The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-01
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
THE "LAST SURVIVOR OF THE
TEXAS DELEGATION"

Originator of "DecOratiOn Day"
The Discipline Maintained at the
Virginia Military Institute Com
mended-An Incident in the Ca
reer of Col. f. j. O'Brien-Other
Matters of Special Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, Jan.
S1.-As the name of Lieut.. Marburg
Johnston, U. S. N, has twice been
printed in these letters, it should he
corrected to read Marbury. Gen.
Robert Ayers should be Capt. Ayres.
Maj. w. w. Lyon of the Pay
master Generals office at Washington,
D. c., has my thanks for army "Direc-
tory" of this month; and the Paymas-
ter General of the navy, for copy
of the General Mess Manual and
Cook Book" for the navy. which shows
that Uncle Sam" not only provides
good food for his sailors, but requires
it to be properly prepared.
1t is rumored that Col. Estill is to be
entertained by the famous newspaper
"Gridiron Club" of Washington. d. c..
tonight. 1 hope the boys" will not
heat the gridiron SO as to give the
Colonel hot roast" If he profits by
President Grover Clevelands expert
ence he will be LOADED" for the first
attack. The press gang of Washington
is a livelier crowd than when l first
knew it, in the days of Father" Co
bright of blessed memory
The Confederate Veteran for January
is mistaken in it's claim that Stephen
Heard Darden, lately deceased, was
the last survivor of the Texas dele
cation in the Confederate Congress-
Hon. John H. Reagan, the sole surviv-
or of the Confederate cabinet, was also
a Texas congressman, and he is still
living in that state. 1 think Gen. I.
n. Waul is also alive, but am not GER
tain. Sole survivors of that period are,
however, very scarce. / do not think
a single Confederate war governor is
alive to-day. Reagan is the only cabi-
net officer and Maxwell and Vest the
only senators that survive. Hon. ILL
ram P. Bell of Cumming, Ga, is the
sole survivor of Georgias delegation
in Senate and House. [ am getting to
be a sole survivor, or next to sole
survivor, of several events, military
and civil, and / often wonder why, in
my battle-scarred and enfeebled con-
dition. l have outlived so many young
err and more vigorous comrades and
friends.
Gen. w. w. Gordon of Savannah
makes an admirable suggestion in re-
gard to a composite regiment from
Georgia to visit the st. Louis EXPOSE
ton on opening day. Pick the best
drilled, best looking and most intelli-
gent members of the various companies
in the state and form them into a tenn
porary command, Differed in the same
manner and thus kin two birds with
one stone. First, it will enable Georgia
to make a display of her military that
will be highly creditable to her. Sec
ond, and more impor, ant whatever ben
efits this command may receive at St.
Louis, in the matter of drill. soldierly
bearing. excellent marching, etc, will
be equally distributed to all the COM
panies at home through their members
selected to make the trip. There are
very many good reasons why Gen. Cor
donS plan should be adopted and thus
give to Georgia's entire military choice
representatives, from the various com
panies. Its a good idea-push it along.
american Loyalty" an address by
the late Gen. Henry r. Jackson of Sa-
alumni of the University of Georgia,
comes to me from Mr.. E. A. Silva of
Savannah, who has my thanks for this
valuable pamphlet. l have just pur-
chased from Mr.. Ed. Holland of Allan
ia, it's publisher. the speech of Gen.
jackson on THE Wanderer Case" de-
livered in Atlanta in 1891. This choice
pamphlet contains biographical
sketch of Gen. Jackson, by Joseph NJ &.
Brown, and Daniel Webster's Capon
Springs QS5D speech favoring the
South. This pamphlet contains many
points referred to in the address on
American Loyalty" and therefore the
two pamphlets go well together. A
supplemental slip gives Gen. Jackson's
grand. patriotic and inspiring poem,
The Red Old Hills of Georgia" Hav-
ing been set to music by Rev. DR.. N.
keff Smith of Darien, it should be sung
in all the public schools of Georgia. 1t
would inspire the pupils with a noble
patriotism, and a worthy pride in their
native state.