The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-16

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great activity and influence.
1 have had occasion to mildly correct
some of Col. A. K. McClure's errors in
his Random Recollections of Half
Century" but l see that other writers
score him sharply for his careless
statements and false charges. AS
have been an editor or journalist over
fifty-three years. and Mcclure retired
with only fifty years service, l am
about as well posted as he in regard
to many public men and measures. His
last article, which deals with Gen.
Sherman. is full of errors and false
opinions. / knew Gen. Sherman very
intimately after the war, and l know
that the South had no better friend
after the surrender. And as to his ac-
ceoting the presidency If it had been
offered him. l know most positively
that nothing could have induced him to
accept that office.
Estelle Burney, in a sketch of Dub
lin, Ca, refers to General Thomas
Mccall of Dublin, a brother of Maj.
Gen. Hugh Mccall" the first historian
of Georgia. l think the general opin-
ion of the majority will be that the
highest rank this old soldier attained
was that of brevet major, without the
general. Hugh Mccall was appointed
Aug 10, 1900, and made a brevet major
on July 10, 1912, which is the highest
rank l can find given him in the army
records, and he is credited to South
Carolina. / think he entered the SER
vice in May, 1874, as an ensign OF the
third sub legion. Later he was a first
lieutenant, a deputy paymaster gen.
eral, and then a captain, with the
brevet of major. His highest actual
rank was captain when ''disbanded'' in
1915 He was appointed a military
Storekeeper at Savannah, Ca, in 1918,
and died in 1924. AS his position of
deputy paymaster general gave him no
increase in rank, and only $50 in pay,
I do not see where he got his rank
of Maj. Gen. Hugh Mccall" l think
the Joseph Halbersham Chapter, D. A.
r., of Atlanta, are moving to have the
major general removed from his
portrait in the Capitol and major"
substituted. But it should be "brevet
major" if his army title is to be per-
petuated.
The Joseph Habersham Chapter of
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton in Atlanta, conducts a Depart
ment in the Sunday issue of the Con-
stitution, relating to Historical and
Genealogical matters. The editor of
this Department seems to be in har-
nony with me in her efforts to cor
rect errors for she says in last Sun
days issue: Much of our space this
week is given to correspondents who
desire to correct errors which have
been made in recent communications.
We heartily thank these friends, as we
know the writer's Of the original arti-
cles do also. Any genuine lover of his
tory values the facts in the case be-
yond any and every other considerl-
ton, and we cordially invite full and
fair discussion of any statements
which seem to be questionable. The
chapter aims to stand for the truth.
but it is strange how error oreeps in"
Then follows an example of errors
that need to be corrected, one similar
to that corrected by me recently of a
major" in the quartermaster's depart
ment of the regular army whose pic
ture appeared in a California newspa-
per, with Major General under il.
Here is the chapters similar case: TT
is called to our attention on good au-
thorty that there hangs in our State
Capitol the portrait of a soldier of the
Revolution who had risen to the rank
of major. Yet he is painted in the
uniform of a major general, and the
the picture. We entreat our
chief executive to at once order the
custodian of the Capitol building to re-
move the disabilities of the old Revo-
lutioner in the name of wisdom, JUS
tice and moderation, and if there is no
fund to pay for this act of justice, send
the bill to the Joseph Habersham Chap
ter. We protest that this
brave, honorable gentleman, whose
name we do not know be not thus held
up to the ridicule of posterity by being
placed in a false position"
A prominent member of the commit
tee in charge of the reinterment of
Gen. Greene's remains, writes me as
follows: Il notice in your letter to-
day some reference to the contradict
tary spelling of the name of Nathaniel.
| should think that the finding of the
coffin plate last March would settle
the question beyond any further doubt
The plate after being subjected to
chemical treatment revealed this in
scription-'Nathanae Greene. Also
the historian of Greene, one William
Johnston, always spells it ael and
never iel." In this age of "tinkering''
with names 1 should never go to a
coffin plate in search of a mans true
Il q