The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-19
SALTY war EPrsrLrs.
Interchange Of Views Between Gems.
French and Corse and Gen. Smith
and President Davis.

French and Corse and Gen. Smith
/ and President Davis.
Winter Park. Fla. June 16.-The recent
death at Winchester Mass, Of Gen. John
! NJ. Corse, postmaster at Boston under
/ Cleveland's former administration, calls
TO mind the fact that his famous antag-
onist in the noted battleat Allatoona, Ca. ,
oct ,. 1864 Gen Samuel G. French, is
still alive and residing at this charming
winter resort
Gen. Corse was a comparatively young
man, of fine presence, and active in body
and mind. and ought TO have lived many
years longer under ordinary circum-
stances Gen French, on the other hand,
is an old man. showing in his manners
| and appearance that he is an "old army
officer and has a rough time of it. He
! could not have anticipated that Corse
would have preceded him to the grave
thus early in his promising career.
Gen. French has had a varied and act
i've experience as a soldier. He was born
in New Jersey and graduated from West
Point Military Academy in July, 1S43,
standing fourteen in a class of thirty
nine. Among his more fortunate class
mates were Gen. William B. Franklin, at
the head Of the class. and Gen. William
+. Reynolds, Isaac f. Quinby, John j.
Peck, Joseph J. Reynolds, James A.
Hardie and Horace F. Clarke, q. S. A,
and Gen. r.. S. Ripley, G. S. A. OF those
who graduated below him were Gems. c.
G. Augur, q. S, Grant (2D, J. II. Potter,
Fred Steele, Rufus Ingalls, 1927, Fred T.
Dent and Henry NJ Indah, U. S. A, and
Gen. Franklin Gardner, New York az,
who joined the confederate army.
On graduating Cadet French was as
signed to the Third artillery and entered
upon garrison duty at Fort Macon, N. c.,
Fort McHenry, Md, and in the military
occupation of Texas. Then came active
field service in the Mexican war, in which
he greatly distinguished himself being
breveted first lieutenant and captain for
gallant conduct and severe wounds.
After a years service In the quarter
master generals Office at Washington d.
c., and on quartermaster's duty i'll Louis
lana and Mississippi he was appointed
captain in that department and continued
to hold the position serving in Texas,
Washington and Fort Smith, Ark, until
May, 1856, when he resigned and became
an extensive cotton planter in the vicinity
of Vicksburg, Miss.
Having married Miss AbercrOmbie of
Russell county Alabama, an accomplished
young lady of wealthy and cultured
family, Capt. French joined the southern
people in their secession movement and
soon became one of the most able and
trusted generals in the confederate army
His greatest fame, however, comes from
his connection with ,the battle of Ala
toona, called by some war writers zone
of the gamest and bloodiest fights of the
war" AllatOOna pass, on the Western
and Atlantic railroad, was just then a
'bone of contention" of great Importance,
and Gen. French commanded the attack
ing party, while Gen. COrse held the
forts He was brigadier general of vol
unteers and had come into the service
from Iowa, but had proved himself re-
liable and plucky commander After
Gen. French had located his troops and
artillery, he sent the following summons
for a surrender to the union commander:
II have placed the forces under my
command in such position that you are
surrounded, and to avoid needless effu-
sion of blood, | call upon you to surrender
your forces at once, and unconditiOnally
Five minutes will be allowed YOU to de-
eide" etc.
This summons was delivered by Mai
ID. w. Sanders to n union officer, who was
given fifteen or twenty minutes for a re-
ply. After quite delay he found Gen
CorSe, who sat down on a stump and wrote
the following reply:
''YOur communication demanding sur
render of my command ! acknowledge the
receipt of, and respectfully reply that we
are prepared for the needless effusion of
blood whenever it is agreeable to you"
When the officer bearing this reply
reached the place where he had left Mai
Sanders that officer was invisible, having
Obeyed orders and returned to his camp
after waiting the prescribed twenty
minutes. The union forces having been
greatly strengthened, and not getting a
reply in due time, Gen. French ordered
Gems Cockrell and Ector to open the as
sault, which was severe, bloody and per-
sistent, but finally resulted in the repulse
of the confederates by overwhelming
numbers.
Gen William T. Sherman, who was at
the signal station on KenneSaw Mountain,
signaled to Gen. Corse to hold Allatoona
at all hazards and he would send forward
reinfOrcements Out of this fact the bat
tie has won worldwide fame through
the familiar revival song of p. p. Bliss,
the evangelist, Hold the Fort" the first
verse of which is:
Ho my comrades, see the signal,
Waving in the sky;
ReinforcementS now appearing
Victory is nigh.
Despite the fact of his final defeat Gen
| French even now feels proud of the heroic
| conduct of his forces in that bloody and
gamy contest, and is sure that he might
have been the victor instead of Gen.
! CorSe, had not zen. sherman threatened
| TO cut him off from Gen. Hoods army and
| leave him powerless to cope with the
army that completely surrounded him.
| Sitting under his orange trees across the
lake from President H. B. Plants Semi
mole hotel, where he has delightful
rural home, this battle-scarred veteran
delights to talk of this critical period of
his eventful life, and broad smile PLAYS
over his brOnzed face whenever mention
| is made of the needless effusion of blood
connected with his brief but pointed
correspondence with younger and less
| experienced but equally plucky and de-
termined antagonist.
KIRBY SMITH AND PRESIDENT DAVIS.
While the correspondence of Gems. Corse
/ and French was more humorous than
salty, there can be no doubt that plenty
of brine will be discovered in the epistles
of Lieut.. Gen. e. Kirby Smith to Presi-
dent Jefferson Davis. The recent death
of Gen. Smith and the Refinement. of
| President Davis remains at Richmond
recall this spicy correspondence
During October, 1854, Lieut. Gen Dick
Taylor telegraphed Gen. Bragg that
Lieut.. Gen f. Kirby Smith, in command
Of the trans-Mississippi department, had
/ issued an order pardoning all the men
who deserted from his army when ordered
across the river, this after Taylor had
captured most of the deserters.
10paei1pDt Davis vpa1lpSfa6 tho canra