The National tribune., 1888-06-07

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State of the Union, and are fair repFese ntatiTes
Of the armies Of brave men to whom tne rebel
lion sucCUmbed, aud they deserve and receive
The support Of the citizens of the Capital.
The Union Veteran Corps is in a hourishing
condition and is one of the strongest companies
ln the District military, numbering as IL does
over % active members. 1t has been aesig-
mated to take part in the Reunion of the So
ciety Of the army Of the Potomac at hettEs-
burg in July, aud efforts VIII be made TO re-
crujt il to a battalion before that time.
The fuli-dress uniform Of the Corps consists
of dark-bluc coats. with blue and gold epau.ets;
darlz-blUe pants With black stripe, and bear
skin shakoy. a drum corps is in process OF
organization and VIII be ready 10 accompany
the boys TO Gettysburg, where they VIII re-
ceiye grand welcome.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIVATE SECRETARIES.
I hear that Gen. Adam Ba3eau is still in the
habit Of referring to himself as Gen. Grants
Private Secretary while the latter was Presi-
dent: and while l knew that he never held
that place, / took the pains the other day TO
look up documentary evidence of the fact, and
in so doing l found out some other Interesting
matter on the subject of Presidential Private
Secretaries
When Gen. Grant became President in 1869
he appointed Robert VI. Douglass, the eldest son
of Stephen A. Douglass, as his Private Secretary
and Mr. James T. Ely as Assistant Secretary.
Mr. Douglass held the position until 1872 when
he was appointed United States Marshal for
western North Carolina, and was succeeded
then by Levi p. LucRey, who had two years
before succeeded Mr.. Ely as Assistant. In 1876,
when the smash Of the Whisky Ring exposures
came, Mr.. Luclley retired with his friend, Gen.
BabcoCk, aud Ulysses s. Grant, IT.. was made
Secretary, wilh Mai. Culver c. Snihen as As
sistant Buck Grant served nntii the end of
his fathers second term, and Maj Sni1ten re-
manned until he was appointed Paymaster in
the army the day before Gen. Grants term eX-
pired. Besides these officials, three army OH
GERS who had been Aids-de-Camp when Grant
was General Of the Army were placed on duty
at the White House, and were styled " Secre-
taries." These were Gems. Fred. I. Dent,
Gen. Grants brother-in-law,) Horace Porter
and 0rville 4. Babc0ck When the latter was
relieved from duty at the White House in 1875
no other officer was detailed IN his place. but
Gems. Dent and Porter remained until the end
Of the term. Thus, Gen. Badeau was never, ~
4 any sense, Grants Private Secretary. From
March. l564 20 March, 1859, while Gen Grant
/ was al the head Of the army, Gen. Badeau was
/ designated as Military Secretary but the
4 Confidential Secretary was Horace Porter, and
/ not Badeau.
There was no Secretary to the President prior
/ To 1915, but In 1875 Congress authorized a clerk
( 70 the President 10 sign Land Patents and
/ President Jackson appointed Andrew Jackson
4 D0nels0n. his nephew. as signeT Of Land Pat
ents" Later, Maj. Done,son chsuged his name
1 and he appears in the Congressional Directory
FOR the Second Session, Gath Congress- as An
! drew Jackson, ir."
Martin Van Buren, had for his signer Of pat
ents Mai. g. Van Buren, during his whole term
! / do not know if Gen. Harrison appointed
1 any one to the place but the next succeeding
/ Directory presents John Tyler, ir, and tina
=. q 4 L. .,
self the style and title Of Secretary" to sign
etc, although there was no warrant Of law fol
It.
President Polk appointed his nephew, jane
4 Knox Walker, and that gentleman, in 1916
became the first Private Secretary To thu
President under law passed at the seeont
session Of the 18th Congress
Col. William w. 5. Bliss, Of the Army, wa
Gen. Taylor's Secretary, and Willard p. Fill
more served his uncle IN the same capacity.
That astute lawyer, Sidney Webster, VIII
afJerWaTd became the s0n-iu-.aW 81 Hon. Ham
ilt0u Fish, was the silent ie!thand d Er8uklil
Pierce, ard following aim James buchanan ha
his nephew. James Buchanan Henry, VINO, Xix
Maj. D5uelsou, changed his name and IN th
latter part Of his term e Office was known a
James Buchanan j.
Col. John Hay Is another Private SecretaT
who was never Private Secretary. Mr. Lin
coins Secretary was John g. Aicolay. ana Co
Hay was given an army commission in the vol
ulteess aud detailed Tor special duty at til
White H0u5e.
Prior 70 President Jackson's time The cleri
cal laeor AZ the Executive Mansion was per
formed by clerks detailed from the various Is
ecutive Departments, bat as the country gre'
iii population tie executive labOrs increased
aud legislative ala was given 70 provide an au
thCgizeG force and in 1860 Congress not onl
added ~ assistant Private Secretary" bu
promoted the slgueT OF patents 10 be Sex
rotary for that purpose.
Col. Robert johnson was Secretary during a
Of his fathers incumbeDcy Of the Presidency
and Col. Robert Morrow who afterward con
mitted suicide while on duty at San Francisco
was the First Assistant Morrow was succeede
in 1867, when he was appointed Paymaster
the Army, by William Wallace Warden, VII
now resides here, pTacticng Law. During NJ
Johnson's time detail Of Army officers wei
placed on regular duty at the White House,
i gossiped about some weeks ago, and the d.
tail included Gen. Reuben d. Muzzey, Col
Browning, W. q. Moore now Chief of Poll,
here and Wright Rives, and Capt. Andrew
Long. In the Congressional Directories "
2 those days they are styled Secretaries" an
il was that precedent that brought about ii
detail Of Gems. Dent, Porter and Babcock Fl
Gen. Grant
Il NEGLECTED GRAVE
When the war Of rebellion swept across US
{ those dark days Of the Spring Of 1861, thu
brothers Of tue great family OF Smiths live
quietly at Bloomington, III. There might har
been more OF them, but these three that wri
. about became famous soldiers, and Of the othe
p I care naucht.
Morgan j., Giles a., and John T. Smith a
= joined the Union forces, and all fought
stanchly that the twin stars Of Major Gener
decorated the straps they wore.
Morgan l.. Smith was called here By &c
Grant when that great soldier was Presidel
: and dying after leaving Office, was laid away
! rest in the beautiful cemetery Of Oak Hill,
: the Rock Creek slopes Of Georgetown
u Last week, when Memorial Day came, on
one remembered the dead General. Gen Smith
u wife was a Miss Gcnela the sister Of Mr.. "
, lion b. Genella, of the Treasury DepartIner
y and the young man went on Decoration D.
on pilgrimage Of love to Oak Hill aud strew
Smiths grave with a liberal basket Of roses.
= Morgan l.. Smith died ia 1879. There b
: never been 2 Memorial Day when his gra
y has been decorated by any Of his old conrad
z and the only roses laid there have been strey
by Genella. When the trumpet sounds
my own last call i want 20 20 TO Arlingtc
er When Gabriel sounds his reYeille | will wa
~ then with many comrades, and ] thank
" dear Lord that l have had the glory and hoi
y 10 have known many Of them personally.
IN PAYBAsTER BRUA.
- Col. John P. Brua, Major retired T. s. Arm