Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-04

The Address of Capt. J. ID. Johnston
Business meetIDg-A Very Inter-
eaTfDg Letter.

Il
| gia Historical Society was held at Hodgson
Hall last evening.
The society was called to order at eight
O'Clock by Vice President General G. NJ.
Sorrel, who introduced to the members and
guests Captain ]. ID. Johnston. There was
a large attendance, and the very interesting
address Of Captain Johnston on admiral
Buchanan and the Confederate States Steam
Ram Tennessee, !" was listened to with mark
ed attention and was very highly apprecia-
ted. A synopsis Of this paper would mar it
of its historical interest, and our space for
bids at present its publication in full.
After the address the guests dispersed
and the regular business meeting was held.
The minutes of the March meeting were
read and approved.
| The following gentlemen were. elected
resident members of the society: William
| H. Gibbons, John s. Coburn, J. H. Collins,
/ F. L. Demere, Edward F. Lowell, Alexis
McNuliy. Hugh NJ. Hutton, w. A. Davis,
| W. g. Cam, W. Hampton Wade. B L.
| Owens. Rev. Thomas NJ. Boyd, E. F. Gun
ningham, W. c. Howard.
The resignation of Mr.. E. L. Neidlinger
was read and accepted.
The Library Committee recommended the
| following books, which were ordered to be
purchased:
Emerson's Essays. first and second series,
2 vols. Houghton & Co.
Uncle TOMS Cabin. Houghton & Co.
A Tallahassee Girl Round Robin Series.
| Osgood & Co.
From Hand to Hand, translated by Mrs.
Wistsr. Lippincott & Co.
Memories Of Old Friends-Journals of
Caroline Cox. Lippincott & Co.
Hinduism, by Monier Williams. Pott,
Young & Co.
John Q Adams first number of American
Statesmen Series: Houghton & Co.
s'Who Wrote I'?" by W. A. & G. &.
Wheeler Lee & Shepard.
Paris Herself Again. by George A. sala.
Scribner.
Manual of Historic Literature, by W. K.
Adams. Hsrpers.
The England of Shakespeare, by Goodby.
| Cassells.
Atiantis-The Antediluvian World, by
Donnelly. Harpers
Charles Lamb, by Alfred Ainger-EDglish
Men Of Letters. Harpers.
| Captain Paine, Of the Lecture Committee,
announced that Rev. r. P. Kerr will deliver
an address at the meeting in May.
The following resolution, offered by
Judge W. D. Harden, was unanimously
adopted:
Resolped, That the thanks of this society
be, and they are hereby rendered TO Capt.
| J. D. Johnston, for his most admirable lee
1 ture on admiral Buchanan and the Con-
| federate steam ram Tennessee" and that
he be requested to give copy of his lecture
/ to be preserved IN the archives of the
society, and that this society recommend,
i for the sake of the truth of history, thai it
be published in one Of the leading maya
| zines Of the country.
Mrs. A. NJ. Goerz presented a piece Of
| Georgia currency, of 1777, of the value Of
| one shilling, for which the thanks of the
| society were returned.
Mr.. Barnard E. Bee presented to She
| society the sword of his father, the lste
Capt. VIM. Bee, with the following interest
/ ing letter:
ISLE OF HOPE, March 16, 1882.
| General Il. r. Jackson, SdOanndh, Ga:
DEAR GENERAL have often thought
that l would like to give to the Georgia
| Historical Society the keeping of my
| fathers sword, and have always abandoned
| the idea for the reason that It might be
| looked upon as presumption in me-, be never
| having been particularly distinguished,
| though he was a knightly soldier and true
| Christian gentleman, and had he not re-
| signed from the army In early life he might
have been as well known as his friend and
| contemporary General Twiggs.
The sword, however, is a relic of the past,
and was worn by my father 10 nearly all Of
| the Indian battles of General Jacksonville
L EnucIdW, horseshoe ana OJnerS.
