of infantry, having
received orders to the railroad front, was ordered out of the barracks
for the purpose of packing sleds for the trip across the river to the
railroad station. The non-commissioned officer that was in charge of
the packing soon reported to the officers that the men refused to
obey. At this some of the officers took charge, and all except one man
began reluctantly to pack after a considerable delay. The soldier who
continued to refuse was placed in confinement. Colonel Stewart, having
been sent for, arrived and had the men assembled to talk with them.
Upon the condition that the prisoner above mentioned was released, the
men agreed to go. This was done, and the company then proceeded to the
railway station and entrained there for the front. That they would not
go to the front line positions was openly stated by the men, however,
and they would only go to Obozerskaya. They also stated that general
mutiny would soon come if there was not some definite movement
forthcoming from Washington with regard to the removal of American
troops from Russia at the earliest possible date.'

"The War Department on April 10, 1919, authorized the publication of
this cablegram, and on April 12, 1919, authorized the statement that the
report from Murmansk was to the effect that the organization which was
referred to was Company "I" of the 339th Infantry, and that the dispatch
stated:

"'It is worthy to note that the questions that were put to the
officers by the men were identical with those that the Bolshevik
propaganda leaflets advised them to put to them.'

"If reports differing from the above appeared in the newspapers, they
were secured from sources other than the War Department and published
without its authority.

"On March 16, 1920, Brigadier General Wilds P. Richardson, U. S. Army,
was ordered by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, to
proceed to North Russia and to assume command of the American Forces in
that locality. General Richardson arrived at Murmansk on April 8, 1920,
where it was reported to him that a company of American troops at
Archangel had mutinied and that his presence there was urgently needed.
He arrived at Archangel on April 17, 1920, and found that conditions had
been somewhat exaggerated, especially in respect to the alleged mutiny
of the company of the 339th Infantry. General Richardson directed an
investigation of this matter by th