The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-20

3 MIN.
Get out of the way or I will fire
| through you!" came the hail again.
Fire and be damned!' shouted
back Holdup; and just then the miz-
zenmast of the Queen Charlotte went
by the board and soon after she sur
rendered.
This was the Introduction of the
Stevens family into the navy, Holdup
afterwards taking that name in addi-
ton to his own under the will of a
relative.
Thomas Holdup's son, Thomas Hold
up Stevens, naturally went into the
navy, and as a lieutenant commanded
the ottawa in Dupont's expedition at
| the beginning of the Civil War. He
had many other important commands,
and died a rear admiral, at a ripe old
age. At the battle of Mobile Bay
! Stevens commanded the Winnebago.
| The evening before the battle he went
! inside and drove back the Confederate
! transports, which We're attempting to
land troops at Fort Gains. The admi-
rails son of the same name as himself
continues the family in the navy.
The Greenes of Rhode Island have
been represented in the army and
navy almost continuously ever since
| Gen. Nathaniel Greene and his cousin,
| Col. Christopher, who was killed in
| battle, entered the service of the colo
MES at the outbreak of the Revolution
airy War During the Civil War thir-
teen kinsmen of the name were serv-
| ing at the same time as officers either
of the navy, the regular army, or the
volunteer forces.
! George Sears Greene, a major gen
eral of volunteers, though only a lieu
tenant in the regular establishment,
commanded CUPS Hill at the battle
OF Gettysburg, and with a brigade of
l,4O0 men withstood for three hours
| the assault of Rhodes division of s.
600, thus preventing the turning of
| Meade's right flank and the almost GER
tain ruin of the Union army. He also
fought calamity at Chattanooga.
| where he was wounded in the face and
jaw, and saw much other strenuous
field duty. His son. Dana Greene, was
second in command of the Monitor in
her great fight. He took command
after Worden was injured and finished
the battle. Gen. Francis Vinton
Greene of New York, West Point, 1870
is another son of Gen. George Sears
Greene.
Since the Revolutionary War the
family has furnished nine officers of
the name to the regular army and
seven to the navy, besides many others
descended in the female line. The fam
lily name is perpetuated in the army
now, however, by only one officer, and
he is on the retired list. But through
the female line, the Greenes are still
we'll represented in the military serv-
ice. In the navy they are represent
ed by the Winslows, Admiral John
| Winslow, of Kearsage fame, having
married a daughter of the family.
AS an army family the Mecers go
back to Brig Gen. Hugh Mercer of the
| Continental army Hugh Mercer was
an officer in the army of Prince Char
lie. After the disaster of Culloden he
fled to America, and was next heard
of as an officer of the provincial forces
in the French and Indian wars. His
services as an officer of the Continen-
tai army until his death at the battle
of Princeton are well known. Bancroft
says, "He stood next to Greene among
Revolutionary commanders.
Another member of the family,
John +. Mercer, was serving as an OFF,
Ger of the Continental army at the
same time as Gen. Hugh, and John
Mercer entered the service in 1885.
Then there were William, who came
in in 1913; Hugh W., 1928; John T.,
1854; all direct or collateral descend
ants of old Gen. Hugh, the companion
of Prince Charles Stuart. Two Off
GERS of the name and lineage now
bear commissions in the army.
The Lees of Virginia have been ar
Horse" Harry, and. barring their rec
crd when the family went South,
have in each generation distinguished
themselves in the service.
Light Horse Harry's son. Robert T.
Lee, was educated at West Point, ano
served with distinction in the Mexican
War. He was present at nearly all the
| important battles, was wounded anc
received breVets for gallantry. Gen
Scott called him 1.-THE best soldier
ever saw in the field" His son, George
| Washington Gusts Lee, was also al
army officer as was his nephew, Fftz-
hugh Lee. who, after doffing the blue
for the gray at the outbreak of the
| Civil War. put on the blue again ir
1898, and Is still major general in the
regular establishment. Fitzhugh, Jr.
is also an officer of regulars represent
ing the fourth generation of his fam
lily in the army.
The first Capron on the record Of
army officers was Seth M. Capron. oil
Rhode Island, who entered the army as
second lieutenant in 1921. Then came
Erastus A. Capron, who fell, sword II
| hand, at the battle OF Cherubusco ir
the Mexican War. His son, Allyn Cap
ron, naturally followed the profession
| of his father. served with credit
through the Civil War, and when the
war with Spain came on was captain
of artillery. He had son, also, in the
service, Allyn, Jr.
Allyn, IT., was a lieutenant in the
| regulars, but was made captain II
the Rough Riders. His men worship
| ned him, and in army circles young
Capron was looked upon as an Officer
Of the greatest promise. In the Skin
mish at Las Guasimas, before the as
| sault on San Juan, young Capron rel
mortally wounded. and as one or nj
troopers raised him up, he said: "Well
YOU have given them a good fight.
am indeed proud of you. No troops
could have done better"
Word was carried to his father at e
Caney that young Allyn was dead, ant
the old captain, answering never {
word, opened with his guns upon IL
Caney fort and battered 1t into ruins
Capt. Capron died Of the hardshipS
| and exposures of the Santiago cam
paign, as his son had died from Span
ish bullet thus making three genera
tions of Caprons who had in succession
| given I'D their lives for their country
Now another Allyn Capron, son of the
man who fell at Las Guasimas, has
heen appointed to the Military Acade-
nv to continue the family in the serv-
ice.
The Muhlenbergs. still represented
I'm the army came in with Gen. Peter
Muhlenberg of the Revolution. Lieu
tenant Commander William Truxton oil
the navy represents long line OF
Truxtons who have served with dis
tinction since the first Thomas Trux-
ton, the famous Revolutionary COM
I H.. 1.