The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-24
COLD DAYS IN GEORGIA.
Mellow zERO WEATHER IN THE
MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
Rartow'E sword-What MIR. S. p. Orr
Has to Say About 1.-THE Recent
Army Promotions Criticism of
Them Unjust-Gen. Fitzhugh Lees
speech at Kansas City on the
American Navy-The Premature
Graduation of the Class Mt West
Point-The Case of Gen. John Sc
vier Suggested by That of Gen.
Grcene-other Matters of General
Interest.
Pine Crest villa. Maitland. Fla, Feb.
with the thermometer hanging
around the SOS and 4O's for nearly a
month, in this sub-tropical climate. have
found 1t quite impossible to keep up with
nv delayed correspondence, and inquir-
ars will have TO wait until thaw out.
This is the coolest steady weather for
February / have ever known in Florida,
and yet it has not killed anything but
very tender plants. When think of
Georgia's cold February! in 1885. when, on
Feb. Z, Athens had 1t degrees below
zero. and Milledgeville . degrees, while
Macon had 8, Augusta and Savannah
from to degrees below zero. Then
February, 1899, came along with a rec
ord about Feb. Il nearly as severe China
berry and fig trees all over Georgia were
killed to the ground. But in January,
1927, the Savannah river was frozen I'd
at Augusta and the Oconee river near
Milledgeville, most remarkable event.
And in May. 1887. there was heavy fall
Of snow in Upper Georgia, 1t is only in
looking back at these chilling scenes that
I find comfort in this long-continued Sc
ries of cold nights.
The sword worn by the heroic Gen.
Francis S. Barlow at the battle of Bull
Run, can be traced, If the statement of
Mr.. s. P. Orr of Hoschton, Ga, is cor
rect. He says Mr.. VIM. Moon was with
Gen Barlow and ministered to his wants
until he died. Just before death came
the general unbuckled his sword and
gave 1t to this Mr.. M. in return for his
kindness. The sword is now the op-
erty Ct the wife Of Rev. r. s. Mccarthy
Of Jefferson, Ga, niece of Mr.. Mo n,
from whom she received 1t at his death.
II would seem to me that the proper
place fer this historic sword would be
the archives of the Georgia Historical
Society.
DR., r. H. Peak, of Orlando, Fla, was
one of the 1863 cavalrymen under Gen
John Fl. Morgan. captured in Ohio, ne
the Pennsylvania line, in August, 1863
but he escaped from the cars and walked
to Boone county, Kentucky, and finally
cNU1T Toe
he was later on Joined by Gen. Morgan
and Capt. Hines, who had escaped from
the Ohio penitertiary. DR.. Peaks mar
rative is long one, but full of thrilling
scenes. he claims to be the sole sur
Vtvor of the captured party, and the
only person who knows what transp,red
from Capt. Hines capture until he reach
ed the Confede; ate lines. The Atlanta
Journal Of Feb. contains the article.
Prof. e. C. Moore, of Atlanta, in an &C.
count OF ''Ransom's Brigade at Ply
mouth, N. c. closes his article with a
reference to his own service as one OF
the defenders of ''Mary's Hin'' at Fred
erlcksbure, Va. Prof. Moore, I presume
refers to Marye's Heights, now a ma
tional military cemetery, and the scene
Of one of the fercest and most deadly
battles of the war. From the summit OF
these Heights the eye sweeps far over a
territory on which more men were killed
OF wounded I'm battle than on any other
spot OF ground the world over.
Some Of the newspaper criticisms on
the recent army promotions are unjust
both to the President and the favored
enlcers 1t Is true that some of them
were once private soldiers and that Gen.
wood was only an assistant surgeon. but
every one of them made his Way to
higher honors by heroic and intelligent
alseharge of important military daties
me fault is not so much with the Presi-
cent as with our partial and imperfect
system OF promotions. Gen. Fred D.
Grants promotion was fairly won. De-
spite his daughters brilliant marriage 10
RUSSIAN prince, and her subsequent
oritlcal Illness, he remained at his post
OF DUTY with fortitude and self-sacrifice
seldom witnessed.
Mr.. I. Cuyler Smith of Atlanta has dis
covered that it was the Daily Journal OF
mat CITY, and not this man HERBERT
VINO misrepresented the style of his visit
ing card 1t was not Smith, u. S. A., but
smith, Atlanta, Ga, u. s. A., which I
simply suggested was the proper caper''
Ior society man who was not an army
onicer' ! had prepared "red-hot'' reply
to his card of last Sunday, but his visit
10 the Journal office has caused him TO
SEND me second letter couched in the
proper language for one gentleman to use
10 another This ends the war, and peace
reigns In Warsaw.
Inc Atlanta Journal is publishing Civil
war narratives by active participants in
the scenes depicted by their ready pens.
IN the issue of Feb. Q, in writing Of "Tne
6attle OF Resala," one of Gen. Jesse j.
rIAeys couriers, John II. Hill of Dalton,
"a tells how the GNn raj was twice
wounded, and retired from active serv ce
on account OF these wounds. In a post
script he says Gen. Bate is now a sem
aOor from Tenne ssee, and G n. Finley.
senator or Representative from Florida.
~ Is true that some years ago Gen. Fin
icy was In Congress and also served as
!uuge OF the Ocala Circuit Court, but of
.Ste ne has been a confirmed invalid at
sne nome OF his son, Editor Charl A
rlniey' at Lake City, where he is held,
as IN all parts of the state, in the highest
esteem by people who know him He
was not only a gal ant sold er, but In
Oh tne active years of his useful life he
was an honored and trusted CT izen Ia
many public positions, and beloved as a
christian gentlemen without reproach.
me Illustrated cover of the special Way
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