The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-09-29
C0RRECTSTATEMENT
Congressman Gamble Was at San Fran
cisco and Helped Arrange the
Trouble.
The Soldiers Generally Blame Petit
grew for Publishing a Letter That
Was Private.
Said He Did it With the Hope Of
Receiving Aid in a Political
Way.
HOW TROUBLE WAS SETTLED.
Congressman Gamble Tells in Detail
the Settlement of the Frost
Warne Matter.

Congressman Gamble was member
of the reception committee which was
sent to San Francisco to welcome the
South Dakota regiment when it landed
and be was about the only one Of the
committee who got there on time. In
returning home from San Francisco
Mr.. Gamble stopped in Sioux City over
Sunday and to the journal he gave an
very interesting account of the settle
ment of the troubles in the South Da-
kota regiment. MIR. Gamble took an
Important part in effecting recon-
ciliation between the officers and his
statement OF the closing event will be
read with interest. Passing over the
preface to the interview, in which Mr..
Gamble describes the scene when the
Sheridan landed, the interview proper
is taken up as follows:
Denunciation of Pettigrew.
SIN my interview with Col. Frost and
the other officers during Friday on
board the Sheridan" said Congressman
Gamble, Il found that they we're all
willing to adjust the difficulties that
had arisen. They all denounced Sem
ator Pettigrew most emphatically for his
breach Of confidence in publishing let
ters that he knew were not intended
for the eyes of the public. Had it not
been for his Willingness to take advan-
tage of his correspondents, the whole
affair would have blown over, and no
trouble would have come to any body.
1t was very easy to understand from
the statements made by the subordin-
ate officers that during the terrible
times around San Fernando, after they
had been for l25 days on the firing line,
and with disease and death all about
them, they felt vsry much depressed.
They were willing to admit that they
magnified their distress and charged it
against Col. Frost when he was blame.
less. What they said at the time they
doubtless felt to be true, the same Of
men anywhere in the grip of distress
will attribute their misfortunes many
times to innocent sources. They al
regretted sincerely that they had been
overborne by the circumstances sur
rounding them, and had allowed them
selves to give expression to complaints
they afterwards knew were unjustified
Senator Pettigrew had taken advan
tage of their distress and had pub
lished to the world that which they
were heartily sorry they had written
> Under all the circu instances it ia easy
! to see the writer's we're scarcely tt
blame, and that all the trouble that has
come to them has been due to the de
termination of Senator Pettigrew tt
. use their misfor tune to boost himsel
f politically.
i. tnly Part of Pettigrew's Work.
"But, as 1 know from conversatio,
board the Sheridan, this publication O
the letters of Warne, Stover and other
is only part of the systematic perfd,
0 which Pettigrew organized in order t.
r make political capital out of the dis
U tress of the South Dakota volunteers
:, He deliberately went about it to de
bauch the regiment and SOW sedition
9 and to incite rancor against the na
U tional administration and the conduc
q of the war. 1t is to the everlasting
q credit of the men that he achieved sue
small SUCCESS in his plot as seems to b.
the case. Even in the dire emerger
). cies in which the soldiers we're place
q he was unable to wheedle them int
9 the general denunciations he had hope
8 to secure, in order that he might us
9 them as ammunition in his campaig
. against the republican party in hi
!. state and elsewhere. He wrote pei
u sonal letters to q large proportion {
:. the officers and men. the general tenc
9 of which was an outline of his conden
). nation of the war and the administrs
u tion, including criticism of the fa'
3 that the regiment had been kept i
v eervice longer than than the time II
e which it enlisted Then he woul
'r wind up his letter by request for a
10 expression from the officer or soldier
70 to what might be the recipients fee
"a ings in regard % the matter. He d
IL pended upon the hattery of person
e letter from A United States senator