The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-22
RETURNED TO CAPT. GILLETTE
CUMBERLAND SOUND is AGAIN IN
THE SAVANNAH DISTRICT.

order Issued Yesterday by Gen. Will
son, Chief of Engineers, Transfer
ring Cumberland sound Back to
the savannah District From which
II Wna Removed by an Order Is
sued Dec. 1, 1897, One Day After
the Order for the Carter Court
martial - Senator Plat of New
York and Mr.. II. r.. Duval Secured
the Issuance of This Order by Sec
rotary Aiger.
Capt c. A. Gillette was notified yester-
Gay by Gen. Wilson. chief of the corps
CT engineers, that Cumberland sound had
been transferred back to the Savannah
district, OF which he is in charge.
Cumberland sound has been part of
the St. Augustine district since Dec. 1,
1897, when it was transferred from the
Savannah district, of which it had al
ways been a part. Coming just at the
time that il did, the order for the trans
fer was regarded as a very remarkable
one.
1t was issued the day after the order
for the Carter courtmartial, and was gen
orally regarded here and elsewhere as a
distinct blow against the prosecution in
that case.
Capt Gillette was new to the city and
the district, mis- position as chief witness
against Capt Carter, by reason Of the
discoveries which he had made on taking
charge of the office. was very difficult,
as the outcome of the case was then re-
garded with a great deal of doubt. Capt.
Carter not only had many friends here
who were strong in their belief in his in
nocence, but there were a number of peo-
PIE who were in position to throw light
upon the conduct of the river and harbor
work in this district, who were wavering
and uncertain as to whether they should
stick by Capt. Carter and the contractors,
or whether they should give the govern
ment the benefit of the information at
their disposal The effect of the order was
decidedly unfavorable TO the prosecution,
and it was accepted in many quarters as
pacing the distinct seal of disapproval Of
the war department upon the couTtmartial.
Needless to say it was black eye to Capt.
Gillette.
A story which comes to the Morning
News by way Of Washington has 1t that
there was some interesting history behind
the Issuing of the order transferring Cum
berland sound from the Savannah to the
st. Augustine district. According to the
story, and it can be vouched for as au-
thentie, the order was issued by Secretary
of War Alger, at the request of two
prominent politicians, without consulting
with the chief of engineers, to whose dis
erection such matters of detail are COM
monty left. The politicians at whose re-
quest the order was granted by Secretary
Alger were Senator Plat of New York
Mr.. H. r. Duval, then president of the
Florida, Central and Peninsular Railroad.
Senator Platts name was mentioned
with great frequency during the long in
term between the conviction of Capt
Carter by the courtmartial and the ap-
prevail of the sentence by the President,
and it was freely charged by the news
papers of New York and other cities that
1t was Senator Platt's influence which de-
TERED the President from afixing his sig
nature to the findings of the courtmartial.
Mr.. Duval is supposed to have been
brought into association with Capt. Carter
through the work done by the latter in
improving the harbor at Fernandina. He
may have had other reasons for desiring
the southern portion of the district
transferred to the st. Augustine district
antagonism to Capt. Gillette. his railroad
interests being chiefly in Florida
At any rate, Capt. Gillette's friends
here and elsewhere will feel that the war
department has recognized the injustice
of its former order, and that this has
been shown by the retransfer of Cumber-
land sound to the district in which II
formerly belonged.