The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-26

academy, following the example of the
congressman from Grants district
who thus recorded the name. But
Cadet Grant was very slow to become
accustomed to the change. He had
registered at Roe's Hotel at 1.-THE
Point" as U. H. Grant, and yet as soon
as he became a cadet he was known
as u. S. Grant. Several times before
he graduated, however, he recorded
himself as "U. II. Grant" A paint
ing executed by him and recently pre-
scented to the academy by his son,
Gen. Fred d. Grant, bears the name of
~. H. Grant" AS late as 1913, the
year he graduated, when his class
issued a boycott against Sutler John De
Witt instead of signing the paper u.
S. Grant, his then proper name, he
signed it as III. H. Grant" Although
Simpson was his mothers family name
he did not appear to take kindly to the
change so arbitrarily made.
1 see by the Jacksonville, Fla, Me-
tropolis that Mrs. Leonora V. Stacy,
widow of Capt. Thomas Rush McCon-
nell, U. S. A. and C. S. A, is visiting
her sister. Mrs. Mary Brumby Nc
Council, in that city, en- route from
Sea Breeze to Mont Eagle, Tenn, her
summer home. Capt Mcconnell grad
uated at West Point in the remarka-
BILE class of 1916 and was one of Geor-
gia's heroes in the Mexican War.
After leaving the United States Army
in 1856, he was commandant of cadets,
ETC., at the Georgia Military Institute
in Marietta. He was captain in the
Confederate army, but died at Mobile,
Ala, in April, 1861, leaving a wife. and
one little daughter who married Lieut..
Wilmer o. Chrisman, of Pennsylva-
MIA, assistant engineer, U. S. N, now
on the retired list in Washington, d.
C. Capt. Mcconnell was the oldest of
a patriotic and distinguished family,
Only two of which survive, Rev. w. r.
Mcconnell of Pooler, Ga, and Mrs.
Ida Turner mother of Mrs. Gordon
Noel Hurtel of Atlanta. Mrs. Mary
BrImby McConnelrs husband, Capt.
Samuel d. Mcconnell, was captain
in the Seventh Fla, Regiment, and
died some dozen or more years ago.
Mrs. Mcconnell was an aunt of the
late Lieut.. Thomas NJ. Brumby, u
S. NJ flag officer to Admiral Dewey.
The best big gun marksmen
in the U. S. navy are Edwin ]. Hill,
of Bellefonte, Pa, boatswain's mate,
and Richard w. Riedel, of Chicago, ILL.,,
coxswain, on the battle ship Indiana.
The former is a brunette of medium
size, while the lattef is a full-faced
stout blonde. Hill is a five year man,
but Riedel has been in the service only
about three years. On their first trial
with the thirteen inch guns they put
eight shots, out of eight shots, cleanly
into the target, feat never before
performed in the navy with such guns.
If these two remarkable sailors are
not given prompt promotion some
thing is wrong in the naval system
The army long ago recognized the
right of the expert and worthy private
soldier to "go up higher" even to the
wearing of the two stars of a major
general. There has been too much red
tape and eXclusiveness in the navy,
and only a very few rare cases OF
such promotion are on record. There
is no more reason why all naval Of
ficers must come from the Annapolis
Naval Academy than that all army
officers must come from West Point
Military Academy. Open the door to
all meritorious young men who may
be willing to enter the navy and win
the desired promotion that can be had
in the army.
In my last letter I said the good