The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-15

managers is determined to stop in
subordination in the home. = cat
last the officers and men are to be
trained for a mechanical navy. Up to
the present, they have been fitted for
a fleet of sailing ships, and have learn
ed an immense amount of lore of an
art which has ceased to have any bear
ing on the conduct of war afioat.
This is what Archibald Hurd says of
the British navy, but in many respects
it applies as well to our own navy.
Great improvements are being made IN
every department of mechanical work,
and the class of apprentices is put up
to a higher standard. AT the Naval
Academy at Annapolis, under Supt.
Brownson, the strictest discipline is
being enforced, and all hazers, no mat
ter what their standing may be, must
walk the gang plank" Therefore, In
every respect the outlook for our
Greater Navy is full of hope, and
it's mission will be largely in the in
terest of peace.
Several months ago, during a rush
of mail when I was disabled, high
ly cultivated relative of the family
of Gen. Mordecai Gist of revolutionary
fame, and of whom I had written,
sent me from her Georgia home some
additional facts about this once fam
Gus hero. HE was" she writes said
to be the youngest and handsomest
general in the American army, and
having seen his picture l would have
so pronounced him. His portrait can
still be seen in the rotunder of the
Capitol at Washington. He was
Marylander and legend in the family
states that one of its members inter-
married with the Cromwells, before
leaving England. Gen. Gist married
d. xrr;fA AE,S q
wealthy widow of South Carolina, and
closely related to the Binghams of
Philadelphia of whom Lord Asburton
was one. She was the mother of States
Gist, who left no sons, but two
daughters. The brother, Indepen-
dent Gist, who had sons, perpetuated
these uncommon names, and I have
little doubt there are to be found In
dependent Gists, and States Gists in
Maryland to-day. 1t is rather strange
the Gist family in South Carolina Sc
lected at least one of the names
states Rights Gist-but the Maryland
family, to my knowledge, were unable
to trace any relationship with the
South Carolina family, therefore such
may have existed. Gen States Rights
Gist of South Carolina was in the
Confederate Army, and fell in the Bat
tie of Franklin, Tenn.
l have often mentioned the fact
that Maj. Gen. Montgomery c. Meigs,
U. s. A., the distinguished quarter
master general and eminent engineer,
was born in Augusta, Ga, where his
father, a son of President Meigs of
Franklin College, at Athens, was tenn
porarily residing. This fact led Hon
Galusha Grow, member of Congress,
to tell Hon Caleb 3. Smith, then Sec
rotary of the Interior, that that rebel
Meigs has put Jeff Davis name on
famous Cabin John" bridge, the cree
ton of which was started under Presi-
dent Franklin Pierce and Secretary
of War jefferson Davis. Secretary
Smith, in June 1852 inspired by Con-
gresham Grows statement, ordered
the name of Mr.. Davis to be cut out
of the tablet. and it was DONE leaving
a blank place that is there to-day.
Gen. Meigs was a loVal citizen
and brave soldier, and this bridge |
stands to-day the wonder of the world,
having the longest and best stone arch
ever constructed. jefferson Davis, |
at that time, was Secretary of War,
a graduate of West Point, and the |
first graduate to win a brigadier gen
erals commission in the regular army,
a reward for his heroic services in |
Mexico. The cutting of his name from
the tablet was an unwarranted insult,
one not justified by his future career
in the Confederacy. The same rule |
would exclude the name of Mr.. Davis |
from the list of Secretaries of War,
and the name of Gen. Robert E. Lee |
from the list of superintendent of |
West Point Military Academy.