The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-14
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
AN ERROR INTO WHICH JUDGE
sPEER FALLS.


Two Union Soldiers TO One Con-
federate on the United states SUI
preme Bench-The Origin of the
Term "StonewaII" That Has Be-
come Linked to the Name of Gen.
Thomas j. Jackson-An Error In
Regard to Gen. Wheeler-Refer-
ence TO the Joe Brown Pixies"
Some Points in Gen. Miles Career.
Other Matters of General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla,
June 13-As this letter is written on
sick bed my readers must make due
allowance for its shortcomings. In adj
dition to my illness I am depressed by
the death of my old schoolmate, Gen.
Isaac S. Bangs of Waterville, Me-, an
eminent Mason, a gallant, soldier and
a prominent and wealthy citizen. He
was one year my senior and We were
devoted friends. -" I see that Judge
Emory Speer in his magnificent ad-
dress on Gen. Robert E. Lee, falls into
the common error of calling him
lieutenant colonel when the Civil War
started. Gen. Lee was a full colonel
and in command of the First u. S.
Cavalry. - = 1 take of my hat and
make my best bow to Judge Mitchell of
brownsville, Ca, for his official action
in suppressing the senseless title of
Colonel as applied to beardless,
youthful attorneys. Now let him in
clude newspaper men as well. Gov.
Terrell has turned loose some two
hundred Georgia Colonels," which
makes the present supply largely in ac-
cess of the demand. 1t has got so
that a bona fide military colonel is
almost ashamed to use his well-earned
title I am like Van Holt Nash, 1 pre-
fer my lesser title of major.
II seems strange that a noted and
experienced Georgia Washington cor
respondent should refer to John f.
Dryden of New Jersey as the successor
of Gen Mcmillan" late senator from
that state. Senator Mcmillan was from
Michigan and was not a general, but
Mai. Gen. VIM. J. Sewel1 was from
New Jersey, and Dryden was his sue
cessor. 49, The Jacksonville, Fla,
Metropolis calls ex-senator Geo. G.. Vest
of Missouri, the only survivor of the
Confederate Congress" This is an err
ror, as he is simply the only survivor
of the Senate. there being still alive
twelve representatives, not including
Vest, who was a representative and
10 see that Maj. ]. P. Wiser, of the
L. S. Artillery Corps. calls Gen. Z.
Porter Alexander, c. S. A, in a maya
zine article. Lees chief of artillery"
a position ably filled by Gen. (Rev. Dr.)
VIM. y. Pendleton, while Gen. Alexan-
der was Longstreet's very able and eff
hcient chief Of artillery. 49, A
writer in THE United Service" Maya
zine speaks of Gen. Chaffee as Com
mander-in-c chief in the Philippines
And yet there has never been a com
mander-in-chief' in the United States
army since Congress conferred that
title upon Gen. George Washington.
The coming of Mr. Justice Oliver
Wendell Holmes to the United States
Supreme Court bench breaks tie be-
tween Mr. Justice John NJ. Harlan of
Kentucky and Mr.. Justice Edward d.
White of Louisiana, the former being
an ex-Union soldier and the latter an
ex-Confederate. Mr.. Justice Holmes
served in the Union army from Massa-
chusetts, which makes the court now
stand two Union soldiers 10 one Con-
federate. Mr.. w. M. TYSON of
Tarboro S. c., in reply to a recent in
Quiry as to who commanded the Con-
federates at the battle of Honey Hill,
writes me: "A Gen. Walker was in
command. Whether he was a Geor-
gian or not l don't know; but he had
Georgia regiment and the cavalry
companies stationed in and around
Grahamville under his command. Write
b. F. Boyd of Vaudeville, or Josiah
Beck of Grahamville, for further par
ticulars." Gen. Green B.
Raum, U. S. ", is writing series of
articles for the National Tribune of
Washington, D. c., under the head of
with the Western Army" which is
his experience and his observation
with Sherman in the March from At
treated of his entrance into Savannah,
and the previous articles interested
people about Millen, Waynesboro, San
dersville and other places.
It has been claimed that the name
''Stonewall," as applied to Gen. Thomas
j. Jackson's brigade, did not originate
from its firm and fearless resistance to
the enemy at the first Bull Run or
Manassas, but was applied to it be-
cause ii came from a region of Vir-
ginia noted for stone wall" fences. Be
that as IL may the Bull Run incident
was fully duplicated in the Revolu-
tionary War. Capt. Mordecai Gist OF
the Independent Company from Baltl-
more, in THE Maryland Line" a IA
nous fighting corps, became a briga-
der general and while commanding a
brigade proved himself a veritable
''Stonewall" Jackson. Gen. Henry
Lee thus refers to his conduct: Raw
don could not bring the brigade of Gist
TO recede; bold was the pressure of the
foe; firm as a rock the resistance of
Gist." Baron DeKalb, mortally
wounded in this fight, in his dying mo-
ments expressed gratitude to Gen. Gist
for his heroic and successful stand
against a determined foe. Congress
also recognized the "stone wall" char
acter of this brigade by voting a
Sword of Honor to Gen. Gist, its
fearless commander.
The L. D. c. of Alabama, in their
official department in the Sunday is
sues of the Montgomery Advertiser
ought to be more careful about what
they print as history or biography
Lieut.. Gen. Joseph Wheeler was not
in a five years class at West Point,
nor did he ION the secession of Geor-
giA promptly graduate after the course
was extended to five years" Cadet
Wheeler closed his regular four years
and graduated on July 1, 1852 into the
United States Dragons, and later was
transferred to the Mounted Rifiemen.
His only service was at the famous
Cavalry School at Carlisle, Pa, and
he did not resign until April %, 1861,
after l had gone into the Union army.
am quite sure that Cen William
Henry Talbot Walker was the first
West Pointer in the army to put in