The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-20

over, to do this, as l believed the en-
envy were making an effort to turn our
flank, and without support it would
have been impossible to have held the
position, and as already nearly thirty
of my men had been killed or wound
ed "
From these extracts 1t will be seen
that both Gen. Garrett and Coz.
Taliaferro had passed Carrick's Ford,
and Gen. Garnet was still alive. OF
his later movements Col. Taliaferro
says: After marching half a mile
was met by Col. Starke, aide to Gen.
Garnet, who directed me to move on
with my regiment to the next ford,
short distance in advance, where l
would meet Gen. Garrett. On the
farther side of this ford / met Gen.
Garnett, who directed me to halt my
regiment around the turn of the road,
some hundred and fifty yards off, and
to detail for him ten good rif1emen,
remarking to me, this is good place
behind, this drift wood to post Skin
mishers | halted the regiment as or
dered, but from the difficulty of de-
termining who were the best shots, [
ordered Capt. TOmpkins to report to
the general with his whole company.
The general, however, would not per-
NIT them to remain, but after select
ing ten men, under Lieut.. Depriest, or
dered the company back to the regi-
ment"
| This statement of Col. Taliaferro set
ties the ''ten men" question very clear
ly. although the learned critic of Gen.
/ Alexander and myself rtdiculed the
| idea of such a small detail. That Gen.
| Garnet was not killed at Carricks
! Ford, as claimed, is evident from the
! continued statement of Col. Taliaferro,
which is as follows: by Gen. Gar
netts orders, conveyed by Col. Starke,
! posted with that officer three of my
/ companies on a high bluff overlooking
the river, but finding the underground
so thick that the approach of the
enemy could not be we'll observed, they
were withdrawn. A few minutes after
| these companies rejoined the regiment,
! Col. Starke rode up and said Gen.
! Garnet directed me to march as rapid
| ly as I could and overtake the main
| body. In a few minutes afterward
! Lieut., Depriest reported to me that Gen.
Garnet had been killed He fell just
as he gave the order to the skirmishers
! to retire, and one of them was killed
! bv his side" / think these extracts
will show that if Gen. Alexander and
myself are old and feeble-minded, pos
sessed of only "a little knowledge"
not having drank deep from the
/ famous "Alachua Sinks" we are not
quite as big fools as some Smart
! Aleck" would have the Morning News
readers think we are.
President Roosevelt's idea of big
ger navy calls to mind Gen. Andrew
! Jackson's great speech while in the
| United States Senate, on the inn
portance of coast defences and militia
soldiers. He argued that in case of a
/ foreign war the nation would have to
depend on the militia and our coast
Notifications to hold the enemy in check
until an army could be organized and
properly prepared for service. He
closed his speech with this eloquent
appeal to the Senate: do these things
MIR. President, and hereafter. my life
on It, the combined fleets of Europe
shall float in your waters as harmless
as the swan that swims around their
ships" II il a significant fact that
what Gen. Jackson proposed In 1924
as senator, is now the plan OF our
government for defense against for
eign foe. Our long neglected coast de-
lenses are being strengthened and
multiplied, and the militia OF the coun-
try given more liberal appropriations,
and better military instruction IN their
army officers. Our greatest defense is
IN the citizen soldiery, FOR, rs Gen.
II. A. Alger well says IN his recent
publication, 'fhe American soldier and
the American sailor. Is bat the Ameri-
can citizen IN uniform"
sidney Herbert.