Show MEN ASSAILED of the twenty fuith slandered by a new tork york uial IS bew ew I 1 lork ork oct 15 13 colonel down downs common commander der of the seventy first new york volunteer infantry in a speech tp cechin in this city made the following seats lionel statement the twee ty fourth united states infantry and reflecting upon its conduct at the battle of ban juan two companies of the twenty 0 fourth o urith were lylo down between my men and it was all their omeera could do to keep them from stampeding to the rear I 1 act et bo tao regiment was better when they once got started than that T twenty enty fourth colored th they ey a never need before by e ther reir regular ularm or volunteers volan teera it twos wi a battalion of the seleaty sett ity first new boril ork command edby cc onel downs that was charged by aeral i eral correspondents with cowardice at the battle of san juan it being alleged that the battalion rL fused to obey orders to advance the men lying down in thu road and permitting the regulars to march over their prostrate bodies the official report of major general Oe ner kent indicated that the battalion was in a state of panic at a critical stae stage of the battle salt lake city utah oct IS 15 during the afternoon capt ducat received reo elved a dispatch from a new lork paper asking for a statement lo 10 reply to colonel down downie assertion after the receipt of the dispatch the captains of the several corn cam ponies at fort douglas held a meeting 1 it wis ws according to all accounts a very animated session it was deladd to answer the now w 11 york ork papers dispatch to captain ducat la in the following terms the officers of the th twenty fourth infant infantry decline to notice any stat ment either dero derogatory gators or commendatory emanating from colonel downs I 1 officers of the fourth try |