The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-13


charity" At every meeting the
FIRST questions in the order of business
are IN regard to sick or needy soldiers
or their families. l can name a feeble
u. "A. K. Post in Orange county, Flor
lea, that paid out 5000 for hospital ex-
penses of a comrade, and yet every
member, nearly, of that post was
poor man. The U. c. V. of Alabama
should see to it that every one of these
ola Confederates is given a comfortable
place outside poor house, until SOL
dlers nome is established. The location
Oh these soldiers has been given in the
press and they can be easily found.
Gen. r. Porter Alexander, C. S. A.,
and the late Gen. John Gibbon, U. S.
A, and Col. Charles Marshall, c. S
A. and Gen. Wesley Merritt, U. S.
A., all had something to say about
Gen Lees surrender at Appomattox,
IN the April issue of the Century Mag
azlne. | hope TO be able to note some
disputed points in a future letter. Gen,
Alexander, l think, explains the fake
apple-tree' story by telling how Gen.
Lee dismounted near an apple tree
and was waiting for Gen. Grant. Some
renee rails were brought and a seat
made for him under this tree, where
he sat about two hours Within
twenty-four hours that tree was car
ried off in pieces, root, branch and
trunk. 1T was carried off entirely
by Confederates," says Gen. Alexander,
who, standing in our last line of bat
tie, saw Lee sitting under the tree
awaiting Grants messenger. 1
l have since tried in vain to get a
piece even as big as a toothpick." No
doubt out of this resting of Gen. Lee
under that apple tree has come down
20 h E,I IL
under the world-famous "Appomattox
Apple-Tree," when, in fact it oc-
Cured inside of the Mclean house
The Rev. w. r. Mcconnell, minister
in charge of St. James Episcopal
Church, at Pooler Ga, favors me with
a very kind and timely letter, in which
he says: II always read with interest
your weekly Sunday letters in the Sa-
Savannah Morning News, and l was
particularly interested in yesterdays
april 81 letter, on account of the para
graph relative to my brother the late
Capt. Thomas R. Mcconnell. The gen.
eral accuracy of your statements is re-
markable when we take into consid-
Grafton the great number of persons
about whom you write, and the years
that have passed since the close of the
war. When Capt. Mcconnell resigned
his position of commandant in the
Georgia Military Institute, he went to
Texas, but returned when Georgia Sc
coded, and offered his services to his
native state. The Legislature appoint
ed officers for two regiments of Geor-
gia Regulars, and my brother received
a captaincy in one of them. But when
the Provisional Congress of the Con-
federate States met in Montgomery,
officers were commissioned for a num-
Der of regiments of Confederate Reg
ulars, and the West Point graduates
connected with the Georgia Regulars,
received appointments in those regi-
ments, my brother securing a captains
commission. Only one regiment of
Georgia Regulars was actually raised,
and it was differed principally by
graduates of the Georgia Military In
stitute. No troops of Confederate Reg
ulars were ever raised, the officers re-
ceiving appointments as above stated,
in a short time being placed in COM
mand of brigades and divisions made
up of volunteers.
I am gratified to note the pleasing
fact that the Rev. Mr. Mcconnell is
substantially correct in his statements.
The Army of Georgia" vas to be
composed of two regiments Of regulars,
the first under Gen. Hardee, with
Charles ]. Williams as lieutenant
colonel and Gen. McLaws and Ed r.
Harden as majors. Gen. William d.
Smith was senior captain and S. p
Hamilton of Savannah junior captain
Gen. w. w. Kirkland Gen. George P.
Harrison, Jr., P. NJ. B. Young and Gen.
Ed S. Willis were among the lieuten-
ants. The Second Regiment was I'M
der Gen. William H. T. Walker, with
E. w. Christian as lieutenant colonel
and Gen. William NJ. Gardner and Gen.
Alfred Cumming as majors. Iverson,
Mcintosh, Smead and Mcconnell, who
were old army officers, and John r. T.
Tatnall, U. S. N, were captains. Gen.
Bryan M. Thomas, Gen. Joseph Wheel
er and Gen. Robert H. Anderson and
John T. Mercer and James Barrow,
West Pointers, were lieutenants. Col.
A. b. Montgomery, also, had been in
the United States artillery service.
John Jones, who had been a cadet long
before at West Point, but failed to
graduate, was made quartermaster
general, with rank of lieutenant
colonel, and Samuel NJ. Mcconnell, as
sistant quartermaster, with rank of
captain.
It will be seen that Capt. Neon
nell's brilliant record in Mexico, where
he was made first lieutenant and brevet
captain for conspicuous gallantry in
battle, was fully recognized by Geor-
gia, and he was made captain of Com
TDnrr 1ng~C