The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-02

s.itI.s
Columbia, July 2S.-Gov. Blease is
In receipt of a report from Col Julius
". cosswell covering the recent en-
eampment Of the Sd regiment In Ak
en- and the incidents connected with
the departure OF the Barnwell, Bam-
berg ard Orangeburg companies from
camp after they were there only three
days Col. Cogswll reports that the
Georgetown and Horny companies
serssd without pay and paid for their
own transportation and subsistence
because they did not have the re-
quired minimum, and recommends
that all these companies be reimburs-
The report OF the colonel of the Sd
regiment will be interesting and Is
as follows:
Headquarters Third ). c. Infantry.
- Charleston. =. c.. July 25. 1913.
The Hon. Cole l.. Blease, Governor.
Columbia. s. C.--Dear Sir: owing to
the uncertainties as to whether there
would be an encampment and the very
short notice given the regiment to
prepare for II tonly four days. inciud-
Ing sunday coupled with the fact
that the members OF the regiment are
business men. who have to- arrange
their civil or bread-winning affairs in
advance In order to get of for their
voluntary and non-profit bearing du-
ties as militiamen, the 3d regiment
was forced by circumstances to go into
camp with depleted numbers.
The companies. which were short
In numbers. believed. and In my judg-
ment had good reasons for believing,
they would be furnished transporta-
ton and subsistence by the United
States government or by the state.
Soon after arrival In camp, however,
Lieut.. Boswell. ". &. A, representing
the government. and Brig Gen. w. w.
Moore. the Adjutant General. repre-
seniRg the state informed me there
would be no pay. transportation nor
subsistence for any company OF less
than the prescribed minimum number,
VIA - men and two officers. The
disbursing officer. Col. o. w. Dabb,
was not In camp at the time. but he
later agreed with the above SO far as
the United States government was
concerned.
II promptly called into conference
the company commanders OF the COM
panies concerned. viz. Companies T..
Barnwell; u. Georgetown; III. Conway;
i. Bamberg and l.. orangeburg. We
discussed fthe matter for two hours.
but could make no impression on
Lieut.. Boswell. who claimed that he
was present only In an advisory ca
pacity. nor on the Adjutant General.
Il did not have In camp all the or
ders issued by the Adjutant General,
but quoted as nearly as could from
memory General order No. 80, para
sraph 4, A. @. o. c. s., to the effect
that transportation and subsistence
would be provided out of the COM
pany's share OF the State appropria-
ton. but to no avail. The Adjutant
General stood firm and would not al
low subsistence. He denied that Gen.
eral Order No. 30'was issued by him.
All the men In the companies In
question were perfectly willing to
serve without pay. but II was "a ply
sfcal impossibility for them to serve
eight days without food. Company
L. Orangeburg. was. In my judgment,
particularly oppressed. During the
spring inspection Company l. came up
90 the standard required by the Uni
ted states government and was 80 re-
ported. Upon my requesting that they
be allowed subsistence and have same
taken out OF their State allowance the
Adjutant General (for the first time 4
believe) announced that Company l.
had not come up to the standard re-
enired by the state and that they
would not receive any part OF the
state appropriation. IL was this that
raade Capt. Claffy say ne thought he
mad better tHke his company home.
10 was impossible for me To hold them
IN camp without food, NO had TO con-
ssnt. most reluctantly. to allow them
GO return.
Company i. Bamberg. had no officer
present to represent them nor handle
them: they had To go home.
Company T.. Barnwell. first tried TO
remain. but later found that they
could not arrange to procure subsist-
ence for Themselves. No L had To- let
them go.