Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-21
TEXT BOOKS CONDEMNED
COMMENTS BY PRESIDE INT Bors-
TON OF BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Alleged Inaccuracies IN histories
Used in the Public Schools
Objection to Hymnal.


president of the board. on the histories used
az text books in the public schools. He de-
clared that several of these histories con-
ts1ncd serious mistakes and were gravely
inaccurate on important points of Ameri-
can history and therefore should be eX-
cluded from the course of studies. 1t was
explained that these text books were adopt
ed Inv the former board of trustees.
According to General Boynton, the follow
ing named books, on account of numerous
inaccuracies, should be promptly excluded
from the District schools:
BARNES Brief History OF the United
States" by Joel Dorman Steele, Ph. d., f.
G. S.
.'Montgomery's Leading Facts in Ameri-
can History' by d. II. Montgomery.
"Johnston's History of the United States
for Schools by Alexander Johnston, LII.
D. late professor in Princeton College, re-
vsed by Winthrop More Daniels, M. A,
professor in Princeton college,
"McMaster's School History OF the United
States" by John Bach McMaster. profess
sor of American history in the University
of PENNSYLVANIA.
In his report, General Boynton goes into
details as to the alleged inaccuracies of
these histories.
Alleged Errors Enumerated.
With respect to Barnes History he re-
ferred to the following errors:
Page 241, treating of the effect of the
Pope campaign, without washington was
a victorious army; within were broken bat
talions and no general Instead, there was
a we'll organized army in the Notifications
of Washington, with Gen. Mcclellan in
command, and the notable guards of the
Army of the Potomac in command of its
corps and divisions.
Page 241-continuing: Mcclellan, who
had been restored to command of the Army
of the Potomac, reorganzed the shapeleSs
mass and set out In pursuit. Mcclellan had
not been relieved, and SO could not have
been restored to command, and there was
no shapeless mass to reorganize.
Pages 246-247. Chckamauga: The first
days fight was indecsive' On the con-
trary the first days fight defeated Bragg's
main purpose of interpos.ng between the
Union army and Chattanooga.
About noon of the second day the federal
line became broken from the movement of
troops to hep the left wing, then hard
pr essed. Longstreet seized the opportunity,
pushed a brigade into the gap and swept
the federal right and center from the field.
No one but q novice in history and war,
and a very young novice at that, would
suppose that pushing brigade into that
gap would sweep the right and center of
the Army of the Cumberland from the field.
AS a matter of fact, three divisions of eight
brigades marched into that gap. Eight bril-
gades of the Union right (McCook) and Of
the center (Crittenden) remained on the field
and fought with Thomas till the close Of the
battle.
Pages 24S-249, battle OF Chattanooga:
Sherman 'hastened from Iuka, 200 miles
away. When the orders reached Sherman
to go to Rosecrans his army was camped
twenty miles east of Vicksburg, $50 miles
from Chattanooga and 355 miles beyond
Iuka.
The following day Hooker charged the
Notifications on Lookout mountain. His
troops had been ordered to stop on the
high ground. but, carried away by the
order of the attack they swept over the
crest, driving the enemy before them
mo orders to stop the high ground
or anywhere else were given; on the con-
trary, every order and every effort was
directed to carrying the enemy's position.
The Union troops did not sweep over the
crest. and no Union troops reached the
summit during the engagement. They car
ried the slopes below the palisades. The
crest was inaccessible because of these pal
isades, which were vertical, ranging from
100 to $50 feet in height.
" Sherman during the whole time had
been heavily pounding away on the north
ern flank Throughout the battle of Look
out mountain Sherman was not engaged on
the northern flank elsewhere.
Grant. from his position on Orchard
Knob. perceiving that the confederate line
in front Of him was being weakened to re-
pei these attacks on the TANKS, saw that
the critical moment had come, and launch
ed Thomas corps on the CENTER This
statement that the line in front of Thomas
had been weakened to move troops against
Sherman is one Of the myths of that bat
tie. Not soldier or a gun was withdrawn
from the confederate center during the day.
Another History Criticised.
Montgomery's history also came in for
criticism. especially with reference to the
statement that "a battle was fought at
Franklin. Tenn, November 80 1854. with
out any very decisive results" Regarding
this statement, General Boynton said:
Every one conversant with military his
CRY knows that this was one of the most
decisive battles of 1864. Hood himself wrote
that 1t rendered his contemplated invasion
Of Kentucky impossible without reinforce
ments from beyond the Mississippi, and that
thereafter his only hope Of success rested
in the chance of being able to repulse an
assault from Thomas army before Nash
VILE one confederate major general and
four brigadiers were killed, one major gen.
eral and five brigaders wounded and one
captured The general officers Of Johnson s
army at the time Of their surrender to Shar-
man agreed IN designating Franklin as the
most disheartening tattle OF the latter Years
Of the war. Hoods total loss was 6.252 be-
sides the slightly wounded"
schley and the "Rough Riders"
Strong exceptions were taken to state
ments In Montgomery's history concerning
the services OF Admiral Sehley and the
Rough Riders during the Spanish war
General Boyntons comment was:
Page 392-Cerveras Squadron. Comma
oore Schley set out with his flying squad
ron TO find the enemy. After a long and
anxious search he discovered that Cervera
, had entered the harbor of Santiago, ON the
southeast coast of Cuba Great and glo-
| rious as We're Admiral Schley's services at
| this period, he did not discover the location
| Of Cervera's fleet That service was per-
formed by the officers Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company,s and the first
| news of Cervera's arrival at Santiago was
| given to the government through persons
| in their employ.
Page 394-Rough Riders s(note). AT the
| battle of San Juan Roosevelt, at the head
| of the Rough Riders, led the assault, and
| they. with the gallant regulars tboth
black and white), Joined by part of the
! list New York Volunteers, carried all be-
| fore them While there is no doubt of
| Colonel Roosevelt's reckless courage before
Santiago, it would be difficult to write a
more erroneous paragraph. as every one
/ knows who has studied the details OF the
| battle of San Juan.
| I'm very rapid examination of the chap
tiers or revolutionary history the following
paragraphs attracted attention. The first
| was a striking bit of bear literature to IL
lustrate the deeds of Marion and Sumter:
when the British forces went out to
conquer the country the Carolina patriots
| attacked them as the mosquitoes Il Alaska