The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-15
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
GEORGIA WILL NEVER FORGET
HER THREE YOUNG HERO GEN
ERALS.

President Pierce Was Not Much OF
a GeneraI-SOme Facts About His
Military Career-The MOrriIls
Mixed Up by One of the Sans.
Brigadiers in COngress-Comment
as to whether "Sagacity"
Doesn't Fit Gen. Lee Better Than
"Audacity"-Dispute Birthplnces
of Men Who Achieved Distinction.
other Matters OF General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, Dec.
14.-Georgia can never forget the young
ro-generals-Tracy, Willis, Girarday
who fell in the bloody conflict of the
Civil War. Willis. fresh from West
Point Military Academy and Girarday,
who won fame, as it were, in an hour
while Tracy, leaving his law books,
buckled on his sword and won undying
fame by his heroic conduct. A writer in
last Sundays Montgomery (Ala.) Ad-
vertiser, pays him a noble tribute, due
TO his "untarnished record as SOL
der and gentleman" and in closing
SAYS: "He sleeps now in a hero's
grave, far away from the state that
gave him birth. but he is not forgot
ten. Friends who loved him while liv-
ing, and did him honor for his many
noble traits of character shed the bit
ter tears of regret at his untimely fall,
fair hands still strew the flowers or
spring over the clod that presses and
covers the generous heart that respond
ed so promptly to his country's call -
Gen Tracy went from Macon, Ca, to
Huntsville, and his grave is there.
A reader of the Morning News asks
when and where President Franklin
Pierce was general in the army. Well,
although he was my cousin, and my
favorite sister is named for his good
mother, 1 must confess that he wasn't
a general ito hurt" In civil life he
was a very nice gentleman, but when
he was nominated for President some
of his neighbors said: Franks a good
fellow here at home, but when you
come to spread him all over the coun-
try he'll be pretty thin" So l can say
of him, a colonel of volunteers from
New Hampshire, in the Mexican war,
he did pretty well as a volunteer col
onel, but when they promoted him
| March 3, 1S47) to be a brigadier gem
| eral in the regular army, II was too
much for him, and rumor says he
TAINTED" and fell off mis- horse during
a battle. He was, however, before that
time-1S36 to 1S42-a representative and
senator in Congress from New Hamp,
| shire Before and during the Civil
| War he was known at the North as
Southern sympathizer."
Rev. Sam w. Small, in the Constitu-
| ton of last Sunday, discussing stat
ues in the Statuary Hall of Congress,
refers to Gen. James Shields, whose
statue was placed there by California,
| as the only senator in Congress who
at different times represented three
states, his nearest rival being Senator
Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont who rep
! resented Maine in the Senate before
| his removal to Vermont. Bro. Small is
"way off" in this statement. Hon. JUS
| tin s. Morril was a native OF Vermont
and never lived in or represented
Maine anywhere. Hon. Lot M. Morrill,,
| of Augusta, Me-, was n senator from
that state, before his death, years ago,
and Sam seems to have gotten them
mixed in such a way as to completely
destroy the identity of the latter nam
ed Morrill,
When you glance at the Senate and
House of Representatives at Washing
ton, d. c.. in these days. II is hard
| to believe that the country was at one
time alarmed at the cry of "Confeder-
ate Brigadiers" in Congress. In the
Senate you see. I think. only Gems.
Morgan. Cockrell, Bate and Pettus, but
in the House there is now. so far as I
can remember, not single Confederate
general Go back some twenty years
and you viii find Gems. Butler and
Hampton OF South Carolina, Cockreli
OF Missouri, Maxey Of Texas, Morgan