The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-04

regard to United States Senator
George G. Vest of Missouri when he
says: LAS the last surviving member
of the Confederate Senate he divides
attention in the public eye with John
H. Reagan of Texas, the last surviv-
ing member of the Confederate cabi-
net" Now, as to Vest, he was in the
Confederate House of Representatives
during the three congresses, until
Jan. u, 1865, within a few months of
the surrender, when he was elected to
the Senate. But Florida now has a
surviving senator who served as such
in both the First and Second con-
crosses. 1 refer to ex-Chief Justice
Augustus E. Maxwell, now living in
retirement at the age of so years after
a long highly honored and useful pub
lie career.
will now let some one correct me
In this same matter. In my former let
ter, hurriedly written on a sick bed
/ confounded Justice E. c. Maxwell
with his father, formerly Justice A. E
Maxwell. However. l discovered my
error soon after, but forgot to correct
it. am always willing to be corrected,
and Hon. Chas. A. Choate. a distin-
guished writer of Pensacola. has my
thanks for his dignified and kindly
correction of my error. He says: Il
know YOU will be glad to be corrected.
The Confederate senator was Hon. Au-
gustus E. Maxwell. born in Elberton,
Ga, in 1920. and came to Florida in
1S45." After narrating the various high
offices filled by Senator Maxwell. he
adds; His son, Hon. Evelyn C. Max
well, now on the supreme bench of
Florida, is a man of unusual ability,
has been circuit judge and Supreme
Court commissioner" My error was
simply mixing a father and son who
were both "off and on" the supreme
bench. But Rider Haggard once wrote
of an eclipse of the new MOON" a
thing unknown in astronomy. Author
Clire refers, in 1884, to her august
consort," but there was no Prince con-
sort until 1S40 Even Sir Walter Be
SAINT tells of the new moon rising in
the east at o'clock in the morning, u
and yet it is always the old moon that
does this. These errors 'let me OUT OF
the Maxwell mix UP.
The telegram in the Morning News
of Dec. %, from Washington, D. c.,
in regard to the S. A. E convention
contains an item of news that has a
local interest for old Savannah peo-
pie. I refer to the proposition to erect
and dedicate in 1906. the fiftieth ami
versary of the society, a Memorial
Building in Tuscaloosa, Ala. to Rev
Leslie Noble Devote, who there
founded the Order. The father of De-
Vote was the lamented Rev. DIR.
James H. Devote, one of my dear old
friends and a man of many very noble
traits of character. He came to Sa-
Vannah from Oneida county New
York, when only seventeen years old,
with, an uncle, both of whom engaged
in business there. They attended the
Baptist Church. and he was baptized
in 1884, by Rev. H. O. Wyer, and after
some theological training at Furman
Seminary he became a Baptist preach
er, supplying the church at Camden,
S. c., until he went to Montgomery,
Ala. A year later he removed to Tus-
caloosa. There Noble Leslie (not Ges-
lie Noble) Devote, named for his
mother-Margaret Noble Devote, was
born, and educated in later years at
the University of Alabama, where he
founded the secret society of the S.
A. E.
Although Rev. DR.. Devote was a
New Yorker, his wife was a true
Southern woman. and he and his two
grown sons, when the Civil War broke
out took sides with the South. Rev
4NOOiC L@cSlle Lev Otl6 was pastor OIL
the Baptist Church at Selma, Ala, but
he went to Mobile as cha plain of enc
of the Selma companies, and was soon
after accidentally drowned at Fort
Morgan, he then being only % years
old. The Memorial Building to be
put up at the University of Alabama
viii in fact honor one who was in
every sense noble in character and life
as we'll as in. name. His brother DR..
]. Howard Devote, became a Con-
federate surgeon and died in the serN--
ice. The father was for time the
chaplain of the Second Georgia Infan-
try. Both sons were buried in the beau
tiful cemetery at Columbus, Ga, with
military honors and each Memorial
Day sees their graves decorated with
fragrant flowers. The other and
youngest son, Jewell Devote, who
was a Columbus editor for many
years, is also buried there, and there.
also, is the grave of Miss Lizzie De-
Vote, the only daughter, "a sweet and
noble young lady" During all his lat
er years of bereavement and illness
Rev. DR.. Devote exemplified the
graces of a true Christian faith, al
though with his death the family name
became extinct.
The Aaoop