The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-07-25

off the encampment at Anderson and
Camp Willie Jones.
There is no need for the continua-
ton of this unpleasantness and it
must stop one way or the other. This
is all there is to it."
In a letter to Lindley NJ. Garrison,
secretary of war, Governor Blease re-
quests that the three companies, at
tending the Aiken encampment who
were refused federal aid because of
failure to come up to the required
number of enlisted men be given
transportation to Camp Willie Jones
and subsistence while there. The
governor holds that the men were en-
titled to this at the Aiken encamp-
ment, though he does not contend
that hey should haUve received pay
while in camp.
The correspondence referred to in
the communication consists of letters
from and to Captain Claffy of the
Orangeburg company, which was
printed in yesterdays Record.
The letter from the governor to
Secretary Garrison follows:
July %, 1913.
Hon. L. NJ. Garrison, Secretary of
War, Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir: 1 enclose you CORE
spondence which is self explanatory.
The three companies, to wit; Com
pany I, Third regiment, N. G. S. c.,
headquarters at Bamberg, S. c.;
Company L, Third regiment, N. G.
S. c., headquarters at Orangeburg,
S. c., and Company E, Third regi-
ment, N. G. S. c., headquarters at
Barnwell, S. c., without any authority
from me, or without any communl-
cation whatever with me, were or
dered to return from the encamp-
,nent at Aiken, S. G., and were thus
deprived of what 1 think were their
rights. Of course it is now too late
to remedy that, so far as the Aiken
encampnl is concerned.
But, l write to request that you al
low these three companies to go into
camp with the Second regiment, n. G.
S. c., which will encamp at Camp
Willie Jones, near this city, from July
29th, to August 5th, inclusive. 1t is
about fifty-f1Ee miles from BarnWell
to Camp Willie Jones; about ffty-fiVe
miles from Orangeburg to Camp Willie
Jones and about ffty-eight miles from
Bamberg to Camp Willie Jones. There
fore. it is convenient for these COM
panies to come to Camp Willie Jones,
and, as you see, will not be expensive
on account of the short distances.
AS understand the militia law, the
position which I take in the comnu-
nications to Col. Cogswell and Capt.
Claffy is correct, and these companies
should have remained in camp under
those conditions.
Also, I quote from your letter to the
representatives in congress, from this
State, dated June 80, 1913, in which
you say:
"The militia of South Carolina will
have its transportation paid to the
extent that federal aid is used for
that purpose to the various encamp-
mants this summer; that they will
have subsistence while there, paid
under similar conditions; the COM
panies which passed the last inspec-
tinn will have their pay paid under
si.nilar conditions. The pay for the
deficient compares will be retained;
the deficient companies will be given
another opportunity to measure up TO
the test at an inspection to be held
q, least three months from this date.
il at that time they pass the inspec-
ton, they will then receive their re-
tanned pay
Acting under this, these companies
most assuredly should have remained
in camp, and had the matter been
called to my attention, l would have
ordered them to stay in camp and
carried out your suggestions. There
fore, you see that some one has blum
dered, and It seems pity to make
the members Of these companies SUI
fer for that blunder, and be deprived
Of the benefits which they would have
received in the encampment. I, there
fore, write to request that you allow
these three companies to come into
camp with the Second regiment, N. G.