The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-15
RECORDS CLEARED
AFTER MANY YEARS
Escutcheons of Two War Vet
Grams Made White Again
by House.


ons were cleared Of stains in the House
of Representatives yesterday. when the
military records Of two civil war We.
Grams were pursed Of charges which
Looked ugly enough on paper. but
which eeem to have little foundation
after the two great armies have been
at peace for half century and the
mistakes Of those early days have be-
gun to he reciinod The records OF
John Trencisen and John J. TroNeii
were displayed on the floor Of the
House. ana after considerable discus
sion. were made pure white again.
John Trene!sen was captain Of c
Company hfty-sixth Pennsylvania Vol
unteers He raised the company him
self He and his men saw nght.ug
Ireffeisen IS NOW more than eighty
years old, near the end Of the journey.
as he expressed IL iu a letter read be-
foro the House Yesterday. He was dis
honorably discharged because OF de-
sortion in the face of tho enemy. after
the retreat from Culpepor Now. after
half century, his claim that he fell III
and was being treated In hospital
has been received with favor
Early n the spring OF 1852 hts reet-
meut was order TO Washington. and
from there became part of Gen. Me
DowelIs corps Kings division. Double
days brigade. ANA later became part
OF Gen Pope command In the re-
treat from Culpeper the regiment had
It's hil of lighting, and when Capt.
TreMcisen arrived near Washington
lis clothes and all belongings had bean
seized by the enemy and burned. Tho
men had been eating anything they
could lay their hands on. and subsa
quantly the habit OF jumping fence
and snatching an ear Of corn. eating II
green withou; cooking. laid the cap
tain low and caused his dlshonorabie
discharge
THE regiment was ten miles from
Washington when Cant Tgcffcisen ask
,i for leave to 20 10 the capital and
hug a few ncccssaries The colonel OF
his regiment had been wounded. and
Lieut. COL Norman was ia command
This officer promised Trenesen q horse
SO that he could set back In time. the
pass ont of the lines expiring taat
neht The pass had to he counter
signed bv the brigade commander and
IL took Trefcisen several hours 10 ma
him Also the promised horse did not
make its appearance. and Treneisen
mad 10 walk the ten miles.
We made his purchases. felt weak.
went to the Old Prescott Hotel ana
went TO bed. His pass had expired. ana
). WAS too sick TO care \ doctor from
some hospital visited him In TIC morn
Ing ana ordered him to remain In bed
ana furnished him with a certificate OF
lis illness Three DAYS later when
Captain Treneisen reported TO licuten-
ant Colonel Hoffman. the latter ac-
cordins TO the record produced in the
House Yesterday, refused TO look at IT
ana told tho young officer lie was
I.
leave other complications We're added
because Treneisen like scores or other
Volunteer officers at that time knew
little OF military etiquette and dsci-
plire and failed TO make some sort of
y written report or reply. When he
faced the court-martial he was SO sur.
yrised he made little or no defense,
ana the court ordered him discharged
from the company he had recruited
THIS wrong was righted yesterday
without q dissenting vote.
Army mules stuck in tho mud OF Elk
River, Tenn were the primal causes
Of the black stain upon the record OF
Lieutenant John j. TroXell. T.fty-sec-
ond Regiment. Ohio Volunteers Trox-
eli was acting quartermaster on or
about September l. 1863, and as such
was IN charge OF wagon trains In
crossing the river near Elkton. Tenn.
some Of the mules lost their sense Of
loyalty to the stars and stripes. and.
refusing to bulge. became hopclessly
stalled. The road was narrow ANA the
mules blScked The progress Of the en-
lust at the moment when mon, on
GERS and mules were In q frenzy OF
lashing kicking. cursing and swearing.
Up rode General Dan McCook of the
clan OF Fighting NlcCooks." lie took
look at the situation ana mixed into
It himself with considerable heat. He
and Lieutenant TroXcu became en-
hrolled IN a violent alteration. while
the mules looked on. General McCook
jumped into Troxen and called him a
large variety OF names, which had their
effect on the mules. for q few minutes
later the army was IN motion rroxell
had nothing 10 do with the mules
hard headedness. but evidently General
McCook bore him a gruGgo, for few
days later he sent for TroXen and be-
gan giving him more OF the same
treatment. Lieutenant TroNeil. SAYS
ths record produced In the House pro-
tested and said be wuold be forced to
tend in his resignation 10 preserve his
felf-respect.
The record shows that General Me-
Cook ordered tho lieutenant 10 hand 1t
IN az once which was done. and TroNel
left the regiment He had no written
discharge. and IN attempting TO pass
beyond the lines was stopped by a
Union officer aud sent Back TO McCooll
Who 30 iis anger abused Truxell again
end said he'd see who was the supe-
nor oiiter Troxcl eventually was
passed through tie lines
All Of this tinio THE reslgnatfnn which
ne handed into General McCook had
not been accepted ana ueyeG was ac-
oep;ed. VroNcl assumed tl1t il had
been accepted ANA never knew tile dif-