Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-20
WANT HIS RY
KEPT STRAIGHT
Veterans Demand That Regi-
mental History Be Correctly
Written on Monuments
cuMMINs MAKING THEIR FIGHT
National Commissions Version Of tho
Fighting Does Not Give Iowa Sold
iers Proper Credit for the Part They
Performed in the Battle Of Shiloh
Ames Graduates Successful
'pecial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 20.-The question
whether the Iowa monuments on the
Shiloh battlefield will be dedicated with
two of the eleven regiments absent and
refusing point blank to take part, or
that ali of the regimental monuments
shall contain correct statements Of the
part played in the battle by Iowa SOL
diers. will soon be determined, or DIT
least another stage in the determine
ton will be reached. The Iowa CON-
mission refused to acquiesce in the pro-
posed history of the Fifteenth and Six
teenth Iowa regiments, as. it had been
prepared for the national commission.
Tae national commission refused to az
cept the Iowa version OF the battle as
it related to these regiments. The dead
lock has been hanging fire for two years
or more. The last step was when Gov
ernor A. B. Cummins, responding to
the request Of the members of the Iowa
commission. went before the national
commission at Pittsburg Landing ana
there went over the whole story of the
battle in detail. presenting an exhaus-
tive argument in support of the iowa
contention and showing conclusively, so
far 1t could be to unbiased persons,
that the two Iowa regiments named
did really take part In the fighting on
the first day when they lost several
hundred men. It is now learned thru
Colonel Cadle, chairman OF the Shiloh
commission, that that body met at
Nashville short time ago and reached
a. conclusion as to the contention Of
Governor Cummins and forwarded the
decision to the secretary OF war. 1t
will be announced soon. No clue has
been given as to whether or not the
commission has reversed itself.
Unless the commission does reverse
itself the Shiloh monuments will be
dedicated some time in the fall but
not man of the Fifteenth or Six
teenth will be present and nothing will
be done by the Iowa commission to in
dicate that the Inscriptions are ac-
cepted.
Already Governor Curnmins has
asked Of the secretary of war that, in
case the national commission decides
against the Iowa regiments, he be al
lowed to go before the secretary and
plead with him not to approve the ad-
verse decision. OF he gets a deaf ear
there he will go directly to President
Roosevelt and it is understood to be the
wish of the president, who has already
had the matter presented to him in
formally, that he be allowed to act nm
ally upon 1t. Should all else fail, there
is no doubt that the Iowa legislature
would memorable congress and that
the Iowa delegation would act as one
man to secure special bill giving on
these monuments the true history Of
their action in battle despite the erron-
eous official records at Washington.
80
In perhaps nothing else that has
come up since he was inaugurated has
Governor Cummins become so deeply
interested as this controversy between
General Ainsworth, who essays to fur
nish the histories for all regiments
where monuments are erected, and the
survivors of two Iowa regiments. 1t
Cummins that the secretary Of war re-
opened the case and directed the COM
mission to listen to arguments. The
governor went to Shiloh at his own ex-
pense and after preparing the case as
careful lawyer, and he presented evi-
dence to support his contention. part
of which evidence consisted OF the at
fidavits of sixty two Iowa survivors of
these regiments, every one Of them de-
claring that the regiments got into
the fight about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing instead of after noon. The gov
ernor presented an argument which
took him six hours of straight talking.
He has become so thoroughly convlnc-
ed that the Iowa soldiers are absolutely
right that he will never rest until he
has made the inscriptions read In ac-
cordance with what is recognized IN
Iowa as history. In this work he has
made many friends among the soldiers
of the state.
81 have just received from President
Storms" said Richard c. Barrett, this
morning, "a little folder giving the re-
ouirements for admission and gradua-
ton at the State College of Agriculture
and Mechanic Arts. 1t abounds in
pleasing information and among other
things concisely enumerates some OF
the more prominent graduates of the
college in the engineering and agricul-
tural courses The folder shows that
they are filing important and lucra-
tive positions in nearly every state and
in several foreign countries. My OBJ
servation leads me to think a list of
the graduates equally as prominent in
the teaching profession could be pre-
pared. Among those that l now re-
call are Professors Stanton. Curtis.
Cessna. Stalker, Pattengill, all of the
present faculty of the college; Super
intendent D. A. Thornburg, Of the
Grinnen city schools; George /. Mil
Ter, former superintendent at Boone;
Superintendent w. II. Genmill, OF Dali
las Center; II. E. Crosby. former sup