Show BRAVE BRAISE MEN ASSAILED soldiers of the th twenty fourth Stan slandered dered by y a now kew york new york oct IS 15 colonel downs commander of the seventy first new york volunteer iA infantry fantry in a spee speech chin in thajo th city made the follow fag sensational statement concerning tho awen ty fourth united states infantry and reflecting upon its conduct at the battle of san juan two companies of the twenty fourth were lying down between my men and it was a all 11 their officers ofil cers could do to keep them from stampeding to the rear yet no regiment regime nl was better when they once got started than that same twenty fourth colored they faced conditions never faced before by ether regulars or volunteers it was a battalion of the seventy firstner first new commanded by colonel downs that was charged by several correspondents with cowardice at the battle of san juan it being alleged that tho the battalion refused to obey orders to advance the nien inen lying down in tile the road and anil permitting the regulars to march over their prostrate bodies the official report of major majar general kent indicated that the battalion was in a state of panic ia at a critical stage of the battle salt lake city utah oct 15 during the afternoon capt ducat received a dispatch from a new york paper asking for a statement in reply to colonel downs assertion shortly after the receipt of the dispatch the captains of the several companies pani esat at fort douglas held a meeting it was accordia according to all accounts a very an animated mated session it was decided to answer the new york papers dispatch patch to captain ducat in the following terms the officers of the twenty fourth infantry infant decline to notice any stat ott r ment either her derogatory or commenia commenda i tory emanating from colonel downs officers ficera Of of the twenty fourth infantry 11 |