The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-07-07
WHITES and BLACKS
NOT TO MINGLE
Blue Print Created Impression
That Two Races Would Mingle
at Recommendations Gen.
eral Gets Reassuring Expla-
nation From Washington.
RICHMOND, VA.-Special.-

y RIG H MOND, VA.-Sp ecial.-
1t now tianspires that there has
been a useless furry about the Vir-
ginia troops being associated with ne
gro militiamen at the Gettysburg en-
tcampment.
The Old Dominion boys are to have
no such camp mates and their sole
companions at the maneuvers will be
white soldiers from Maryland.
The mistaken idea, which for the
time caused much irritation and loud
=, protests, arose from a misconception
OF a big map sent to the Adjutant
Generals office yesterday afternoon.
This map-a blue print at least one
yard sQuare-showed the positions to
be occupied by the various regiments.
1t put the Fourth Virginia Regiment
In Juxtap position with the Thirteenth
/ Pennsylvania and the First Separate
Battalion of the District of Columbia
Then along came a bright young
reporter who jumped skyward almost
a foot when he saw the printed name
of the District of Columbia organiza-
ton.
Why they are negroes" he ex-
claimed.
And he was right. Inquiry ELECTED
the fact that the Separate Battalion
actually was composed of black men
AS soon as the seeming significance
or the situation dawned on those i'm
the office of the Adjutant General.
much astonishment was expressed.
and it was admitted on all sides that
such a mixing Of the races would Ger
tainly cause trouble.
Ad1utant General Sale was not on
hand at the time, but bright and early
this morning he got busy with the
matter.
The first thing he did was to tele-
phone Secretary of War Dickinson.
an eX-Confederate soldier, for he felt
sure that his protests would be APP
preciated by that official.
The secretary was quick to reply
that his department had no idea of
putting whites and blacks together at
the camp. He explained that the col
ored soldiers were not TO go to Gettys-
burg until after the whites had left.
This clarified the situation immensely
AS a matter of fact the Gettysburg
thirty days but all of the military will
not be there at once. The month will
be divided up into three terms of ten
Gays each. The Nirginians get the
hrSt term. After they leave camp
other organizations will take their
places.
The map which caused the trouble
made no mention of the fact that ali
the men would not be on hand at once
and hence the mistake.
There's no telling what might have
happened had things been as it was
at nrst thought they would be Ad-
Jutant General Sale was much worried
about the matter before the tangle
was straightened out. Judging from
what he then said, he would have
moved heaven and earth TO prevent a
mlngling of the races in camp.
IN this connection, he remarked
that a similar situation arose many
years ago, and singularly enough il
concerned negro troops from Vir-
ginia.
At that time the State had a bat
talon of colored troops. These black
men went off to a national encamp-
Dominion.
Now the white troops, who were ac-
quainted with many of the negro
militiamen and recognized them as
worthy men, raised no objections at
all, for they knew how to get along
with Virginia negroes.
But when the blacks arrived in
camp storm was raised by soldiers
from other States.
The situation became so commit
Gated that IL was finally adjusted bv
putting the colored organization near
the Virginia troops, who acted as a
sort of chaperon for them and pre-
vented clashes.
This incident demonstrates the fact
that southern people know how TO
get along with their own darlxies, but
nate other folks negroes like poison.
General Vaughan Denies IL.
NORFOLK, VA, June 2S.-Accord-
ing to statement issued TODAY nv
General Vaughan, commanding the
Virginia Brigade, no Virginia troops
are to be brigaded with negro troops
at the gettysburg maneuVers. Cen.
eral Vaughan said that the only Ma
tonal Guard troops to be at Gettvs-
burg with the Virginia troops are The
First and Fifth Maryland Regiments.
The District OF Columbia troops. in
cIudinS n separate negro battalion
from Washington, which, it was stated
would he brNEaded with the Fourth
Virginia Reejment, will not he at Get
tysburg until July 21st to 31st.
Ad1utant General Sale today said
that he had talked with the Secretary.
of War over the long distance tela-
phone and thar the secretary had de-
MED that there was any truth in the