The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-11

tender of Gen. Lees sword to Gen.
Grant. 1 have several times referred
to the latter error. because Mrs. Jeffer-
son Davis and Mrs. Virginia Clay Clop-
ton and other prominent Confederates
have given it their support. And now
comes a distinguished D. A. r. and U.
d. c. official, a woman of the highest
standing, and daughter of a brave and
lamented Confederate general, who
writes to me about the surrender under
an apple tree and the tender of Lees
sword, which Grant declined to accept.
1 mention this matter for the purpose
of asking the L. D. c. and the u. c. V.
to issue in one of their official osders,
or circulars, a positive and clear state
ment of the real facts of the memorable
event: That If took place inside of a
house and not under an apple tree, and
that Gen. Lee never rendered his sword
to Gen. Grant at that meeting, which
was the time and place of the formal
surrender.
In a previous letter, referring to Col.
Hiram p. Bell of Cumming. Ga, as a
survivor of the Second Confederate
Congress. 1 said Gen. T. N. Waul of
Texas was probably a survivor of the
Provisional Congress. 1t now appears
that he is alive and was an honored
guest of the Dallas reunion, with
Hon. John H. Reagan, also a member
of the same Congress. Rev. DR.. S. II.
Ford. a distinguished Baptist divine
of the Christian Repository of St.
Louis, was likewise a member from
Kentucky of the Provisional Congress,
he being at that time one of the edi-
tors of the now Courier-Journal. The
Dallas News is mistaken about DR..
Ford being "one of three survivors"
of that Congress, Rev. DR.. j. L. M
Currsy, and United States Senator
George G. Vest being the other two.
Waul and Reagan and Gen. Roger A.
Pryor now of New York, were also
members. Waul and Pryor went into
the Confederate army; Reagan be-
came Postmaster General; Curry was
reelected to First Congress, but de-
feated for Second, and then went into
the army Vest staid in Congress, go
ing from the House to the Senate
Jan. II, 1865. Bell only served in the
Second Congress. The survivors,
therefore. seem to be Reagan, Vest,
Pryor, Curry, Waul and Ford all
men of high character and marked
ability.
The Baltimore press special, of May
8, that Rev. DIR. William Hunter of
Washington, D. c., lis said to be the
first negro to be appointed chaplain
in the United States army" having
been commissioned chaplain by Presi-
dent Lincoln in 1864" does not appear
to me to be correct in it's statements.
So far as l know the first negro chap
lain appointed in the United Stats
army was by President Grover Cleve-
land. Rev. Allen Allensworth of Ken
lucky, was appointed chaplain of the
TWenty-fOurth United States Infantry
(colOred), April 1, 1886. Hunter may
have been a chaplain of volunteers, but
he was not in the regular army Rev.
Theophilus G. Steward of New Jersey,
a graduate of the West Philadelphia
Divinity School, was appointed chap
lain of the Twenty fifth United States
Infantry, July 90 1890. The first negro
officer to graduate from West Point
Military Academy into the regular
army, was Henry o. Flipper of Atlanta,
Ga, but born, 1 think, in Thomasville.
He graduated in 1877, but some years
later was dismissed for financial
troubles as quartermaster. But he has
been very successful since as a chief
engineer in Mexico and Arizona. He
has also published several Spanish
translations, and is now chief engineer
at Nagales, Arizona.
Some weeks age I corrected the
newspaper sketch of Judge Richard
Peters, of Philadelphia, the friend of
Washington, Morris and other Revolu-
tionary patriots and soldiers. 1t was
stated that he was a member of Wash
ington's cabinet, being appointed by
him Secretary of War. My corrections
were questional by some of his Georgia
descendants, at the time, but they
have since learned that 1 was right.
Now as a "clncher," 1 have just re-
ceived from Hon. John Hay, the Secre-
tary of State, a full list of Secretaries
of War from 1889 to 1901, and the name
of Richard Peters is not there in any
form whatever, and the list includes
even clerks who were ad-interims.
And just here 1 will correct myself
recently said Gen. Saml Cooper was
never secretary of War, ad interium;
but he did hold that position for three
days in 1857. Judge Peters, who was
also Captain, was Secretary of the
Board of War and Ordnance, and later
on became member of the Board,
and also had charge of the Office until
the first Secretary of War entered upon
the discharge of his duties. There was
no drawer, truer patriot or more hon
ored and useful official in the days
that tried mems souls" than Judge
Peters.
1t is surprising. and to the peace
advocates no doubt alarming, to see
how much space our leading maya
zines are giving to military topics
Not only the Century, so long devoted
to Civil War articles, but the Forum,
the Atlantic, the Woman's Companion,
the Success, the Monthly Ledger, the
the National, the Munseys
and many others-all give one or two
articles each month on military or
naval topics for adult readers, while |
the st. Nicholas, the Youths Com
panion and the American Boy keep |
the rising generation fully posted on
and naval matters. Our book |
publishers are also filling libraries with |
and naval biographies, his
tories and novels. The most popular
works of fiction to-day are interviewer
with war scenes and military charac-
ters. And many of the most popular
plays on the stage are based on these
novels. We have reached that point |
in our history as a nation where we
are compelled to breathe the atmos-
phere that is created by war and war
riors.
A recent writer has revived the old |
story about Gen. John A. Logans de- |
sire to join the Confederate army.
And the VeXed question in regard to |
Gen. Robert E. Lees final action,
and that of Gen. George H. Thomas.
there is another case and one 1 have |
never seen discussed-that of the late
Brevet Maj Gen. Alfred T. A. Torbet,
~ < naIa IL