The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-05-14
FULL REVIEW Of
STEWARDS
NOVEL POSITION
Army and Navy Journal
Recalls Similar Case of
Gen. Howard in 1874.
Said That Late Senator
Bryan Entered Protest
Against Stewards Being
Returned to Florida, but
This Is Not Substantiated.

The Army and Navy Journal says:
Senator Rayner, of Maryland, has
written a letter to President Roose-
welt asking that court of inquiry
be granted Col. w. F. Stewart L. S.
A, who last October, because of a.
legged defects of temper and dispOsi-
ton which were held to make him
wholly untitled to exercise command
was ordered to Fort Grant, AriZ., an
abandoned post, separated from the
department in which it is located Up
to this time the president has not
made known his intention as to the
senator's request, but it is believed
that it will be denied. In thai event
Mr.. Rayner is determined TO present
IN the senate d resolution ordering a
court of inquiry, and it is confidently
predicted that this resolution Will be
passed by both houses. Colonel
Stewart asked for a court of inquiry
last fall when he was ordered TO
Fort Grant but Il was refused him.
He went to Fort Grant and remained
there until a week ago he was Or
dered to Fort Franl9is barracks. at st.
Augustine, also an abandoned post.
Owing TO the desire of a part of the
Florida National Guard to continue to
occupy the commandments quarters,
which had been leased to them for a
term OF years, subject to revocation,
it was decided to order him back to
Fort Grant. I'm the meantime 'the
president, hearing that Senator Ray
ner had interested himself in the
case owing to the fact that Colonel
Stewards wife was a granddaughter
of William Pinckney Whyte, asked
Mr. Rayner to come to the White
I +.1l
The day that Colonel Stewart
reached St Augustine a telegram was
sent him to await further orders The
same day, a little later, another tel
egram was sent TO him to return 10
Fort Grant, which he did at once. Dur
ing the week the president has been
reading the reports and endorsements
connected with the case. The charges
are that the officer was tyrann:cal,
that he used abusive language to en-
listed men, that he had an ungovern-
able temper, and was unified to com
mand There is a report on his ad-
Ininistration while in command OF the
artillery district of Portland, Ne. IN
September, 1906, with endorsements
bv Gen. F. D. Grant. commanding the
Department of the East, and by Ma
ioy- General Wade. commanding the
Division of the Atlantic. the former
taking the view that Stewart was
untitled to command and should be
separated from military responsible
itv. The officer was then ordered
to Fort Barrancas. and while there
another report was made by the same
| inspecting officer who had made the
| first report This report was to the
effect that Colonel Stewart had been
| embroiled in difficulties with civilians
officers and men. A part of the
| trouble was a difference of opinion il
regard to the occupation of certain
| quarters in the post by J. E Turtle
| assistant civil engineer engaged or
| construction work at Fort Plckens
There was also question of the sale
! Of fuel from the government stores
to Turtle, which practice Stewart
who is a strict constructionist ON reg
usations, stopped.
The president, after reading these
reports and endorsements that were
made on an application by Colone
Stewart to be promoted to brigadier
| general, took the view that Z wa: