The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
SOME COMMENT ON OUR NATIONAL
HYMNS.

Gen. j. j. Dickinson of OcnIa Was n
Famous Cavalry Captain and Did
Heroic Service in Florida During
the Civil War-A Marriage Which
Will Re n Union of the North and
the SOuth-Private DaIzeH n Kick
er-The New Law in Regard to Ex-
polling Cadets From West Point.
How Will 1t WOrk.-A Thing
which the New York Tribune
Claims Has Been Upset-Other Mat
tiers of Special Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla,
Aug. 23.-My recently prolonged i'll
ness has sadly demoralized my corre-
spondence, and also compelled me to
use much old matter in these letters.
Correspondents, especially inquiring
ones for information, must have pa
thence. 1 am glad to be able to give
any desired facts to readers of the
Morning News but they must bear in
mind my old age and physical weak
ness and have patience. I" am
sorry Veteran T. B. Catherwood thinks
1 criticised his article on patriotic
songs and tunes, because 1 never read
the article, simply saw an allusion to
it. This led me to couple his name
with Maj. Gardeners, and the editor
of the New Orleans Picayune in my
letter. Veteran Catherwood is not
only a song writer of much merit, Dut
he is also a composer OF tunes TO III
his songs. His song, How the Maine
Went Down. dedicated to Gen. W. w.
Gordon, u S. v, that highest type
of citizen and soldier" is a very cred
liable composition, and ought to be-
come quite popular in naval circles.
L am not a musical composer nor
poet in any sense, yet l have written
and published a dozen. song books and
some songs in sheet music form, and
therefore feel that 1 can modestly set
my judgment of songs 'up against"
that of Veteran Catherwood. His last
communication in the Morning News
is not of a liberal, patriotic character.
He objects. as many Southerners have
done, to the words of MY Country,
IT'S of Thee" because they were con-
sidered sectional before the war.
good many devout people object to
Nearer My God, to Thee" because
the authoress was a Unitarian. Other
pious people refuse to sing Lead.
Kindly Light" because it was written
by Roman Catholic. And yet, Dixie"
the Away Down South in Dixie
was written by Yankee, and so. was
the soul-stirring Dixie-"Southrons,
Hear Your Country Call You" Con-
gresham Alexander White of Ala
bama, whose eloquent and brilliant
speech on the Bonnie Blue Flag"
made him famous-became one of the
most notorious and despised Republi-
can "scalawags" in the South during
reconstruction days. We cannot Judge
patriotic songs from sectional stand
points. No one rejects the "Bivouac of
the Dead" because Col. O'Hara was
a Confederate soldier.
1t is true that MY Country, IT'S
of Thee" does not measure up to a
high standard as literary production,
nor does Home, Sweet, Home" Few
people know that the latter famous
song has been .tinkered into it's pres
emit condensed shape. The original had
a good deal of trash" in it, and this ,
was weeded out. That THE Star
Spangled Banner" by Southern pa
triot, is of a much higher grade
think no one will deny, yet it can never
become as popular as America" not
even in the South The reason is
plain and simple. You cannot find in
any ordinary assembly enough people
who know the words and can carry
the tune of ''The Star-Spangled Ban
ner" while nearly everybody can sing
America" AS | said before, Dixie"
and Yankee Doodle" and America"
and Home, Sweet, Home" are here
to stay, not because we love 1.-The
STAR pangled Banner" any the less,
but it is not familiar with the masses.
Some one has sent me a copy of the
handsome illustrated Guide for the
Avondale Range Interstate Military
Shoot in Savannah, on Aug. 80. 1t is
something more than a mere temper
airy guide book. The photo-pictures of
well-known military officers, and Col.
j. H. Estill's fine sketch of SaVannah's
ancient and honorable and modern
(also honorable) military commands,
make the Guide a valuable book for
future reference. This aside from the
historical sketch of Savannah so care
fully prepared by Mr.. Thomas Gamble,
Jr. belong to leading Baptist church
IN Boston that is a good deal over two
hundred years old (but l am not a
charter member) and when Mr.. Gam
BILE speaks of that city as being one
hundred and thirty-six years old, when
Savannah was born, 1t revives some
old memories. I knew the illustrious
Daniel Webster and many of his asso-
ciates, such men as Robert G. Win
throp, George Tichnor, Lathrop, Pres
colt, George S. Hillard, and all the old
time editors. And, yet, when / scan
the bright pages of Savannah's history,
and her environments I see a glory
there that need not make her ashamed
to be compared with Boston.
Gen. ]. j. Dickinson, who is reported
near deaths door" at his home in
Ocala, and may die before this gets
into print, is not a Confederate gen
eral. But he was the captain of a
famous cavalry command on the style
of "Maseby's Men" and did heroic
service here in Florida during the Civil
War. His efficient service won for him
request from his superior officer that
the rank of major be conferred upon
him. For some reason this was not
done, and he closed his service with
the rank of captain. The title of ma
general of the state, and also as divis-
ion commander of the Florida U. c.
Veterans. In this command he was
succeeded a few years ago by Mai
Gen. Evander McIver Law, U. S. A. of
the Florida Military Institute at Bar
tow. Gen. Dickinson is a very old
man, and has been in feeble health
for several years. Before that time
he was an active and prominent figure
at all gatherings of old Confederate
soldiers.
The announcement of the forthcom.
Miss Barker, a union of the South and
the North-reminds me of the heroic
career of the gallant grandfather for
whom he was named. Lewis S. Craig
Of Virginia, became a second lieutenant
In the famous Second Dragons in 1897.