The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-02
GEN. MeGLASHAN'S REPLY.
Tells of His Recommendation for
Brigndier GenernIship.


Savannah. Sept. 1. 1sO1.-Editor
Morning News: A communication in
tc-day's paper from the able pen of
YOUR Florida correspondent, Sidney
Herbert, refers incidentally to me by
name in a matter that certainly re-
ouires my attention, more on account
of the friends who have so kindly writ
ten in my defense, than of my own.
have never personally attached any
interest to- or claimed any credit for
any degree of rank 1 may have at
tanned in the service of the Confederate
states Only as a Confederate soldier,
who, loving his adopted country and
people, honestly and faithfully served
them to the best of his ability until
the bitter and disastrous end came, do
l claim a record of which shall never
feel ashamed or regret.
In this connection may be pardoned
for quoting from a memorandum of
services and promotions inscribed on
the back of my old commission as col
orel at the close of the war; while
events were still fresh in my memory.
1t records a personal participation in
over twenty-one engagements from the
seven-days' fight to Sailors Creek,
April 6, 1865, and promotions as fol-
lows: First lieutenant, March IL, 1862;
captain, Oct. 1. 1862; major. Feb. "a,
1862 lieutenant colonel, July 2, 1868;
colonel, July 81. 1868, and brigadier gen.
eIal-recommended fall of 1854
This tells the whole story. The char
acter of the service may be inferred
from the fact that L served with my old
regiment, the Fiftieth Georgia, as gall
liant regiment as ever marched under
the Southern Cross, until from an
original force of over 100, it was
decimated by constant campaigning
until less than 80 men We're left at
Sailors Creek where, as part of the
rear guard in Ewell's corps, they glor-
iously but vainly tried to stem Gen.
Grants overwhelming advance.
Now, as to the brigadier generalship:
When Gen. Goode Bryan resigned in
the fall of 1864, he called me to his tent
and stated his intention to recommend
me as his successor in command of the
brigade. / have verified the fact that
he did so, by application to the Record
and Pension Office at Washington, D:
c., through Col. Ainsworth, chief of the
office. He states: Col. P. McGlashan,
colonel of Fiftieth Georgia, was recon-
mended for promotion as brigadier
general, but no record of his actual
promotion has been found
While residing in Macon in 1852.
received letter from Maj A. H. Nc
Laws formerly quartermaster of Nc
Laws Division, A u. ", and a brother
of our Maj. Gen. McLaws. in which he
makes this statement: Our late Pres
ident Jefferson Davis, now on
visit here kindly inniiirad
after you, and stated as
historical fact that your commission as
brigadier general was the last one he
signed before the fall of Richmond"
1, of course, felt extremely fattered
and touched that our great chief should
have remembered me at all, but paid
little attention to the other matter, as
I thought that interest in mere Confed-
crate rank was now forever ended, and
at that time of our greatest depres-
sion, we generally felt that way, l did
not even mention the matter for sew
eral years afterwards, except to one
or two personal friends, notably Mr.. L.
c. Bryan. a former editor of agricul-
tural topics in the Morning News. On
my removal to Savannah in 1885, he
remembered the incident and had it
published in the News Tin 1861 think,
as an interesting item. which. however.
had the effect of fastening the title on
me permanently.
Mr. Herbert states that he has had
the assistance of jefferson Davis in
compiling the list of Confederate gen.
erals, etc, and that he has reasons
for thinking the list correct. Among
the many have seen published have
however, failed to find one that did
not have some omissions that I knew
Of in my limited knowledge. 1 noted
my name in the list published by the
nj cd of
convention at Houston. Tex, but no.
where else. But it seems strange to
me that jefferson Davis, in assisting
the compilation of Mr.. Herbert's list,
should have so completely forgotten his
statement to Maj. McLaws in Augusta.
know Maj. McLaws was the very
soul of honor and 1 cannot doubt his
statement to me; neither was there any
motive existing for him to make such
a statement if not true. He was my
old friend and comrade.
In conclusion, we all know that in
the inevitable confusion caused by the
sudden collapse of the Confederacy and
hurried flight of the government many
papers and documents were irrecover-
ably lost; more especially those of re-
cent occurrence They were destroyed,
burnt, captured by the federal forces.
and the entire truth will in all prob
ability never be known or what was
really done.
All know is that at that time / was
looking daily for my promotion.
also know l never received 1t, neither
had it disappointed me all through my
term of service. / never valued hon
ors as such: my only desire was to
do my full duty as a soldier, and let
honors go where they pleased, and
that they did not always go to the
most deserving is a matter of history.
Neither do / wish to occupy the posi-
ton of sailing under false colors.'
have made no claims in anything
have written that 1 cannot substan-
tiate, and rest my record with my old
comrades of the glorious past, and
with them / leave it content. Mere
rank is nothing, but honest true ser
vice is everything, and should be so
considered by every surviving veter-
an who enshrines the glorious deeds of
a nation that has ceased to exist In
the eternal loving memories of their
hearts
Pardon the long personal article!
Nothing has so panied me as TO have
to write it. l am not fond of noto-
riety, in fact, dislike it. and this shall
be the last time l trust to thrust my
affairs on the public.