
ing officer
The governor commands that the board
meet at headquarters of the Third brigade
at which time Major Clinton H Smith
CHS title is major now viii report to the
board for examination.
He names the following officers as mem
bers of the board:
Brigajdier-Genera Peter c. Doyle, of the
Fourth brigade.
Brigadier-General Robert Shaw Oliver,
of the Third brigade.
Colonel Robert T. Emmett, Of the First
regiment
Major Martin Carey. Judge Advocate of
the Fourth brigade, is appointed recorder
of the board
Major Smith has already announced his
intention of fighting to the end, and his
examination, which will virtually be his
trial, VIII be interesting.
Governor Roosevelt, in his comments,
reviews the results of the board of in
quiry, and begins shis summary by COM
mending the admirable work of the board,
which he says was done with great i'm
paftiality and fearlessness.
The senior field officers or the Seventy
first regiment" he says, "discredited their
regiment, and therefore by just so much
discredited the American volunteer ser
vice by their actions at San Juan; but
it must be remembered to the last credit
of the American volunteers that it was
left to three of tehir number to punish
their wro ng-doing, when the regular army
had signally failed to punish TT
The governor refers to the boast of the
officers that they had been honorably dis
charged by the mustering-out officers of
theUnited States army. The governor de-
plores the ease with which incompetent
men obtained commissions in the volun-
teer service, and says:
The higher the mans rank is, the
greater is his Chance to win distinction
and do honorable work, and the greater
also must be the blame that rghtfuIly
attaches to him if he is guilty of failure
or shortening; especially if his failure
or short-coming IS tainted with lack of
courage-the soldiers cardinal virtue"
The governor then describes the move
ments of the army on the LIST Of July last;
how Colonel Downs had marched the regi-
ment down the trail TO the river and halted
them there, ordering them to lie down.
Then he continues:
''When the regiment halted, General
Kent told one of the rearmost officers,
Captain Austin, that ne wanted the regi-
ment to go forward. Captain Austin took
no steps to inform Colonel Downs Of what
General Kent had said.
Orders We're finally got to Colonel
Downs, and he sent back word that his
regiment could get no further. At this
time the. two other regiments of the bri-
gade had crossed the river and were en-
gaged in desperate fighting. Finding ne
could not get the Seventy-first forst for
ward. General Kent directed certain of the
regular regiments of his other two bri-
gades 10 march along the trail over and
through the SeveDty-first until they got
TO the front and one after another five
Of the regular regiments passed UP the
trail the officers and men Jeering at the
Seventy-tirst and telling them 10 come on.
Incredible TO relate, Colonel Downs stil
made no effort to set his regiment for
ward, and his lieutenant and senior major
likewise did nothing.
Most of the other officers and Of the
enlisted men, however, showed a spirit
and good Will all the more striking be-
cause of the contrast with the conduct
Of their Supporters. Some Of taem Joined
the regulars, others were led out by their
own officers. Colonel Downs and the
observation-disclosures and senior major doing
nothing to advance and but little to am
der this move.
The larger part Of the Seventy-firSt
then Went up the hill, had men killed and
wounded on its summit, entered the block
house. supported q piece % artillery which
had soUen into trouble. and in short
showed that they were OF splendid stuff.
and THAI save when paraiyzed by. bad
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