The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-27

From Saccarappa to Portland pier?
They killed me with their much abuse,
Then sailed me down for soldiers use."
1 cannot understand why so many
writers refer to Gen. Robert E. Lee
as a lieutenant colonel" when he re-
signed from the United States army.
All the official records of that army
show him to have been promoted from
lieutenant colonel of the Second Cav
airy to colonel of the First Cavalry
on March 16, 1861. That commission
he resigned on April rs to enter the
service of Virginia. And yet Gen. Jo-
seph E. Johnston, referring to the five
full generals of the Confederacy, says:
"Their relative rank in the United
States army just before secession was:
~ Joseph z. Johnston, brigadler gen.
eral; (2) S. Cooper, colonel; (S) A. s.
Johnston, colonel" Now, Cooper's COM
mission was dated July, 1852, while A.
S. Johnstons bore date of March, 1855,
but two years later he was made
brevet brigadier general, a fact that
Johnston failed to mention. President
Davis had "a head of his own" and
although Southern officers in the Unit
ed States Army, were promised the
same rank in the Confederate service,
he gave the ranking full generalship
to a New Yorker, who was only a col
OHSl Wulle u. Il. d DT1EdQlST
general, and A. S. Johnston, colonel
and brevet brigadier general, were CIV
en- back seats" r. E. Lee and A. S.
Johnston were also placed ahead of
]. Z. Johnston, and the friction it
caused only ended with the death Of
Davis and Johnston.
Maj. Gen. Oliver o. Howard, U. s.
A., (retired) participated in the cere-
monies of the unwilling of the Walker
monument in Atlanta, and in a news
paper interview told of his old Confed-
crate comrades at West Point Acad-
envy. He erred, however, in some of
his dates and statements. He entered
in 1850 and graduated four years later.
Gen. Walker was not an Instructor
in 1857, being commandment of cadets
and instructor from 1854 to Sc, when
Gen. Hardee succeeded him. Gen.
Lee did not become superintendent
until 1852, and was relieved in March,
1855. The surgeon was DIR. John NJ
Cuyler, of Savannah, from 1S4S to
1855. Geo. w. Gusts mot Curtis, as
the papers put it) Lee was No. 1,
Gen. Ruger No. 3. and Gen. Howard
No. 4, in class of 1854, which included
Gems. S. d. Lee. Jas. Deshler. John
Pegram, J. e, B. Stuart, w. D. Pen
P. Villepigne, and Horace Randall.
Hood and Fitz Lee were not his class
| mates, as the former entered in 1919
| and the latter in 1852, but Howard
| knew them as cadets. John Il. Mercer
and Abner Smead, of Georgia, were in
| Howard's class, and Mercer fell in
| battle at Plymouth, N. c., in 1864, but
| Smead passed through the war safe
| ly and became a doctor and profess
sor in California. 1t will be seen that
Howard was environed at West Point
by Southern officers and cadets who
were destined to become famous. No
wonder he now has such a kindly and
| fraternal feeling for the old Con-
| federates. He speaks in the highest
terms of Gen. r. E. Lee as superin-
tendent of the academy.
The Augusta Chronicle having cop
led statement from the Atlanta Con-
stitution that Gen. w. H. T. Walker
was the only Georgia general killed
in action" F. M. Stovall names Bar
tow Cobb. Tracey, Deshler Semmes,
Doles and Girardey as fallen braves"
in battle. l notice several errors in this
! list. Gen. James Deshler was of Ala
! bama, and Gen. Edward Darr Tracy
| mot e. S. Tracey, although born in
Macon, Ga, married and resided in
Huntsville, Ala, from which city he
commanded a company in Fourth AL