The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-25
eEoRGIA'S WAR GOVERNOR.
SOME INTERESTING FEATURES OF
HIS CAREER.

southern Governor Who served
During the Entire War Period.
Some Facts of HIS Political Life.
The Prediction He Xade-Other
Matters of General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, June
2i.-The living are supposed to be able TO
defend themselves from unjust charges. or
cruel suspicious engendered in the public
mind by malice or ignorance on the part
Of the writer Ex-Gov. Joseph f. Brown
is in his grave, and neither by voice nor
pen can he longer defend himself from
adverse criticism or hints OF unfaithful-
ness as public official; and for this rea-
son l feel imDelled to make him the sub
jeet Of my military epistle to-day. do
so because a recent writer in the Macon
Telegraph, noting the proposed organiza-
ton in Atlanta of another Estate Histor-
zeal Society" the object of which is to
preserve original documents referring 10
Georgia. colonial period and wars of later
date, makes the following unjust refer
ence to Gov. Brown:
Gov. Brown, when he left, took with
him any papers that he could gather to-
gether quickly, which were Of interest or
value at that particular time. He also.
with the view OF guarding against starva-
ton, carried his ratsons with him, which
consisted mainly of collards, cabbages and
vegetables generally, loading his food and
forage into freight car, the bulk OF the
contents of the car il is said, being cab
Dages from his garden near the mansion.
Now this paragraph in the article Tor
Atlanta correspondence above referred to,
supplements the statement that a great
many old colonial ana later public docu-
ments and records were left In the capitol
at Milledgeville, and soon after were etol-
en- or destroyed by Gen. Shermans troops,
who later on invaded and sacked the city.
venture the assertion that this writer
knows nothing from personal experience
about the hazards and hardships of actual
war, nor how little time an invading foe
| allows for packing up and saving from
| the enemy such valuab bic articles as may
| be desired. Like death, the invading army
sometimes cornes-as a thief in the night
| when least expected. When Sherman 5
| army swooped down Upon the capital-al-
most unlmpeded-Gov. Brown had hardly
! time to save himself and family.
AS to the coilards and cabbages that
| have played so important part in histor-
| zeal 1ctions, past and present, it is d mat
! ter of official record that Gov. Brown
| knew absolutely no. hing about them un-
/ III after ms NStdpe lIOill A4tt4ClBENile, ana
when, the next day at noon, In Montezu-
ma, on the Southwestern Railroad, Mrs
| Brown was given some green's for dinner
| by her negro cook, Aunt Celia. Gen. Ira r.
| Foster, the quartermasler general of the
/ state was entirely Responsible for that lux
| ury. AS the last team was about to leave
| the executive mansion with a load Gen.
| Foster suddenly thought OF the collards
| and eabbages and had a few hurriediy
cut by Aunt Celia and thrown on top
of the load. That Is the whole sum ana
| substance of the collard and cabbage SEN
| sation. Gen. Foster admits that many
old and valuable records we're left at Nil
ledgeviIle, but he asserts with fun proof
that the evacuation was altogether 100
| sudden 70 allow OF the gathering up and
| carrying away of all the valuable papers
andsfecords; which was true.
So much for the Old capitol at Milledge-
( vile; and now a word about new
Opera house, capitol in Atlanta, as 1 saw
1t for nearly twenty years. What Gov
ernor or legislature ever lifted a finger
10 properly preserve che old records and
| papers that were saved from Sherman S
| ruthless destroyers, or were later OH
| brought to Atlanta with the removal Of
the seat of government. In that old rock.
cry of condemned leaky roof and damn
basement opera house from attic to base
ment, these records and papers were seat
tered, and even the best preserved of them
were never properly or safely cared for. Not
because the officials in charge were care
less, etc., but Because the state failed ia
provide suitable, dry, fire-pruof place
in which 20 properly preserve these val
liable relics of Georsias past history. Gov.
Browns collards and cabbages play nc
part In all those years Of neglect and loss
l am prepared to assert and to do il
boldly without fear of contradiction, that
from Maine to California. during the civil
the most faifbftfl
bravest and most persistent in the dis
charge of official duties, fearless of friend
or fee-was Joseph e. Brown of Georgia
And Of all the Southern states, during that
critical period, Georgia was the only one
that had such an executive from 1851 Il
1865, in Gov Brown. There was no swap
ping horses while crossing the stream, III
this matter. Arkansas and Louisiana
and Texas each had four war governors
North Carolina and South Carolina und
Florida, and Alabama and Missouri each
had three; Virginia ana Tennessee ans
: Mississippi each had two and all of these
Governors put together did not have a,
, much backbone or did as much work as
Gov. Brown alone
/ 1 do not say that Georglas famous wal
Governor was i'm all things as wise as
serpent and as harness as dove, but fol
alertness at the start and fearles defiance
I at the close OF four years or more of hare
and perp!eNing official labor, he took III,
! blue ribbon over any war Governor from
Maine to California; and when | say ihil
l know whereof l speak. Gov. John A
! Andrew of Massachusetts (born IN my ma
tive state OF Maine) and GOV. Edwin d
Morgan Of New York, and Gov. Andrew
l G. Curtain or Pennsylvania, with Gov. Lev
p. Morton OF Indiana were the most ia
! nous of the Northern and Western wa
: Governors. Gov. Morgan was made a 10
: cal major general of volunteers and
/ served under him as comma nder of a cam
in New York; and when Harrisburg th.
l capital of Pennsylvania, was Invaded,
} served on the staff of Gen. y. n. Couch
/ Talk about cabbages and collards, at Nil
ledgevile; why the Scare of devastation
in the capitol at Harrisburg beggars de
S scrlptlon. When few scattering Confed
! crate troops appeared opposite the city
' over the river. regular panic took place
: The old portraits Of governors We're hastil
) torn from their massive gilt frames (whic
! frames were thrown carelesly aside), an
| hustled off to a freight train to be carrie,
! for safety up the country. Coy. Cur
/ tain Host his head,s and everything els
~ 1-.. - H.