The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-12

Congress, was a gallant Confederate
colonel and lost an arm in the Civil
War. He was appointed a brigadier
general of United States volunteers In
the Spanish War; and being
full of. a military spirit he would have
felt great pride in seeing his name
carried by a worthy son into the United
states army.
Since writing the above I have seen
letter from Col. A. L. Mills, superin-
tendent of the Academy, to Gen. Oates
in regard to his son. He simply failed
in mathematics, as hundreds of other
cadets had done before him, and will
be re-appointed and given another
chance. Gen. Oates has gone to his
son and will place him in a prepara-
tory military school until he re-enters
West Point. Col. Mills refers to the
strictness of the impartial rules gov
erning examinations, and while the
board of Examinations were most IA
Vorably disposed to Cadet Oates ow-
ing to his excellent standing in French
and his good conduct, they were COM
PEELED to recommend his discharge.
Should he succeed in graduating, under
new appointment, he will be one of
less than half a dozen, if am correct,
who have succeeded during a century
ill graduating on a second trial Three
of these, Francis o. Wyse and Ram
dolph Ridge1y, of Maryland, and Cler-
mont Livingston Best of New York,
became distinguished soldier. Best
went in first in 1S41, as plain Cler-
mont Best, but was re-appointed in
1872 AS Clermont Livingston Best, and
SO graduated. 1t will be great honor
for Cadet Oates to win out the next
time and record his name with the
names of these gallant soldiers.
A Savannah writer recently referred
to my old friend, Gen. Oates-not Oats,
as printed-as an ex-United States
senator, which is an error. He was a
member of Congress from Alabama
and then Governor, but Gen. e. w.
Pettus of Selma, succeeded Senator
James L. Pugh of Eufaula in the SEN
ate Oates was a brave Confederate
colonel having lost an arm in the
Civil War, and during the Spanish
American War President Mckinley
appointed him a brigadier general Of
volunteers, but he saw no service in
the field. He started in life a poor
boy down about Abbeville, Ala, but
has won his way to fame and fortune.
After his recent return with his fam
lily from European tour he opened
his heart, his home and his purse to
the old survivors of his Confederate
Montgomery their gallant old COM
mander made them feel not only per-
fectly at home with him, but that
nothing in the Capital City was too
good for the men who had followed
him on many battlefelds.
Cadets who fail to graduate at West
Point sometimes get a softer snap"
in the regular army than their class
mates who remain and graduate. A
marked illustration of this fact is seen
in the case of Lieut.. Gen. W. j. Har-
dee's grandson, Cadet Nathanial
Rives Chamblis, Jr., of Alabama,
whose father, Tennessean, graduated
in May, 1851, No. 9 in his class, and
was appointed second lieutenant in
the Third Artillery, but was dismissed
on May 25, he having rendered his
resignation to avoid being called up
on for active service He became a.
lieutenant colonel in the C. S. A. and
was chief ordnance of Hardee's diVi-
sion, and later in charge of arsenal at
Charleston. The son entered West
Point in June, 1894, and left in June,
1898. In August he was a first lieu
tenant and adjutant of the Third Ala
bama Volunteer Regiment in the
Spanish-American War. In April, 1899,
he was made a second lieutenant in
the Eighth United States Infantry,
and in February, 1901, ne was retired
as first lieutenant, for disability in
line of duty" being thereby provided
for during his lifetime. The father
had five years at West Point and did
not serve a day in the army, while
the son had four years, and after
about ewo years in the volunteer and
regular service. is retired for life with
rank of first lieutenant, a fact that
proves that he must have been a good
soldier. Sidney Herbert.