The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-21
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
THE FIRST CONFEDERATE MoNU-
hIENT IN GEORGIA.

Martin Van Buren, Left Out I'm the
COId-OnIy Two Survivors of the
Confederate States Senate-Some
Remarks About Fire Drill in Pub
lie SchooIs-DOg Meat Discussed by
Two Distinguished Confederate
Veterans-Veteran Busbee's Ac-
count of His Release From Fort
Pulaski-Other Matters of General
Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla. Dec.
20.-In a sketch Of Southern men in
New York. by "A. K. Falcons, he re-
fers to DR.. William NJ. Polk as the
grandson of "a President" In this he
is mistaken, as the father of DR.. Polk
was Lieut.. Gen. (Bishop) Leonidas
Polk, who was a son of Col. William
Polk of Raleigh, N. c., and not Of
President James K. Polk, or Pollok, the
original family name. THE
Lost Cause" magazine Of Louisville,
KY, contains a number of photographs
of distinguished Confederate generals.
among Others that of Brig. Gen. Bryan
NJ. Thomas, a West Point Georgian,
now living at Dalton. know the pic
lures of Gen. ]. z. Johnston and Brig.
Gen. Alpheus Baker are good like
nesses and presume the others are.
But Maj. Gen" Richard Taylor was
a lieutenant general and brother-in-
law of President Davis, he being son
of Gen Zachary Taylor. The picture
of Brig. Gen. Pinckney D. Bowles of
Evergreen, Ala, reminds me that the
Morning News lately referred to him
comrades and brigadier generals. Law
was a full major general, and good
one, too, but Col. BoWles failed to get
his commission in due time, yet he is
rated ss a colonel and brigadier gem
eral, as he is entitled to the latter rank.
1t appears that Griffin unveiled the
first Confederate monument in Geor-
gia, if official reports are correct. AS
the Augusta cenotaph movement start
ed in 1855, / supposed that was the
first, but 1t seems that there was a
delay in the progress of the movement,
and 1t was not until Dec. 81, 1873, that
the unwilling occurred. Col t. G. Bar
rett was marshal of the parade and
Maj. ]. B. Cumming delivered a most
eloquent address. Through the
efforts of Gen. George F. Foote (cap-
tain, United States army, retired) a
past commander, Department of Flori-
da, g. A. r., now residing in Wash
ington, d. c., a bill has been intro
duced in Congress by Representative
r. W. Davis for the establishment in
Florida of a national soldiers home,
one especially designed for veterans
who cannot stand the colder climate of
the Northern and Western soldiers
homes. Tennessee has secured such an
institution at Johnson City, and this
fact may defeat the Florida bill, yet
1t must be manifest to all observing
people that this state is the proper
place for such a soldiers home. Our
climate is peculiarly adapted to the ills
of veteran soldiers in feeble health,
and they are scattered from one end
of Florida to the other, and many of
them need the benefits of such an in
stitution here.
The Atlanta Journal answers a cor
respondent that John Adams and Thorn
as Jefferson were the only vice presi-
dents ever elected to the presidency.
This leaves Martin Van Buren, out in
the cold. The true answer should be:
John Adams, under Washington for
two terms and then succeeded him as
President; Thomas Jefferson under
Adams one term and then defeated him
for reelection: Martin Van Buren, I'M
der jackson two terms and then sue
ceeded him. Tyler, Fillmore, Johnson,
Arthur and Roosevelt reached the pres
idency through the death of the Pres
idents under whom they have served
as Vice Presidents. -" . The announce
ments of the death of Mrs. Gen. U. S.
Grant, state that she married Cant "
Grant in 1S4S. This is hardly correct,
as he was then only a first lieutenant
OF infantry and captain by brevet for
gallant conduct in Mexico. He was
quartermaster of the Fourth United
T1f fF~xy fI4r1 to
Sackett's Harbor, N. Y, when he mar
ried Miss Julia Dent, whose brother,
Gen. Fred I. Dent U. S. A, entered
West Point with him. Gen. James
Longstreet who graduated a year
ahead of Gen. Grant, was a first lieu
tenant at Jefferson Barracks, near ST.
Louis, and attended the wedding as
Grants best man." and their friend
ship only ended with Grants death.
There are. I think, but two surviv-
ors of the Confederate States Senate.
and while one is about to retire to pri-
vate life. the other. and older one.
takes seat on the Supreme Court
bench of Florida. 1 refer to United
States Senator George G. Vest of Mis-
souri,. a short term Confederate States
senator, who says he does not want
to be reelected, and Judge E. c. Max
well OF Pensacola, (born, 1 think. in
Elberton, Ga), long term Confederate
States senator. who has just been ap-
pointed associate justice of the Florida
Supreme Court. . The last of the
Heidi boys has been assigned, and thew
now stand in the November "Arnly
List" as follows: "Grayson ". Heidi.
first lieutenant, Fourteenth Cavalry:
Gulielmus V. Heidi, second lieutenant.
Twelfth Infantry, Fort Douglas, Utah:
James V. Heidi captain Tenth Infan-
try; James and Grayson are on leave
of absence and visiting their father.
Rev. DIR. John W. Heidi of Atlanta
who has just been relieved as assist
ant editor Of the Wesleyan Christian
Advocate, and appointed presiding eld-
er of the Oxford district, which en-
braces Emory College, and is consid-
cred very desirable appointment,
AS I have several times spoken of
the value of the fire drill'' in the puh-
lie schools I am not willing to pass
in silence complaint in the Wash
lngton, d. c.. Post against the prac-
tice of the drill in cold. bad weather.
as was recently done in that city. No
sensible or cOmnetant feacbar Win =