The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-19
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
GEN. WILSON'S ATTACK ON GEN.
LEE COMMENTED ON.

A Writer in the Washington Star
Corrected - What Would Amaze
Col. Roger Jones, the Once Eff
cient Adjutant General of the
Army Something About the
BrOwn1Ows of Tennessee - Gen.
Sherman Didn't Like the Song
"Marching Through Georgia"
other Matters of General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, Oct.
1S.-I was in error in regard to the G..
A. R. meeting at Washington. 1t met
there in 1870 1892 and 1902.
There was an tout" in my last letter
that ruined the sentence. 1 wrote that
Gen. Louis Wagner would be senior
commander-in-chief, and senior S. ".
commander-in-chief and senior ]. ".
commander-in-chief, very remarka-
BILE record. But the Senior S. ".
COMMUNICATIVE chief" was left out.
Gen. Joseph R. Hawley, who is
United States senator from Connecti
cut, is the oldest surviving officer, and
was present at the recent encampment
He was the first junior vice command
er-in-chief and was succeeded by Gen.
Wagner. 1 see that Maj. Gen.
William F. Smith, u S. A, better
known as Badly" was present at the
military reunions in Washington. My
last war service was performed on his
staff. 1 served on the STATS of Gems.
Terry, Tyler, Schenck, Fullerton, Nor
gan. Banks, Casey, Couch and "Baldy
Smith" And 1 have outlived them all
except the latter. The Wash
ington papers have been giving an &C
count of the battle of Gettysburg and
refer to a council of war on Sunday
afternoon at Gen. Meades head
quarters when it was decided not to
follow up Gen. Lees army. am the
sole survivor of that council of war
and familiar with all the reasons why
thls action was taken. . AS the
communication signed "Abner Breath
ed, attached to my last Sundays let
Ter, questions my veracity I shall not
reply to it. I made two statements
personal to myself, and when a man
doubts my word he raises a barrier
between US that cannot be removed.
The Rev. George G. Smith, D. D., in
ms recent biographical sketch of Hon.
William H. Crawford, falls into an err
Tor When he says Crawford, as secre-
tary of the treasury, held this re-
sponsible position for ten years, a
longer period, 1 think, than any man
was ever in that bureau" Now, the
oihclal records do not bear out this
clalm Mr.. Crawford was Secretary of
war under President Madison from
aug. l, 1916, to Oct. %, 1876; then Secre-
tdry OF the Treasury from Oct. %, 1916
10 March Z, 1926, having been reap
pointed by President Monroe. To make
out ten years, as Rev. DR.. Smith claims
ne served, he should have remained in
once until Oct. %, 1925, which he did
not do. The star record of service
gwen to Mr.. Crawford belongs to Hon.
Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania. He
became Secretary of the Treasury I'M
uer President Jefferson on May IA, 1901,
served through both of Jeffersons
terms of office and into the second year
ot Madison's second term, being sue
ceeded, Feb. 9. 1914, by Hon. George w.
campbell of Tennessee, after nearly
thlrteen years of continuous service in
mat bureau. Campbell was succeeded,
oct 6, 1914, by Alex J. Dallas of Penn
syIvania, and he, in turn, was followed
oh Oct. %, 1916, by Mr.. Crawford.
MY suggestion, recently made, that
me pensioning of ex-Confederate SOL
aiers who deserted and Joined the I'm
ion army, as many did, would be fol-
iCwed by renewed attempts to get them
!nto the G. A. r., has taken shape. The
department. of Arkansas wished to
amend the restriction regulating men,
Cership so that it will read: "Volun-
eearlly' borne arms against the United
states. These deserters claim to have
tpeen forced into the Confederate army
Dut skipped" at the first chance.
aiso stated that there was no Honor
9qry membership" in the G. A. r. for
Union soldier, much less for Gen.
johnston, Gen. Wheeler or Maj. Jones,
oid Confederates, but that there was
q sort Of social membership" Now,
me Department of Michigan asks for
an Associate Society" composed ''of
sentlemen who are not eligible to men,
Sersnip in the Grand Army of the Re-
puoIlc." But-they must have never
pporne arms against the United States"
seems worse than foolish to apply
any such test at this late day. We
nave had too many ''Blue and Gray