The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-05
3RD INFANTRY MIDDLE
uApTArN GUILETTE OF FLOR -1G ENCE INTERVIEWED.
He Throws Light on Difficulties Which Beset Regiment of Ma tional Guard Since Hig-
 don Was Suspended.

In an interview with Captain J. B. Gullette of Florence published yesterday morning by The Birmingham Age-Herald some interesting light is thrown on the 3rd Infantry muddle.
 1t is also of interest that some or the information made public by Captain Gull lette was published by The Advertiser ana was denied by Birmingham newspapers. Yesterdays Age-Herald said: "A great deal of the inside politics Of the 3rd regiment, A. N. G., leaked out yesterday through Captain J. E. Guliette, commander of the Florence company ana an intimate friend of Adjutant General Brandon, Governor Jelks Major Simpson and several men who are recognized as being warm supporters of the old Kyle faction of the regiment.
 ''Captain Gullette, in a conversation with a representative of The Age-Herald, lasting more than an hour, let out several matters of interest which have hitherto been kept quiet Among other things he absolutely confirmed the reports that petition is being circulated, asking all the field officers of the regiment to re- sign for the good of the service" Cap tain Gullette said:
 l" This petition asking the field officers to resign has been signed by twenty-seven of the line officers of the regiment, and
  are about forty line officers. have not signed the petition because Major Simp- son lives in my town and was formerly commander of my company, and do not think that I should be one of those who ask him to resign. Included in the peti- ton are Colonel E. l.. Higdon, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Mcconnell, acting conn mander of the regiment and the three bat tallion commanders, Majors Bankhead, Simpson and Daniels.
 [" The petition does not allow any of the men who are asked to resign to again run for office in the regiment. If all the officers would resign l think it would set- tie the troubles in the regiment. l be- lieVe that the only way to get Lieutenant Colonel Mcconnell and the three majors to resign is for Colonel Higdon to resign understand he has consented to get out if the other staff officers will do the same thing.
 If some way is not found to settle this regImental squabble I believe the regiment will go to pieces. In fact received letter some time ago from Adjutant General Brandon in which he stated that the reason he had not sent the equipment for my company was that the Governor was thinking seriously of mastering the regiment out of the service, and that it would be a needless expense 10 S0lD LnS equipment LO to ship 1t right back to Montgomery. as would have to be done if the regiment had been mustered out.
 CT also know that this movement to get the regiment out of the service came very nearly going through. and had 1t not been for the three majors begging the Governor not to muster the regiment out it would have been done.
 |" There was conference held in Mont gomery some time ago between Governor Jelks and the majors of the regiment. After the conference Major Simpson told me that Governor Jelks had made an effort to get Major Bankhead to run for Colonel, but that the majors told the Governor 1t would be impossible to elect Major Bankhead.
 As far as I am concerned am sick of the whole business and am going back to Florence and take care of my own little company and let this matter work itself out. Something will certainly have to be done as the regiment is now in bad fix. .
 " The trouble is that there is too much politics in. the regiment, and it needs d military man at the head of it. If we had a competent military man in com mapd of the regiment he would take hold of this squabble and would settle it if he had to get rid of every man in the regi-