Richmond planet., 1907-01-05
DISMISSED SOLDIER
SHARED HARD TACK
WITH ROOSEVELT.
SERGEANT SAUNDERS
STORY.
Only -Four Men Missing
When He Called the Roll
at Brownsville.

Washington. December 21.-In-
teresting Information regarding the
Tweuty-hfth Infantry (colored) has
been complied at the War Depart
ment I'm response TO senate reso-
luton of inquiry It includes the
individual military record OF the I67
soldiers recently dismissed without
honor 10y direction OF the President.
and a brief history OF the 25th In
fantry.
These official records show that
prior TO the final discharge of these
soldiers the character of As of them
was rated as excellent" the char
acter of f3 was rated as very good. ."
and the character OF 81 was rated
as good That accounts for i2S
of the dismissed soldiers. The re-
naming thirty inc members of tho
battalion were in their first enlist
ment and their record is not stated.
Probably the most interesting char
acter of the dismissed battalion is
First Sergeant Mingo s. Sanders of
Company ID. who is one OF the few
who have applied for re-enlistment,
on the score that their past military
service has been honest and faithful
In his affidavit regarding the mid
night raid at Brownsville. August
/ 3th last. Sanders tolls the main -
vents OF his life. AMI his entire
knowledge OF what occurred at
Brownsville in the following quaint
but honest way:
"Hc deposes and says that he is
so years old: that ne has served
for a period OF twenty-five years, six
months and seven days. being
non-commissioned officer for a pc
f,fa of
geant for a period of six years: that
he has served in Cuba and the Phil
ippines, three months in Cuba, and
was continually on the firing line;
that upon the 25th day of June. a.
bout nine or ten miles from Siboney
in Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt came
TO him and at his special request
his company shared their supply OF
hard-tack with his command. that
i'm the Philippine campaign ne charg.
ed up Comanche mountain as first
sergeant, North Luzon. on January
., 1900.
THAT on January 21. 1901. he
captured Corporal /. Mauser and W.
Remington. near Cabangan, that on
March i4th he captured fourteen
rifles, one saber, near wilkins camp.
"Amant dOeth further say that he
was garrisoned at Fort Brown, Tex,
on the 18th day of August. 1906.
and a member OF Company b., 25th
United States Infantry. That on
August 18th, 1906 near four O'Clock.
Lieut.. George c. Lawson, company
commander. said TO him: Sergeant.
are there any men in town on pass?'
To which he replied. "No sir, no
men on pass Lieut.. Lawson said.
Send me two responsible men. AZ
fiant Obeyed said order and sent
Sergt. Walter McCurcy and Corporal
WaddingtOn. Said officer Lawson
told the men TO so all over the town
and If they saw any of Company BIS
men 20 tell them 20 report at quar-
ters at once. Said officer asked af-
fiant TO publish on retreat that no
man of the company would be al
lowed in town after o'clock.
"Afiant further says that on the
evening of the 18Th of August. 1906
he retired 10 his quarters. about 500
yards east of Company BIS quarters
that he was aroused about - 80 by
his wife. and that he heard firing.
which. from his long army eXper-
ience. he knew that there were mix
ed arms being fired. Tie at once
rushed TO his company s quarters,
gave the order 20 fail in, and pro-
ceeded TO cali the roll The time
when ne was first aroused and the
calling of the roll consumed about
ten minutes. That on roll call only
four men were absent out OF fifty
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