The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-22
FOR GENERAL CLARK
STATEMENT AS TO BATTERY SA-
 LUTEs AT WASHINGTON PARK.
Captain Roswald Says He sent De- tachment When Told That Gen- erald Clark Would Re
 Present.

-e
 Captain Sam Roswald. commanding Battery B, stated yesterday in answer to allegations made about the firing Of the artillery saiutes at the negro camp at Washington Park, that whatever saiutes were fired were fired in honor of General Louis V. Clark. who. Cap tain Roswald was told, would ofnciaiy visit the negro camp.
 The order to fire the salute was siV- en by him to the firing detachment ana he sees no reason why he should ex- plain or apologize for what he did Tn the matter Artificer George H. Todd, who was in charge of the firing of the squad. also comes forward with salty reply to the men of the battery wno had made invidious criticism of the firing of the salutes. MT. Todd points out that he had written order from Captain Roswald directing him to hre the salutes, not in honor of the Capi- tai City Guards, but in honor or Gem eral Louis V. Clark.
 It was intimated by memers of the battery yesterday that company poii- tics were behind the sudden outcry. The intimation was to the effect that n small minority of the company fa- yored selecting some unknown outsid- CT as a successor to Captain Roswald whenever there should be a vacancy. The name of this anonymous candidate, if there is such an one, was not, how ever, mentioned by any member of the battery.
 First Sergeant Bob Martin yesterday asked for and received a discharge from the battery. Sergeant Martin, 1t is understood, was one of the members of the command who opposed the firing of the salutes.
 In discussing the affffair yesterday Captain Roswald said
 lon the day in question I was in formed by Mcqueen, Captain of the Capital City Guards. that General Clark would visit the camp at Wash ington Park To tell me this he called me up over the phone. He requested me to let a detail fire the salutes in paying the customary honors and cour- tesy to the Brigadier General.
 T saw no reason why the usual mil- itarv courtesy should not be paid Gen. eral Clark at Washington Park as well as at Electric Park or Pickett Springs. The compliment of the salute was paid to General Clark, in all instances. not to the place nor to the troops in camp. As long as I am in command of the battery the military courtesies due the higher military officers of the National Guard will be paid in Montgomery, If 1t is possible for me to get a gun and a detail of men where the officers are.
 Ut came about that General Clark did not visit the Washington Park camp At the time the order was given I was of the belief that he would be there. The men who fired the sa- lutes had no objection to the errand on which they went. If they had object ed or complained I dare say I would have selected other men from the pat tery for the duty. They were quite willing to fire the salute in honor ot General Clark and gave the order that the Brigadier Generals salute oE eleven guns should be fired.
 50 far as I have been able to as- certain whatever criticism of the affair comes from a very few members of the battery not more than six. If these men who have talked so much feel humiliated there is a way they may rid themselves of the humiliation. l will not stand in the way of any man in the battery getting an honorable discharge. We have quite number or blanks and 1t is but little trouble to make them out" In addition to the warm statement issued by Artificer George Todd. the other officers of the firing squad as- sert that the salutes were fired in hon. or of General Clark and that they were fired in accordance W1In OTueTS pEOp- erly issued and properly received and for obeying orders they have no apol- ogies to make
 The statement of Artificer Todd Is as follows: ,-t Editor The Advertiser;
 In reply to the query in Mondays paper I wish to say that the order was issued to me to take detachment and fire the salute, that these so- called artillery men are sore about The truth of the matter, is that they were not asked to go with the detach- ment and for that reason they are sore and want to use the method they adopted as an excuse.
 The order was issued and the duty was performed and the commands Of my superior officer had been obeyed If I have committed any breech oi military law or courtesy l am only to glad to make amends, only to my superior officer and not to those who are making the kick. These members who are kicking are men who have not attended drill in several months and many of them are delinquent in their dues and would not have vote or voice in the meeting of Battery l B." if a question should arise in the above mentioned affair. They stay away from drills and meetings and let a few of the faithful members dc the work of the Battery. Then if g ta hankaiidnPl