Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-08-14
COLONEL PIERCE
FIRES HOT SHOT
Preston County Journal Calls
Asiutant Common Snob.
SAYS BURLEW DESIRED
PIERCE OUT FOR MONTHS

The Battle Of Words Is On, and Things
are Getting Warm-ArticIe Says
Buriew is incompetent and Extrav.
aaant, and II is a Great 6iunder for
the Governor TO Allow Him TO Hold
His Position.
The Preston County Journal this
week publishes editorially what may
be regarded as an official statement
from Col. C. G. Pierce In regard to the
matter OF the request for his resigna-
ton. He says concerning the adju.
tant general good many things that
a good many people have long sus.
pected The Journal SAYS:
For some time the state papers have
been reporting the conduct or Adju-
tant General Burlew toward Assistant
Adjutant General G. G. Pierce. More
than two weeks ago Ad.utant General
Burlew under a mere pretext wrote
Assistant Adjutant General Pierce a
letter asking Pierce to tender his
resignation to take effect August |.
Before the letter was mailed from the
adjutant generals Office in Charleston
General Burlew hurried to news
paper reporter and gave the news and
1t was printed In the state papers at
least three days before Col Pierce
received the letter from General
Burlew.
The pretext of General burlew for
demanding Col Pierces resignation
was because Col Smith of the First
regiment had requested that Col
Henshaw who was adintant Of the
First regiment be placed on the sup
ernumerary list and that Col Os.
borne be made adiutant OF the First
regiment. Col Pierce who was as
sistant general aud the only one in
the adjutant generals office who could
write proper order. drafted the or
der as per orders from Col Smith,
There Is no reason why this should
have caused Adiutant Burlew any
heart pains or trouble. as the order
was not effective and as long as he
did not sign same here need not be
any danger OF change. General Bur
lew. who Is nothing more than COM
mon SNOB has wanted for months TO
dispose of Col. Pierce.
In Col Pierce the adiutant generals
office had real check and BuTlew
knew that so long as he stayed there
would be no Hutson business prepe-
| trated upon the state Col. Pierce has
saved the state about ten thousand
dollars in his management of the Of
| flee and has kept the expenses of the
state guards within the appropria-
lions of the state legislature. This
was an unheard OF experience in that
office until Col Pierce was appointed.
Col. Pierce Is active, competent and
energetic In his official duties, while,
on the other hand, General Bnrlew Is
| inactive, engaged in business OF his
own worth many thousands of dol
| lars, and Is INCOMPETENT and ex-
travagant He has no military train-
! ing and IL Is a monumental blunder
, of the governors to allow such a
man to occupy the Office OF adiutant
general at the states expense. 1t
would be more economical to burn
that much OF the states finance than
to allow Burlew to draw IT, He can
do nothing for the Office or for the
National Guard and to prove our as
sertion, would say, Burlew had to call
Col Harry Eaton, a regular army Of.
ficer, to the Office to run ii as soon as
he no longer had the services OF Col
Pierce. This Is an imposition on the
state OF West Virginia, to have a man
at the head OF department who is
In no way competent. It 10 a slap at
every competent man In the state.
We understand that ne was named
for adiutant general because he had
been musician in New York com
pany, at the close OF the civil war. for
three months and never saw a rebel
during his service.
This, again, Ii another blot upon
the fair name of the real soldiers OF
the civil war, who enlisted from the
state and fought at Bull Run, Antie-
tam and Gettysburg ard bear the
marks OF rebel bullets and hard toll
and who were present at Appomattox.
When he published his request for
Col. Pierce's resignation he violated
the rules and laws governing a mill
tary officer, and Is guilty OF conduct
unbecoming an officer, and should be
court martiaied and dismissed from
the exalted position which he Occur
pies. His further services In this line
will be nauseating to the whole state.
Col. Pierce has not resigned and
will not resign. nor can General Bur-
lew remove him unless he prefers
charges against him and has him
tried by military court. No high
handed methods from our egotistical
adjutant general will remove Pierce
from the office.