The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-11

monument is soon to be laid in Fred
ericksburg, and feel sure that Wash
ington's ancient lodge Of Masons VIII
perform the ceremony. Gen. Hugh
Mercer was one of Gen. Washington
ablest and bravest commanders, and
died from wounds received in battle.
Congress has voted $4,000 for his mon
ument, that comes rather late; but II
is never too late to do a good deed.
/ think several private subscriptions
have been added to this amount, and
no doubt the monument will prove
worthy of the great soldier whose he
roic deeds il is to commemorate. Not
only Washington's venerable lodge of
Masons should lay the cornerstone, but
the medical fraternity, to which Gen.
Mercer belonged before he became a
soldier of his adopted country, should
be present and participate.
The medical profession has given the
country. in all it's wars, some of its
most heroic defenders on the field of
battle. Gen. (Dr.) Joseph Warren and
Gen. (Dr.) Hugh Mercer were among
the earliest, after which Gen. ODD
William Henry Harrison won a fame
that put him in the White House at
Washington as President. Gen. (Dr)
Samuel W. Crawford, in the Civil War,
went from assistant surgeon at Fort
Sumter to be distinguished major
general. Gen. (Dr) Leonard Woods
career in the Spanish American War
is we'll known to the Morning News
readers. Lieut.. (Dr) Lucius O'Brien
of Maryland became famous the world
over through his immortal army song
so dear to all old West Pointers
Benny Havens, OH" He was not, it
is true, like the others, general
having died young-but most genial,
companionable fellow, as well as gall
liant soldier, and the enlarged song,
that grows year by year, thus embalms
his memory in one of the added verses:
From the courts of death and danger,
from Tampa's deadly shore,
There comes a wall of manly grief,
'O'Brien is no more
In the land of sun and flowers his head
lies pillowed low,
No more he'll sing Petite Coquette'
or Benny Havens, OH!
l am indebted to my old friend Hon.
G. Gunby Jordan of Columbus, Ga,
for a very unique and elegant souVe-
mir of the thirteenth year of the Third
National Bank, of which he is the
honored president. Historically con-
sidered. this beautiful souvenir, in two
parts, is quite valuable to people who
and trembling. President Jordan
disarms the reader of such a fear by
noting great events from Abraham
to Admiral Cervera," that occurred on
that day of the month OF military
events he mentions l note that Col.
Jordan was born on a Friday, and yet
good luck" has followed him all the
| days of his life; the Society of the
| Cincinnati was organized on May 10,
| 1888; Manila surrendered to Admiral
Dewey on Aug. IS; the Flying Squad
ron sailed for Cuba on May Is, 1898;
| the Mexican War battle of Chapulte-
! pee was won June 49, 1847; Thomas
jefferson was born on April 10, 1743;
our national flag was formed with 10
stars and 13 stripes; the first English
| settlement in America was made on
May 10, 1907, at jamestown, Va; Ad-
miral Cervera and his officers went
| back to Spain and Sept. 10, 1898, big
luck" for us, but bad for Spain. A re-
markable individual case noted is that
. of Brig. Gen. W. H. Bisbee, U. S. A,
who enlisted as a private in the reg
ular army in 1861 and seems to have
found good luck" in the figures 8
and 10, he going to his present rank
from the command of the Thirteenth
| Infantry. But the second section of
this Souvenir for Christmas, 1902, has
a financial value, as it contains, en-
| bodied in beautiful four leaVed cloV-
! er, three new pennies and new dime
a most attractive design, and bearing
| this inscription: 1.-The Luckiest 10 of
all" 1 hope it may prove lucky to me,
as have no Friday" or "13" supersti-
tons hanging over my head.
Sidney Herbert