The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-28
GEORGIA SWORDS OF HONOR.
HOW THE STATE HAS REWARDED
HER HEROES IN FORMER WARS.
swords of Honor, Gold Medals, Reso-
Iuticns of Thanks and Public Bur-
iaI Honors Have neen Destowed.

Iuticns of Thanks and Public Bur-
iaI HonOrS Have Been bestowed.
Pine Crest VIVA, Fla, May T.-The
starting of a dollar subscription fund for
the purchase Of suitable Sword Of hon
or," 90 be presented Flag Lieutenant
Thomas NJ. Brumby, L. s. N, attached
TO Admiral Dewey's flagship, seems to
have met with universal approval in all
parts Of the state. Nor is this strange, a
glance at the past history of Georgia Will
show that it has ever been the custom OF
her patriotic people TO reward in some such
public manner her heroes in the army and
navy, whose deeds of valor deserved such
recognition. In The recent war with Spain
It was Lieut.. Brumby's good fortune TO be
attached to the staff of the most famous
naval commander Of modern times and to
share with him to some extent the glory
of his wonderful victory in Manila bay.
The honor awaiting him IN his native state
is. therefore, justly his due.
1t is a great honor to a soldier to win
the official commentator of his superior
officers and to be brevetted or promoted
lux SdisdAiAi On the liStu VI bdlNAci Jul ~
is a greater honor to receive a vote Of
thanks from Congress or the legislature
OF his native state. and a still higher hon
or, and one to which few attain, to be
voted a sword of honor by Congress or
the legislature of the state to which the
favored officer may belong. There have
been many heroes, however, to whom no
such pubic honoTs were given, and whose
only reward was a consciousness of duty
well and nobly performed.
The most thrilling incident in the recent
burning OF Gen. Wade Hampton's resi-
dence, at Columbia, S. c., which was a
total loss, was the dashing back of this
old hero into The burning house TO gather
in his arms and bring to a place of safety
the family swords, the only things saved.
Aged and infirm, yet he dared a horrible
death to rescue the swords once welded
in battle by his grandfather, his father,
himself and his noble young son. who so
CALAMITY fell on the field of battle in the
civil war This incident ought to make us
cherish more fondly such stirring lyrics
as The Sword of Bunker Hil' and The
Sword of Robert Lee Well may we ex-
claim
Sword of the free
Wen cherish thee
And keep thee bright forever"
So far as have been able to discover in
my historical research, Maj. Daniel APP
ping of the First Rifles and Seventh In
fantry, and brevet lieutenant colonel and
colonel was the first officer in the regular
army TO be voted a Sword of honor" by
the legislature of Georgia. He was a ma
tive of the state and entered the army as
a second lieutenant of the Rifles in 1908.
Proving himself fine officer he was made
first lieutenant year later, a captain in
1912 and a major in 1914. He was trans
ferred to the infantry in 1876, when the
army was reorganized, but resigned the
following year.
In the brilliant glare of the great bat
ties of the civil war the operations Of Mai.
Appling on the lake at Sandy Creek, N.
Y, in 1914, seem Insignificant, and yet they
struck a heavy blow at the British forces
and caused their retirement from our lake
borders: The government at Washington
conferred on him the breVet of lieutenant
colonel, and May 90, and on Sept. 1, that of
colonel for gallant service at Plattsburg,
~ Y, in the same campaign The fame
of this young hero filled all the land at
that time and the legislature of Georgia
passed the following highly complimentary
preamble and resolutions, which were APP
proved Oct 81, 1914. by Gov. Peter Early:
while the Legislature of Georgia view
with liveliest sensations the glorious
achievements of the American army gen.
orally, they cannot but felicitate them
selves particularly in the recollection of
the heroic exploits of the brave and gall
liant Lieut.. Col. Daniel Appllng, whom the
state is proud to acknowledge her native
son; and as a tributesof applause from the
state which gave him birth--a tribute due
to the iustre of his actions; be it unani
mousy
Resolved, by the Senate and House of
Representatives in general assembly met.
That his excellency the Governor, be and
he is hereby requested to have purchased
and presented to him an elegant sword,
suitabel for an officer of his grade.
In ordering this sword from The manu-
facturer, the following inscription was
provided to be placed on the blade;
presented by the state of Georgia to
her son, the brave and gallant Lieut.. Coz.
Daniel Appling of the United States army,
for his cool and deliberate valor displayed
throughout the action of the 30th of May,
1874 at Sandy creek.
Owing to some delay this sword was
not ready for presentation until 1917, anu
in the meantime Col. Appling had died
at Fort Montgomery, Ala, where he had
gone as volunteer to assist his old COM
rade, Gen. Gaines. There being no near
kin to whom the gift could be presented
the legislature voted to keep it as a me-
mortal of her departed hero few wears
ton of the legislature, had the sword re-
| paired, placed in a beautiful case and de-
posted in the Georgia Historical Society
archives in Savannah, where II is now ex-
hiblted to the public,
The next Sword of honor" was voted on
! Sept. Il, 1914, by the legislature to Lieut.
! James Mcintosh, also of the Rifles, and
who distinguished himself at Sandy creek
under Mai. Appling, and at Conjocketa
creek, under Maj. Morgan. Space will not
permit me to give detailed history of this
most illustrious and lifelong soldier. who
in later years, covered with honors that
Savannah had showered upon him. includ-
ing another Sword of honor" went back
TO the bloody fields OF Mexico, where he
had already been terribly wounded. and
there herolcally fen beneath the flag his
valor had so long and so successfully up.
held. And the state, deeply mindful OF
her duty to her dead heroes. brought his
hattie-scarred remains home 90 Savannah
and laid them to rest beside those of his
| grand old kinsman, Gen. Lachlan NcTn-