The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-27
MONUMENT TO THE 18TH
GETTYSBURG COMMISSION AND
 OFFER OF OATES.
Claim Made That the Alabamian Has Not Complied With Rules Regarding the Placing of
 Memorials on Battlefield.
Advertiser Bureau, Colorado Building,

Colorado Building. Washington, Jan. 26. Representative Thompson. as the result of inouiries made by him at the War Department respecting an answer to the resolution of the Legislature of Ala bama, asking why the petition of Gen. eral William c. Oates, to erect on the Gettysburg Battlefield a monument to Alabama Confederates, who lost their lives there, had been refused, to-day re- ceived the following from Secretary Root:
 Hon. Charles W. Thompson. House of
 Representatives:
 Dear Sir: Referring to Senate joint resolution of the State of Alabama con- corning the petition of General William c. Oates for permission to erect mon- ument to the 18th Alabama dead on the field of Gettysburg. and to your recent call to the department in regard to the matter, I beg to invite attention to the accompanying copy of the report or the Gettysburg National Park Commission on the subject, dated January s. 1908. and to say that the views therein set forth have this day received my ap- proval.
 Very respectfully
 Elihu Root, Secretary of War. Enclosure copy of report referred to.) War Department. Gettysburg National
 Park Commission.
 Gettysburg. Pa, Jan. s. 1904. To the Honorable Secretary of War.
 Sir: In reply to the resolutions receiv- ed, we have the honor to transmit the fol- lowing: '
 General Oates has never submitted to the commission request which desig- mated the location desired, but has, in correspondence, maintained that when he had authority to locate in the rear of the Union battle lines, he would select the exact position he desired. The rep resentatives of every Union regiment on the field of Gettysburg have complied with this essential part of the rules, and they have never made request not in accordance with the regulation adopted by the commission and approved by the Secretary of War.
 ?. He has not complied with the rule that the design and the desired inscrip- tions be forwarded to the commission with the specifications. Union soldiers have never failed to comply with this rule in every particular. Why should there be an exception made in the case of General Oates. General Oates has hCNCE 0uOuAlbtc0 d uCSiBi TUT Ino L1eIklSE- ial he proposes for examination and ap- proval. Every Union command on the field whether regimental. brigade, division or corps, since the creation of the Memorial Association in 1895, has doLe so with will lingness and, moreover, the designs have first had the approval of the regimental association and the State Commission, where one existed.
 The submission of the inscriptions which he desires to have placed on the monument for the inspection of the com mission and for the approval of the Sec retary of War is essential, if She truth of history is to be maintained. and the law complied with, that inscription be without praise and without censure '' The Union commands have, through their respective State commissions, done this but when General Oates was requested to forward the design, location and inscrip- tons, he replied that an officer who was commissioned brigadier general in the army during the Spanish-American wal might safely be trusted to write an in scrtption.
 We therefore suggest with all due re. spect to General Oates, that he first sub init a request for the. location of the monument, specifically designating the site desired upon a blue print or draw ing, a design of the monument, with specifications. and copy of the inscrip- tion desired to be placed thereon, as pre-. scribed by the rules approved by the Sec. retary of War, of which he has had copies
 The honorable Secretary of War trans mitted some months ago to Genera Oates a special invitation to visit Get tysburg and go over the ground with tho commission that at least an effort migh be made to reconcile the difference, bu General Oates, so far as the commission CTS are aware. has not availed himsel of this offer. Respectfully.
 John P. Nicholson, Chairman.
 William M. Robbins,
 Charles A. Richardson, Commissioners. R