The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-16

Pierce Gust able to keep the saddle)
with his brigade (Pillow's divisiom,
conducted by Capt. Lee engineer, by
third road" The Capt. Lee referred
TO was Robert f. Lee, then one of the
most useful officers in the war. Gen
scott says 1.-The battle was long hot
and varied; but ultimately success
crowned the zeal and gallantry of our
troops. Brig. Gen. Pierce, from
the hurt of the evening before-under
pain and exhaustion-fainted in the ac-
ton And out of this grew the unjust
rumor that he was so scared he fell
off his horse in a faint.
In a recent letter stated that Homer
Lee & Co, military publishers OF New
orK, some years ago, put in print
f1ve-dolfar handsome album-"West
Point Tic-Tacs"-in which appeared
Col. O'Eara's famous poem, THE Biv-
ouac of the Dead with this head
note: Theodore O'Hara of Kentucky,
the author of The Bivouac of the
Dead was a Cadet at West Point, but
was found and did not graduate"
This statement L ,o'l question,
and said, also, that he could hardly be
found in his understanding that
ne was oadet-because his father
was an Irish school teacher, or educa-
tor, of very high character. But in or
der to keep "censors" and "crits" from
jumping on me with both feet" I
wrote TO Col. A. L. Mills, u. S. A. the
present superintendent of West Point
Military Academy, to have a thorough
search made Of all the official records
Of that period in the Academy's his
tory, to see if O'Hara's name could
anywhere be found. Adjt. Rivers, U.
S. A, made such a search and report
ed to Col. Mills as follows: THE rec
ords of the Academy do not show that
Theodore O'Hara of Kentucky was
ever a cadet" Col. Mills therefore re-
plies with reference to your inquiry
about Theodore O'Hara, l enclose a
memorandum concerning him which
shows that he was never a cadet"
In explanation, now let me add q.
word personal to myself. and in justi-
fication of my often critical and con-
Trajectory references to other writer's,
as some readers seem to think / love
this work and try to show my sup
posed 'smartness." | never knew Col
O'Hara personally as a soldier, either
in the United States army or as a
Confederate; but I can bear witness
that in both armies he was brave and
an accomplished soldier In his later
years just as he was going down into
the grave, / knew him personally as a
gifted brother journalist and a poet of
more than ordinary merit. He was old
childless, and in seclusion; but
learned to love him as a comrade in
war and a brother journalist in peace.
Several times l have written extended
sketches of his life and labors for
Northern and Southern publications,
and yet l had never heard from him.
or anyone else, that he was ever at
West Point When l saw the statement
in this semi West Point album
l was somewhat surprised, yet I would
not have noticed it, perhaps, but for
the statement that O'Hara was
found" in his studies. This was not
only unjust to his memory, but a Sc
lious reflection upon his fathers abil-
ity as an educator For this reason l
have followed up the "slander''-unin-
teresting no doubt-but none the less
to be regretted-and given it death
blow And l can apply to the dead
hero-poet the final words of his immor-
tai poem;
Nor wreck, nor change, nor writer s
blight,
Nor Times remorselesS doom,
Shall mar one ray of Glory's light
That gilds your deathless tomb
My good friend, Col G.. N. Saussv.
is a sharp young fellow but he is not
sharp enough to put an "old codger''
of my stamp into a hole" and cover
him up by any such twisting and dis
torting Of Gen. r.. f. Lees letter 10
me. as he resorts to in his Censor
criticism of last Sunday Gen. Lee