The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-06-09
COL. JOHNSON
TAKES LEAVE
tFrom saturday.s Adve. .lser.l

lin the military headquarters in the
Bungalow.
The resignation was addressed to the
| Adjutant General of the National
Guard, Col. ]. w. Jones. who was not
present at the meeting. Colonel Johnson
| spoke to his officers. saying: Perhaps
tyou all are aware that intend leav-
Inf this Island for an Indefinite period
and cor this reason I have rendered
my resignation as Colonel Of the First
Regiment Of the National Guard OF
Hawaii. AS the Adjutant General is
not present, will request the Acting
Governor to read my resignation" Mr..
Mott-Smith hereupon read the resig-
nation which is as follows:
National Guard of Hawaii Headquar-
| ters, First Infantry.
| Honolulu. June 5th. 1908.
Colonel J. W. Jones, Adjutant General.
Chief of Staff.
! Sir: As 1 am about to leave the city
| for an indefinite time, and will there
| by be unable to attend to my duties.
herewith respectfully tender my
resignation as Colonel Commanding
First Infantry, n. G. H.. and would re-
spectfulIs- ask to be placed upon the
retired list.
Very respectfully.
SAMUEL JOHNSON.
Col. Comm'g lst Inf. n. G. II.
Addressing the retiring Colonel. the
Acting Governor said in part:
''Col. Johnson, in your long service.
extending even to the beginning of the
National Guard in this Territory. 1 be-
lieve that the people of these Islands
have fully appreciated the services
which you have rendered. 1t is very
much to be regretted that you have
been forced. by leaving this island, to
relinquish your active command in the
organization. and we all hope that you
may later on return to Oahu and once
more take up your work.
Your work in the First Regiment
can be we'll described by one word,
efficiency. 1t is very safe to say that
no one man in the National Guard has
done so much to bring the efficiency
of the regiment to it's present standing
as yourself"
The Acting Governor then invited
the officers present to speak and Lieut..
Col. Coyne responded in 4 short ana
we'll worded eulogium of the retiring
officer. And wishing him all kinds of
success in his new undertaking.
Captain A. W. Neely of Co. F, who
was with the Colonel as a private in
the Republican Army was the next
speaker. He said:
Colonel Johnson. this is not pleas
ant occasion, in fact 1 see no smiles;
personally would much prefer to say
goodby in the good old way; but as
1 am here l want to say this: What
ever pain 1 feel in parting with you is
more than offset in the knowledge that
you are launching out for yourself in
to what promises to be a successful
and important industry. and further
comfort may be had in knowing, as
we all know, that you are leaving your
military and civil affairs in a most
healthy condition.
1T has been my good fortune to be
intimately acquainted with Colonel
Johnson for the past fourteen years
and during all that time 1 can safely
say that 1 have never met a more
honorable. patriotic and energetic man.
In fact, his energy has at times deep
ly impressed me, (until 1 learned to
defend MYSELF.
Gentlemen. the regiment is losing
a most valuable head and may we be
fortunate in the choice of his sue
cessor.
Col. Johnson, I bid you goodby Of
ficially and wish you and yours the
best of success that you so richly de-
serve"
Lieutenant Colonel Ziegler spoke as
follows:
The great secret of Colonel John |
sons success in the regiment is due /
to his ambition. He was always am
bilious; when he was a private he |
worked to be corporal, when ne was /
a corporal he wanted to be a sergeant; /
and SO he went on working for a |
higher Office until he finally became |
the head, the colonel of the regiment
1 remember well when Colonel John
son was private in the regulars. he
came to me for his first examination.
that was for the position of corporal
and he passed the same at 100 per cent.
l afterwards made him drill master in
my company. and when Colonel John
son got through with the recruits you
may be sure that they were in good
shape
81 trust that the other officers Of
the regiment will take the lesson
taught by Colonel Johnson of being
ambitious. Because an officer is not
worth anything if he is not ambitious,
he should be always working for ad-
Captain ]. B. German of Co. B was
the last of the officers to speak. He
said:
Perhaps there is no one present here
who knows Colonel Johnson as long as
1 do. I have known him for the last
fourteen years. We were privates to-
gether in the old regulars under the
Republic OF Hawaii. Colonel Johnson
has been a mighty hard worker for
this regiment He was a private, then |
became a corporal. sergeant, = second /
lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain, |
lieutenant-colonel and then finally coll
onel Of the regiment. The only position /
he skipped was that of major
Il am sorry to see Colonel Johnson |
leave US, and 1 wish him every sue |
cess in his new undertaking. and, in |
fact. anything he attempts to under /
take. While we regret the loss Of Col |
onel Johnson. we will do our best to |
work for the best interests Of the regi- |