Evening journal., 1915-03-06
It Carries An Appropriation Of 100000 For Southern
Educational Institution That Was Damaged Need
IeSSIy By Union Troops During Civil War
Delaware Senator, Father Of the Bill, Was
Distinguished Officer in the United
States Army
SPIRITED DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE
PRECEDES FINAL PASSAGE OF MEASURE

ingtOn there was a small Confederate
force there that made a semblance of
resistance. When the advance guard OF
Hunters army-a regiment under Col.
~. NJ. Schoomaker, OF the Fourteenth
Pennsylvania Cavalry-marched into
town, they took possession of the town
and the property of this college, with
practically no resistance.
Mr.. MOORE. That was Col. Schoon-
maker, think.
Mr.. FLOOD of Virginia Yes; an ele-
CANT gentleman, a brave soldier, and a.
splendid officer. The next morning after
that town had been taken possession of 3,
and the Federal forces were in posses
sion of the grounds of this institution.
Gen. Hunter issued an order to destroy
all the buildings, all the scientific and
chemical apparatus, and the library, and
all other property belonging to this col
lcgc; and this order was carried out.
Fortunately, Mr.. Speaker, there were
in the Army some soldiers who knew a
soldiers duty better than that. One
was Col. DUPONT. the chief of artillery Of
! Hunters army, now a distinguished
Senator from the. State of Delaware.
Another was Maj. Mckinley, a staff ofli-
tccr, and later one of the best-beloved
! Presidents the country ever had; and
other gentlemen and officers who eX-
pressed their dissent and disapproval OF
the order TO burn this institution.
Mr.. MOORE. Mr.. Speaker, will the
gentleman yield?
Mr.. FLOOD of Virginia Yes.
Mr.. MOORE Mr.. Speaker, have
read the affidavit of Col. Schoonmaker,
who is very high-grade Pennsyl-
vania citizen, and who was the officer
{ in command of the regiment that took
charge of these buildings He states
very clearly that it was not his dispo-
sition to destroy the buildings, and
that Gen. Hunter ordered their de-
struction the next morning and re-
proved him for not having destroyed
them; but the one point have not
had cleared up in my mind, which
wish the gentleman would explain. is
whether there was such a resistance
on the part of the Confederate troops
at this point as to warrant the belief
that those buildings we're peOpled with
} Confederate troops who were firing
upon Union troops in making this raid.
q Mr.. FLOOD of Virginia. There was
at that time absolutely no resistance.
2 Col. Schoonmaker had gone into the
4 grounds and through the buildings,
3 and there was not Confederate SOL
; dier within miles of that institution at
> that time, nor a cadet These officers
to whom have alluded objected upon
; the ground that there was no necessity
!, of war justifying the destruction of
: these buildings. The destruction was
not an incident of war. because the
p Federal forces at that time were alb
solutely unopposed. No Confederate
force lay athwart Hunters path that
. morning. These young officers urged
{ their objection, and those of them who
t are living today still maintain that the
D burning of that institution was wrong.
b Mr. Speaker. it is a well-established
y Continued on Page Six.