The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-15
PROTEST. TO GOV. Lind
MEMBERS OF THE THIRTEENTH
MINNESOTA DIVIDED ON INIME-
date REORGANIZATION
OF THE FIRST REGIMENT

the Philippines, and They Do Not
Want to Transfer Their Glory to
Those Who Didn't GO-StiIIwnter
View. of the Question.
The reorganization of the First Mime
4 sofa regiment along the lines that have
been suggested is meeting with opposition
! from the members of the Thirteenth Min
nesota. Members of the Thirteenth claim
that but small percentage of their num-
Der were First Minnesota men, and they
| object now to having the First Mlnneso-
! ia get the glory Of being the Thirteenth
Minnesota on the strength of this small
representation. Petitions are in circula-
ton and being signed by ex-members of
the Thirteenth Minnesota for presenta-
| ton to the governor asking him to delay
| calling the First Minnesota from It's
leave of absence. The first of these petit
lions was received by Gov. Lind yester-
day from st. Cloud. All the petitions are
alike. and read as follows:
ITO Hon. John Lind:
I'VE, the undersigned, late members Of
the Thirteenth regiment, Minnesota vol
unteer infantry. for the reasons here
matter set forth. respectfully show to
your eXcellency:
-, At the time the call for the mobiliza-
7 ton Of the First regiment, N. G. s. NJ,
| issued preparatory to muster into the
United States service, out Of the nine
hundred and some odd men composing
the enlisted strength of the First only
from One-ffth to one-fourth responded
The remaining refusing to serve as SOL
| diers at the time when their services
were so urgently needed. For many years
! this regiment had been drilled equipped
and disciplined for the time when war
should again come upon us. Yet of the
| 1853 men composing the late Thirteenth
| regiment, Minnesota volunteers, only
| some two hundred were from the First
| regiment. During our absence all the pa
| perS continued to represent the facts to
| be that the Thirteenth was formerly the
First N. G. s. M. Surely your excellency
can see how unfair it is to credit the
! First regiment with such service when
! eleven-thirteenths of the men were never
IN the First. Now that we are returned
ana mustered out of the United States
service, plans are being talked of for
| the reorganization of the First, formerly
! the Thirteenth. If the leave Of absence
| Is at this time revoked, it results in again
installing the old roll of the First, as the
dctlVe soldier list of this state. That is,
the four-fifths who have masqueraded
| as soldiers and then refused the service
Wnen the call came, will again be the citi-
! zen Sodiery of Minnesota The old Of
| ncers will again be in command And in
| addition this most unwarlike crowd will
oe Ir4eIerred to as the former Thirteenth
|
Ion, We doubt if five per cent Of the
thirteenth would ever affiliate themselves
| with the militia. We would like some time
20 nIla out whether 1t IS possible for the
aGoption OF some plan that will permit
! OF some real representation of the Thir-
| teenth regiment
Ivy Wherefore we request of your excel
IeHcy ueferrlng for the time Of the pro-
posed order revoking the leave of absence
| or the First regiment. N c. s. M. until
we snail have had such time as viii per-
nCf
| cation as will meet the approval of the
former members of the Thirteenth reei
ment."
Inc sentiments in the foregoing petit
ton are not those Of all the ex-mem-
oers OF the Thirteenth. ]. C. Rhodes Jr,
OF saltwater, writes about the question
as follows:
There has been some talk about the
TeorganiZation of old Company K in the
FIRST Minnesota national guard / am
an ex,member of the old company and
think 1t should be perpetuated and kept
allVe, as 1T was only mustered into sery-
Ice by order Of Gov. Clough, our then
f Fba an Of Minnesota, for the time Of
VINO nave served for five years in the
ola company would hate to see it's proud
posItlon taken by any other company, and
1T would be impossible. perhaps. to re-
store the conditions of men and officers
as they were on that day in April. 1898
". isor5 tne tr,t country called them. 7-
OOIilS lake OIlI6r6nt views from thOSa
they mad when they met at drills and
summer camps during the many years
OF service Tor our state. Many, Of course
never expected to be called out of the
StdIe. When 1t was found wise not to
Iet some Old members go to the Philfp-
pines, no one must for a moment think a.
m man was coward or shirked because
ne did no volunteer. Many went who did
not nave any entangling alliances or fam
lily. and large percentage of our com
P Par linen members went on call They had all
o ofe mo honor Ior their brave acts, and none
OF the ex-members seek to retract from
thelr glory. Still, at the same time, We
wish 10 preserve the ranks of an active
company ana the ranks of an active ex-
empt list. made up of those who were
nonorably discharged for faithful serv-
ICE; or all the many organizations in
SSclIIWater' not a secret order the old
company X was the most successful.
Our annual gatherings April s every
year were the most interesting
1nen let us revive Company K and
as II was on the day they were mustered
INTO Uncle Sans service, recruit it IN
occupy our armory. that is now vacant
and be ready for any emergency
Let the time in the Philippines he an
| Piaaeu as service on the ex-members GER
Ilneates. Null Secundus and go forward
anu nave a good company that will be
| as creditable as 1t has been In the mast
Ihen the reunions of the ex-members
ana the Thirteenth Minnesota will ali he
IIo son 1,n i; pleasant to look forward to.
ap5 us hs,, oufy all animosities of the past
ana ana nave the old boys get together and
Ten ABOUT the prison fire, Fort SneIIinG
lamp lamp Lakeview and other notable events
a ar1IIlng out ut OF the Spanish war It Will
make a history to be proud Of Take In
| d rev honorary members from the civil
war and make it interesting and nrofita ~
VI, uie ~ the younger element now CROWNS.
up. SO that they will emulate the nobis
ueeos or their ancestors" i'Oie