The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-29
COLONIES DON'T AGREE.
DIFFERENT VIEWS ON BLANKET
TOSSING PREVAIL.

Fate of the WasherwOmnn Who Wns
Tossed Has Not Put an End to the
Practice Among some of the Regi-
ments-NothinE More Has Been
Heard of Women Being Tossed,
HOWever-CoIOneI of One Rcgl-
ment Thinks the Practice Preju-
dicinI 10 Good order and DIseip-
line. While Another Thinks Ii but
a Mark of the Affection of the Men
for Their OGicers-BIanset Tossing
Comes Down From the Days of
Cervnntes.
The fate of the colored washerwoman,
who was blanket-tossed by men of the
Fourth Virginia Regiment, has not put
stop to the practice among the troops en-
camped near the city. The tossing SIN
goes on, Notwithstanding The death of the
woman from the injuries she received.
Nothing has been heard Of any further
tossing of women, but the soldiers are
likely to toss anyone else whom they catch
around the camps. A railroad man was
out in one of the regiments yesterday. He
saw a crowd coming for him, and sought
refuge in the co,onels cent. Fortunately,
he was able TO hang around the colonel
long enough to tire out those who were
on the lookout for him. After their vigil
lance had waned, he was able to make his
way out OF the camp.
II has been reported that the officers
here have come to a general understanding
about blanket tossing, and that all of them
had agreed that they would not submit 10
any of it. The officers of the First North
Carolina and the one Hundred and Six
tieth Indiana Regiments were tossed by
the men before they were mustered out OF
the service but IL is moi likely that those
of ali the other commands here will share
their fate No verihcatbon of the report
of the officers having come 10 an agree
ment could be secured.
MANY have regarded the tossing of OIL
GERS as sad breach of military discipline |
and etiquette. Others have CONSIDERED II |
as but an cbullition of feeling ana rain
er heroic display of the affection OF the
men for their officers. 1t IS sara the ON
GERS who have been tossed 50 regarded H. |
and that their submission was cheerful.
Two colonies were seen last night about
blanket tossing, and their Ideas were |
widely divergent. O:e OF them said there |
has never been a man tossed since ms reg |
in1ent has been in the service, nor, in fact |
during the last ten years has II been IN the
national guard of his state. He said ABOUT |
ten years ago it was prevalent at state |
encampments bat even then the officers |
were never tossed. Since that time sent- |
ment has grown against 1t, ana ne sald
he would never allow the practice The |
colonel had not the least fear that any |
of his men would attempt the liberty with |
himself or any of his officers He regards |
il as prejudcial to good order and disci- !
pline.
The other colonel said he did not object |
10 blanket, tossing. and that it is engaged |
In by his men. He rather expects to be |
tossed himself a day or two before the |
regiment goes out of the service, From |
what he said about it, one might judge |
that he would not construe il as an Of !
Tense, but rather a testimonial of the love |
his men bear him. He is convinced that |
his regiment thinks well of him, and is |
not looking for a squad with a blanket, |
but If one should find him he would not |
consider it mortal affront.
The latter colonel said he knew that |
many officers, particularly the regulars, |
do not approve of the tossing, and that |
they were greatly shocked when they
learned that volunteer officers had been
tossed by their men, I'VE volunteers did
not go INTO the war as a business or to
do garrison duty or live in barracks What
We expected was to do a bit of lighting. |
The rules and customs governing us are
naturally not those of the regulars, and |
there is no reason why the observance |
of military etiquette should be so strict
We could submit TO such a demonstrat ton
of the affection of our men as l take blan-
ket tossing TO indicate"
without question, blanket tossing Is dam
gerous. number of people have been |
injured by it, and 1t would seem the men |
who practice 1t would give il up. 1t is !
said 1t was engaged In for a while at |
jacksonville until man had his collar |
bone broken by being tossed from the
blanket to the ground. Then a general |
order put etop to 1t. 1t was taken up |
again here on the return Of the troops from |
Cuba and in many camps has been preva-
lent
Blanket-tossing is an old sport for those
who hold the blanket and torture for those
who are tossed. It was practiced durins !
the civil war, and seems to have been n |
martial pastime. In Don Quixote" Ger
vantes tells of how Sancho Panzo was
tossed, and even in the days of the knight
or the sorrowful visage the practice pre-
vailed. II cannot be said, however. that
ats antiquity commends it's perpetuation
and the majority of officers and civilians !
believe the sooner the soldiers stop IL the
sooner danger of other serious Injuries
will be averted.