The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-01

chuca, Arizona, to take the test.
Army surgeons examined him and
declared him physically incompe-
tent, and he was sent back. Now
he is in Washington to appear be-
fore the army retiring board. From
reports received from The Daily
Press representative, who was sent
to Fort Huachuca to witness the
test, it is made clear by competent
witnesses that this latest move is
the final effort of the war depart
ment to break the valiant old sol
dier's sword and cast him dishon-
ored from the service)
To the Editor of The Daily
Press: | recently attended a red
hot national encampment of the
United Spanish War Veterans, last
ing four days, and l want to give
you some fresh and some old i'm
pressions of Col. w. F. Stewart, U.
S. A, the exile of Fort Grant. | do
so the more readily since his name
has been on every tongue here all
the week. Boston is an important
artillery district, pretty well gar
risoned, and I've seen and talked
with ever so many officers sta
toned in this neighborhood. Gen
eral Miles said: "Stewart'S is but
a typical case of many. When
Simon says Thumbs up, they go
up. Stewart happened to be about
when Simon said Thumbs down. "
What the general meant to con-
vey, but was restrained by the regu-
lations from saying-for an officer
on the retired list is as amenable
to discipline, or revenge, if you
want the truth, as one on the active
liSt-was his unSpeakable disgust
with the back stairs government of
the war department, the PRESIDENT
military kitchen cabinet. And there
wasn't an officer | saw but shared
his intense indignation.
| have served this government as
an enlisted man and an officer
many years, and from the records
on file it appears my superiors
thought pretty well of me always,
|, my self, have ever prided myself
upon that quality of loyalty that
seeks to execute promptly and
cheerfully the orders issued, and
have looked with scant sympathy
upon the quibblers and army law
yers, the fault finders and grum
blers. But with what | know, both
of my own knowledge and from in
telligence received from others,
men old in the service, l tell you
that President Roosevelt has thor
oughly disorganiZed the army, in it's
spirit and in the essentials that go
to make up united body of loyal
men, almost beyond belief.
My personal recollections Of
Colonel Stewart carry me back to
the time of my early service at the
same post with Stewart. | was a
noncommissioned officer of expert
ence, while he was Johnny come
lately"-a green hand, appointed a
second lieutenant from civil life.
That gave offense in two directions
to the West Pointers of three
years service at the military acad
envy, whom he would rank when
they were ready for graduation, and
to the young veterans of the civil
war, many of whom, colonies and
majors, would have been glad to be
to the regular service as
second lieutenants, Stewart had
few friends when he joined, and
from what have ascertained was
never popular in the sense of hail
fellow well met. But it was not
until 10 years later that | really
knew anything of him, after he had
earned the first silver bars in his
shoulder strap. He marked time
just 20 years in that grade-a tes-
timony to the merits of regimental
promotion.
Well. that was during the cam
paigns following the fateful Custer
year. The red brother was on the
warpath, right across the northern
border, in the far west, and in the
southwest. Our handful of soldiers
had a pretty hard time of it, keep
ing up a running fight and protect
ing the white settlements as well.
They were obliged to call in the ar
tillery from the coast garrisons and
use them as infantry. That's where
Stewart showed his mettle.
The men who remember the
fights along the Clearwater In
Idaho, spread out over week
surely remember the privations OF
that campaign, Stewart commanded
his battery and with something like
GO men stood off a horde of red
skins 20 or so times his number
At was the greatest fight of its kline
since Sandy Forsyth's at the Arrick
aree fork Of the Republican river