The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
SPOILED A ROMANCE.
New Version of the story of the ORR
Gin OF Hold the Fort"

From the Boston Traveller.
Nearly every person has read the story
Of how the well-known song, Hold the
Fort, for / am Coming" came to be
written, and upon what incidents II was
founded. But now comes person who
is in position to know the facts. and
who says these stories are all fakes, pure
and simple The story has been publish
ed. and it even appears In some Of The
song books as a footnote, that the sub
stance of the language contained In this
IA nous song was used in signal commu-
nications between Gems. Corse and Sher-
man during the battle of Aiiatooaa Pass.
There Is no doubt but that the song was
Inspired by the accounts Of that bnttle
as published, but the donial that is now
made contradicts these circumstances and
proves conclusively that they never could
have taken place According to these
stories, Charles and J. ". Mckenzie,
who resided for a numpec Of years AZ
Hampton, Ia. were members OF the sig
nal corps attached to Gen. Corse's army,
and II was the former WfO raised the
famous signals 10 Gen. Sherman These
brothers died a number OF years ego
from consumption. and after their death
il was extensively published that j. W.
Mckenzie, VINO was judge Of the district
court at the time Of his ieath, was IN
command Of the signal station, and that
during the thickest Of inc fight he was
called upon to detail a person y signal
a number of miles distant. Fearing that
he would be considered partial, he de-
tailed his own brother :oI int danger
Gus task. The legion OF the battle is
that Mr. Mckenzie stepped upon an en-
posed portion of the fort and sigaalled
Sherman. from whom he received the
answer, Hold the fort, for l am COM
ing" This version of the part the signal
corps and the Mckenzie brothers played
in the battle has passed into history and
song and is almost as familiar 70 the
people as Barbara Frietchie" or 'Sher-
idan's Ride"
of the United States army, who Is con-
Quoting a recruiting station at Des Moines,
and says there is absolutely nothing 70
these stories. He was at the Loyal Legion
a friend Of the Mckenzie brothers. re-
lated the part the signal corps TOOK IN
the battle of AllatOona Pass. Capt.
Adams has been stationed in the west for
a number OF years, and had not unul re-
Gently seen the statement that the Nc
Kenzies had been personally connected
with the fiction Of the battle. lie says
that they were members or the slgnal
corps, were bright, Intelligent young men,
as brave as daring, as any VINO were IN
the service. Capt. Adams was In COM
nand OF the signal corps under Gen Corse.
He relates that on the day before the at
tack the corps. consisting OF fourteen ptI-
sons was stationed on an eminence Just
outside OF the fOrtications. They obsery-
ed the enemy making movements which
Indicated that an attack was nkeiy 70 nc
made, and they 80 INFORMED ths htA5loil
on KenesaW mountain. He says that DUR
ing the day the members of the two sta
lions communicated with each other much
after the fashion that operators 90 when
the lines are not j. use. None of those
signals were made b. order ~ Gen. corse
or any other officer. The night before inc
attack was made the signal corps went
inside the works. The attack was made