The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11
WILSON'S CONFEDERATE LEADERS
Some Errors In His Sketch Corrected
and Additional Points of Interest
Noted.

and Additional Points of Interest
Noted.
Pine Crest Villa, Fla, Sept. 10.-The
gossippy sketch of Confederate generals
by R. R. Wilson, reprinted from the New
York Post in Wednesdays issue of the
Morning News. while full of pleasing
personal points, also contains some grave
errors that cali for correction.
Lieut.. Gen. Stephen Decatur Lee was
very far from being "a civilian general .
He was a graduate of West Point Military
Academy, in the noted class of 1854, at the
head of which stood Gen. George Wash
ington Gusts Lee, and his own rank was
number seventeen in a class of forty-six
members, thus putting him into the artil-
lery.
1t was out of this famous class that the
Confederate army gained Gen. James E.
h Stuart and Gen. G.. W. c. Lee of Vir-
ginia, Gen. S. d. Lee and Gen. John B.
Villepigue of South Carolina, Gen. W. d.
Fender of North Carolina, and Gen. James
Deshley Of Alabama. OF northern birth
there was Gen. Archibald Oracle and John
r. Smead of New York, who espoused the
Southern cause. Then there were John
J Pegram of Virginia and Abner Smead ard
John T. Mercer of Georgia.
| And what a noble record they made
Stuart fell at Yellow Tavern, Va; Mercer
| at Plymouth N. c.; Oracle, at Peters
burg, Va, as did also gallant young Pc
| grant, Deshler at Chickamauga Tenn ;
| Pender of Gettysburg, Pa, and John r.
i Smead at second Manassas. OF this heroic
band Gen. Geo. w. c. Lee and Gen. Steph-
en- D. Lee alone survive.
In this same class was Lieut. John T.
Greble of Pennsylvania who was the
| first regular army officer killed in the
war, ne having fell at Big Bethel Va,
on June II, 1861. Gen. oliver O. Howard
U. S. A., and Gen. Thomas H. Kruger,
U. S. A, both now on retired list, are
distinguished survivors of this class.
When signs of impending war appear
ed First Lieut. S. D. Lee resigned, Feb
90 1861, from the Fourth United States
Artillery and returned to his native state
and no young officer was more efficient
and valued in the operations at Charles
ton, S. c., before and after hostilities
were declared. In him Gen. Reauregard
found a thorough educated and reliable
artillerist. His career was onward and
upward, and when the war ceased he
was a trusted lieutenant general and
man of natural and substantial charac-
ter.
The best evidence of this fact is found
In his long and very successful service
as president of the Mississippi State Agri-
cultural College, that has no superior in
the South AS to his popularity with his
old comrades, he is to-day the leading
lieutenant general of the United Confeder-
ate Veterans, standing next to Gen. John
B. Gordon, whose successor he is to be in
that great organiZat ton.
Another error into which Mr.. Wilson
has fallen is in stating that Gen. u. S.
Grant and Gen. S. B. Buckner were class
mates. After the civil war closed Gen.
Grant manifested an especial interest in
Buckner, to save his wifes large estate
from conisca alton. He was also very
friendly and helpful to Gen. James Long
street mot James S., as Wilson has iO,
and Gen. Lafayette McLaws.
None of the officers were his classmates
at West Point Military Academy. Long
street and McLaws graduated in 1872
Grant In 1913, and Buckner in 1874. All,
however, were cadets at West Point az
the same time, and consequently asso-
ciated together, but as members of three
different classes. Grant was closely as
ISOLATED with Longstreet after graduating,
he being one of his most honored attend
ants at his marriage to Julia Dent, in st.
Louis, while they were both heutenants.
Grants regard for McLaws was based
upon his high regard for the sterling
qualities of that grand old soldier. The
only classmate of Grants that l know of
in the Southland he was born in New
Jersey-is Gen. Samuel G. French of PEN
sacola. He married a Miss Abercrombe
near Columbus, Ga, and espoused the
Southern cause. He is best known on ac-
count of his needless effusion of blood"
demand for the surrender of the union
forces al Altoona, Ca, under Gen M. D.
Corse, who replied, "let her effuse," or
words to that effect. Out of this battle
came the famous song, Hold the Fort
for l Am Coming"
1 know from long and bitter experience
how hard it is to locate Confederate gem
erals, or to tell who are dead and who
alive. Wilson says Gen. E. p, Alexander
| is president of the Central Railroad of
| Georgia. He was Il great many years ago,
and Gen. G.. MoXley Sorrel resigned as
superintendent of the Savannah Steam
ship Company" some two years ago. Gen.
| Alexander IS also referred to as Lees
old chief-of-staff." i think his fame rests