The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-11-30
GARLINGTON'S REPORT
STRONGLY ENDORSED
GEN. NETTLETON, ANTI-SLAV-
ERY TALKS, -,
Veteran of Union Army Finds Negro
Soldiers Guilty Of Conspiracy
Citizens Treated Unjust !.
ly in Public Report.

NV" ho'AilS1 LIN. NOV. ZO.--DctuuSo
or the apparent misunderstanding in
portions Of the country of facts which
called forth the order discharging the
three companies Of colored troops re-
Gently stationed here, and in view of
the resultant cristicism of the presi-
dents course in the matter, the citi-
zen's committee of Brownsville. re-
Gently requested Gen. A. B. Nettleton
Of Chicago, former assistant secretary
of the treasury, now here on business,
to make in his own way thorough
and disintcrested investigation Of the
brownsville riot of Aug. 13, and re-
port his conclusions.
Gen. Nettleton has embodied his
finding in n letter to the secretary of
war. He says in part: .
GAS a citizen of Illinois, as an an
ti-slavery advocate when that phrase
had Il meaning, and as veteran who
served in the Union army throughout
the Civil war, shall at least not be
suspected of prejudice against men of
color.
Upholds the Army Officers.
"Without rehearsing details, T
wish to assure you that this absolute
ly unprejudiced investigation, made
after local excitement had subsidized,
confirms in every particular the con-
clusions reached by the two army
officers sent here by the war de-
partment, on the strength of which
the president took his action, as we'll,
as the clear and temperate statement
published immeditely after the tragc-
dy by Chairman Kelly of the Browns
vile citizens committee"
After summarizing facts hitherto
published as to killing of one citizen,
the manning of a chief of police, the
firing Of vollcys into ard through
hotels, saloons and many private resi-
dcnccs and of tcrrorizing of the en-
tire town, Gen. Nettlcton s letter con-
tinucs:
"It is well attcsted by evidence
that the colorcd troops were treated
here with the same concern that col
orcd soldiers of like bearing are
treated in most garrison towns Of the
Northern States. That, on the other
hand, the street conduct of some Of
them was often aggressively and
causelessly insolent toward white men
and women; that there was no provo
cation for the murderous raid by the
soldiers, unless it can be called pro-
vocation that the drinkers among
them were provided with separate
bars in certain saloons and that on
two occasions individual insolence
was resented by individual citizens,
both Of which happened to have been
Republican federal officials.
Most Cowardly Conspiracy.
"There was no riot and no street
row. as many newspapers persist in
calling the occurrence. It was simply
most cowardly conspiracy to terrify,
wound and kill unoffending men, wo-
men and children at the hour Of mid
night, when defense or resistance was
impracticablc and was not even at
tempted. Evidently not an opposing
shot was fired.'
Gen. Nettlcton's letter sharply
raises the question as to what the
white officers Of the garrison were
doing on the night Of the raid and
closes thus:
"In view of the facts as I find
them here, the persistent attempt on
the part Of some to make martyrs OF
any portion of the discharged men
would be appalling, if it were not
grotesque. The conspiracy Of silence
on the part Of all members Of the bat
talon prevents the government from
furnishing the previous conspiracy Of
violence and murder, and the separa-
ton Of all alike from the service
which they have disgraced becomes
inevitable. T believe no course other
than the one which the president has
pursued, was, or is open to him, un-
less all semblance Of decent discip-
line in our army is to be ended and
unless every American community,
North and South alike, is to be given