The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-01
SIDNEY RERBERT'S LETTER
Many Matters of Historical Interest to Confeder'
ateS and Others

Met Is not posted as 10 LnlS one
| fellow so slightlngly spoken Of Brig.
| Gen. Allen Thomas was a brave Con-
federate soldier, son, think, OF the
distinguished Gov. Thomas of Mary
land, and a brother-in-law of Lieut..
I Gen. Richard Taylor, c. S. A, son of
President Zachary Taylor. Gen. Thomas
! is a gentleman of culture, a fine orator
and representative of this country
! abroad during Cleveland's last admin
istration. He is in no sense one"
fellow sort of a man. The Ma
tional Magazine refers to Logan and
Miles as famous generals who did not
graduate at West Point. What's the
matter with Forrest and Gordon and
Hampton? A dozen more might be
included, Of the Blue and the Gray,
without any reflection on West Point
generals.
If Richard F. Garvin, the rich young
Yale graduate and famous baseball
pitcher has enlisted in the army at
Columbus Barracks at Chicago as
reported, then Columbus Barracks"
have been moved from Columbus, o.,
to Chicago, ILL., The reporter was evil
IDENTIFY misead by the fact that both
places are in the Department of the
Lakes" the headquarters of which are
in Chicago. The Times-Unio
of Jacksonville publishes picture of
zen. beHletIl anu d ohCNNh VI NiAC
famous Seventh United States Cavalry.
Gen" Benteen, however, was only
breyet colonel, having been put on the
retired list as major of the Ninth Cav
airy in 1888, having been captain OF
the Seventh from 1866 to 1882. He was
a gallant officer and won three breNets
for meritorious and gallant conduct.
His son and namesake-Frederick w.
Benteen--is a first lieutenant in the
Twenty-sixth Infantry, appointed from
Atlanta, Ga, where his father last re-
sided, although a Virginian by birth,
and appointed to the army from MIS-
souri,. l see that Maj. Coney
gives Oscar ]. Brown quite a boost
calling him colonel. Army ofiicers
drop their volunteer rank and titles
when they return to the regular serv-
ice, and it is now Capt. Oscar j.
Brown. First United States Cavalry,
Fort Sam Houston, Tex. Capt. Frank
B. Mccoy OF Augusta, Ga, has been
promoted from the Seventeenth Unit
ed States Infantry to be major IN the
same regiment. Capt. Robert E. Lee
Spence is transferred from the mir
tieth to the Eleventh Infantry.
The death of my old journalistic
friend, Gen. Henry Harrison Boyce'
who was killed by trolley car IN New
York, on Oct. IA, was severe shock TO
me. as 1 received a letter from MN
some forty-eight hours after the fatal
accident, and it may have been the
last one written by him. Gen. Boyce
was known as a prominent JOURNALIST,
from Maine to California, having in
past years been owner or publisher of
the Boston, Mass, Traveller and the
Los Angeles, Cal, Times. He was
writer of culture and very active
manager, his last service being as
honorary secretary of the newly or
ganized Navy League of the United
States, of which Gen. Benz. f. Tracy,
formerly Secretary of the Navy, is pres
ident. His last literary work was
biography of Admiral Paul Jones, pub
lished in several issues of the Navy
League Journal. His sudden death
will be a great loss to the Navy
League, for he had taken hold of the
work with a hearty zeal that promised
great good results. / was in frequent
correspondence with him and know
how sincere were his efforts to pro-
mote the cause of peace through a
navy large enough to defy attack from
any foreign foe. In his last letter to
me he says: MY Dear General: Your
suggestions are very helpful to the
League and it is encouraging to hear
from you so often" And when this
letter reached me the generous heart
that prompted it and the hand that
penned it were stilled in death. How
this sad event speaks to me, in my old
age and feeble condition, those famil-
lar words: BE We also ready for
We know not the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of Man cometh." To
Gen Boyce the day and the hour and
manner of death were unexpected.
There was a serious Typographical
error in the printed official Order of
Parade" at the unwilling of the Hook
er statue in Boston. The Battalion
of Ninth Infantry is put under COM
mand of Maj. "Devine," but it should
be Maj. Robert j. c. Irvine, L. S. A,
a son of the late Rev. DIR. Robert IT.
vine of the Augusta, Ca, Presbyterian
Church. Maj. Irvine was born in
Canada, but appointed from Augusta
to a second lieutenancy in the Elev-
enth United States Infantry in 1879,
and has made a good record in peace
and in active service in the Philippines.
He graduated from the Infantry and
Cavalry School in 1888, which gave
him a higher standing for efficiency.
He is now on recruiting service in New
York city. Miss Alberta Gal
latin. the actress. is not the daughter
of Gen. Albert GallaCln," as stated,
but Brig. Gen. Albert Gallatin Jen-
kins, c. S. A., named for his kinsman,
Hon. Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania,
who was Secretary of the Treasury
under Presidents Jefferson and Madi-
son, 1901 to 1914 The National
Tribune is in error about Gen. Hora-
ito c. King as first secretary of the
Society of the Army of the Potomac.
1 am charter member and was pres