He was sent by General jackson to de-
mand Of the commandant of the Spanish
| garrison at st. Augustine, Arburthnot, who
was subsequently hanged at St. Marks, and
on that occasion he also wore this sword
Ambrsten was shot. | do not know where
/ he was captured, but as a bov 1 often heard
my father tell OF his msrchirg at the head
of his company up the stairw of the old
| Spanish fort, and of his form! introduction
| to ArburthnOt, whom he said ~ appearance
and manner was one Of the most polished
gentlemen be ever met.
A Mr.. Baker, who visits Florida every
winter, was at my house this fall, and had
with him some stereoscopic views of Florida. |
Among them was Fort Marion, which | !
at once recognized as the old Spanish fort
which l had so often, in days long gone,
heard my father describe. l send you,
/ General, the view he gave me; 1 have
| another. l also enclose you photograph |
taken from miniature of my father, when |
he was q Second Lieutenant and twenty
years of age. 1t will show you the uniform I!
| Of that dav. Lieutenants then only wore
| one epaulette, First Lieutenant on the |
| right, and Second Lieutenant on the left !
shoulder.
Msjor Farrin had Young friend visiting
him once who painted miniatures, and be
undertook to put on the missing epauleite;
you will discover the difference between |
the two.
If you remember, my father was broad
chested and broad shouldered; you will
notice the cut Of that coat makes him just |
the contrary.
In those days every regiment had two |
light companies attached. II l remember |
Alright Twiggs commanded the first and my |
father the second. 1 think at one time Col |
Manning commanded ''the 7tb," and ct eu- |
other time Col. Jack. 1t is long time since |
these stories have beeu related to me, but 1 |
think l am correct.
The sword has history, too, but first want |
to call your attention to the blade What |
a splendid piece of Damascus steel 1t is, ard |
on It, II you will notice, is what is intended for
a hornet with his sting through a peacock. |
The sword wss made after the naval engage,
ment between the Hornet, Capt. Lawrence. |
aud the Peacock in 1913 And you will find |
under the cruel hornet that wicked bird, |
the American eagle, imposing on an poor
badly scared British lion.
Now for the history of the sword since my
father resigned from the United States
army:
At dinner party in Augusta-or rather
at public dinner-a Captain Thomas Pace,
OF the Volunteers, made q remark severely |
rejecting on the regular officers, when my
father tossed him his glove across the table;
they fought in Hamburg, and my father was
seriously wounded in the knee, he shooting /
Captain Pace in the cheek, the wound but
slight. They were not even acquaintance
previous to the duel, but subsequently be-
came intimate friends. After the close OF
the war and my fathers resignation, he
loaned Captain Pace this sword. Captain
Pace died. and all of his efforts to recover
the sword were unavailing.
In the Washington Artillery, of New Or
leans, in the first battle Of Manassas, was
my youngest brother Eugene, and l was at
the telegraph Office at Savannah endeavor-
ing to learn something Of him when Jack
McIntosh came along and says to me: "Bar-
nard saw Bob PhiniZy in Augusta yester-
day, who told me to tell you that he has
parties he Is confident has no business with
it." l telegraphed Mr. PhiniZy to take
possession OF the sword and that l would
write him by mail, which I did. I received
a reply from him stating that Colonel
Bird had the sword for sale in a jewelrY
store, but that he was out Of town, and In
the next mail came a letter from Colonel
Bird, saving that Mr.. PhiniZy had called on
him in relation TO the sword, and the sword
by express. Colonel Bird said that he was
q Charlestonian and that he knew the Bee
family, but did not know where to find the
owner of the sword, which he stated he had
found In the house then (lS6ll occupied by
DR.. Dugas, and that he had paraded with it
in the Richmond Hussars for twenty-four
years. Ny fathers name, his regiment and
his company engraved on the scabbard, and
In his own hand writing on the buckskin
belt his name and regiment. | recognized
that well remembered signature on the In
T-N- Ill l.