The Washington herald., 1907-01-13
WHOLE REGIMENT HAD TOPAY
How Grant Punished Soldiers Who
Wouldn't Betray Comrades.
OG.cers DishOnOrabIy Dismissed and
Value of stolen Suffers stores.

To Il group Of comrades Of the Columbia
Post OF the G.. A. r. the other evening
Capt Oscar Ludwig told an interesting
story OF the summary punishment meted
out ~ Gen. Grant 10 the entire regi-
mem of the Twentieth Illinois Infantry.
which was referred to as a proceed ent by
President Roosevelt in his recent com
municatiOn 70 Congress relative 10 his
action ia the affair at Brownsville, Tex,
where three companies Of negro troops
were summariiy dismissed from the sery-
lee for the act OF q Few in attacking
citizens, says the Chicago Record-HerdId.
Il was member Of the Twentieth Ills
Hois Infantry for more than four years. "
said Capt Ludwig. and was with the
regiment ut the time OF the vandalism
cited A suffers store at jackson, Tenn.
where eight regiments were assembled u
4 intercept the Confederates. was broken
into and supplies estimated 20 be worth
Sl.ei0 were taken.
1t Was known at the time that men OF
all. or nearly all, Of the eight regiments
/ bad participated in the raid fo~ eatahles
and liquid refreshment. The only trace
Of Tire suffers supply discovered how
ever. was part of a box OF cigars IN one
F of the tents Of the Twentieth Illinois.
An official Investigation failed "a
fasten the crime upon any OF the soldiers
/ individually. as 10 one would admil
/ knowledge Of the affair. The general
. feeling w2s that among so many il would
. be impossible TO ferret out tse wroa=-
doors. and nothing would be- done about
the matter. And then no one cared Il
Inform on his comrades
But Gen. Grant was determined TO pa
a stop 20 such disorder and 20 suppress.
any tendency TO laWless1ess among ths
troops. As none of the members would
come forward TO aid in securing "a sat
+ isfactCry explanation IS 20 the presence
% those few cigars in our quarters. tEs
catire regiment vas made to suffer.
The officer commanding the regiment
and the officer u the dry We're dishon0r
ably dismissed from the service for neg
.ecUnC 10 discctc+ the guilty parties, aut
the whole Twentieth Illinois. officers ant
men. were nned -ro rata according {,
Jay an amount sufficient 90 cover III,
$40 loss To the sut!e~. Ny share OF The
Gre was SIS The fines were dedUctc,
trom our pay.
"a C5od deal of Eocd-natured fun wa.
pOied ~ us 10y the ether soldiers for E1y
Ing paid such an eXCTbiJant profit on IN,
suffers soods-ihe goods were said q
have been worth only 500. and not = go
the amount OF the claim put IN by III,
sutler. and which was allowed. u wa,
the talk OF the camp that some or tht
ro7d things taken in the raid found thei
way 20 TIE officers quarters. 50 the boy
.of the Twentieth used TO answer III
'raillery Of those Of other regiments i
this way;
Who robbed the suffer-
'DO-'t know
VINO paid for it,
Twentieth Illinois
Who ate the stuff
Gen Grants staff
THE verdict Of tho court-lnartia
seemed uncalled Tor and unjust at tina
time. but all recognized that an eEampl
should Ue made in order % cheek IL
tendency TO ogtlawry. II seemed hard
though. that we should be the ones So
lected for that purpose. However. tEe-
was no bitterness. no disloyaltv anon
the men, IS Subsequent acts e tie rcSl
mcnt on the battlefield showed With
a month the regiment participated in on
OF the hlooGiest battles 90 the war, Brit
tons Lane. IN which we lost in killed ar
wounded one-fCurth OF our number"