Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
TREATED HIS MEN WELL
Charges Against Col. stotsenburg Were
Completely Disproved.
Took the First Nebraska When 1t Was
In Rad State and Made 1t
Model Regiment.

The assistant secretary of war has just
received from Gen. Otis full reports dis
proving the charges preferred by relatives
and friends of enlisted men of the LIST Ne
braska Volunteers against the late Col.
John M Stotsenburg. and showing that the
excellence of the regin ent was largely due
to his discipline.
These charges embraced allegations of i'll
trea tment of the men of his command, and
were accompanied by a resolution of the
house of representatives of the Nebraska
legislature, requesting a complete and thor
ough investigation of the matter.
Gen. Otis in response to the directions of
the War Department. Immediately set
foot investigation. The inspector gen
eral assigned to the duty states in his re-
pert that he personally interviewed every
officer of the Nebraska regiment on duty
with ii, and all other officers detached from
it who were accessible, and announced the
substance of the charges and the resolu
tons to each company and the band; that
he also visited Cor the same purpose the
several hospitals and invited all officers
and men to express their sentiments freely
as to the merits of the charges and their
personal opinions of Col Stotsenburg.
1t appears from the report of the inspec-
tor general that his Investigations into this
subject were thorough in the extreme.
Some officers made written replies: others
dictated their testimony. which was after
ward approved by them. The sentiments
OF the enlisted men We're committed to
writing, and subsequently read to and APP
proved by them.
Completely EXonerated.
The consensus of opinion as obtained
from these several sources completely ex-
onerates Col. Stotsenburg from the odium
cast upon him by these charges which.
under the strong light of impartial investi-
cation, dissolved themselves into com
Lot o.
from men unaccustomed to strict army dis
cipline and methods. and in a foreign land
Where their environment perhaps rendered
them peculiarly susceptible to the feeling
that they We're being treated harshIy and
without regard to their Well-being
The inspector in his conclusion states that
1t Will be seen an overwhelming ma jOrity
OF the officers and men of the regiment
either directly by natural inference
strongly condemn and refute the charges
and cordially indorse Colonel Stotsenburg's
administration, both as battalion and regi-
mental commander, and that not one Of
ficcr or enlisted man expressed the opinion
that it would be for the best interests of
the regiment to relieve him from its COM
mand.
Finally he states that THE charges there
fore receiving practically no support or
sympathy from the men in whose interest
or on whose behalf they purport to have
been preferred fall to the ground
Regiment Was Rescued by Its Colonel
Major General Macarthur. commanding
the division. in which the 1st Nebraska
Volunteers We're serving. states that a one
time the condition of the regiment was a
matter of deep concern at his headquarters;
that the almost total absence of any use
full system of military training had grad
ually reduced this regiment to such a con-
diton that ii became necessary to enphn-
size in repeated communications the neceS-
sity of some effective remedial action. Cen
he tal-
ligent and strictly professional admiHistra-
ton of Colonel Stotsenburg all causes of
complaint were quickly eradicated, and it
afforded him the greatest pleaSure.to teSti-
fly from personal knowledge that at an in
sTectiOn and review held shortly before the
opening of hostilitieS the regiment present
ed the most attractive and inspiring APP
pearance. The men showed in their bearing
the evidence of fine military training, and
the camp and surroundings indicated the
most careful hygienic supervision.
III transmitting the matter to headquart-
ers the general concludes his report in these
words: Recruited from hardy and val
liant race this regiment will return to Ne
braSka an honor to the state and nation,
results arising largely from Colonel StOtsen-
burgS efficient and Jealous command"
Cen OTIS, in forwarding to the depart
ment the report of the investigation, re-
marks that the First Nebraska Regiment
Is most excellent organization, and the
state may well feel proud of it, Col. Slot
senburg's efforts have, in great measure,
maze II what II Is.
Devotion of His Men.
While several of the enlisted men ex-
pressed opinions to the effect that Co.
Stotsenburgs command of the regiment
while in garrison in the city was attended
with what appeared to be unnecessary Sc
verify. the record Of the regiment in the
field has demonstrated beyond the posi-
bility Of doubt the wisdom of Col Stotsen-
burg's action in mOlding his command into
Il disciplined well-trained and aggressive
body of fighters.
vuision of feeling had taken place among
the disaffected after the command entered
the field. Then it was that the results of
rigid discipline and the proper training of
the soldier came into play. The men, after
having served in the field under Col SLOT
senburg, were enthusiastic in their express
sions Numerous statements such as these
appear throughout the report: Il could not
ask to serve under better officer than Col
StOtsenburg;" He always takes the lead
in going out for scrap" We would rath-
er have him than any other colonel we
know of on the isiand,'' and Il think that
Col. Stotsenburg has treated US as an officer
and a gentleman"
Such expressions these coming from
the rank and file, show the esteem in which
he held by his men after the regiment
had entered the field of true soldierly ac-
tivity. That the opinion of his men was
deserved needs no verification by official
reports.
The following Endorsement was placed by
the assistant secretary of war on the re-
quest OF the governor of Nebraska for Col
Stotsenburgs relief from the command of
the LIST Nebraska Volunteers: John NJ
StOtsenburg, colonel of the 1st Nebraska
Volunteers, was killed in battle at the head
of his command while leading a successful
charge on the intrenchments of the enemy
on April %, 1899, at Quingua p. l."
DEWEY WILL SAIL TUESDAY.