The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-26

see has been misunderstood by several
readers of these letters. 1t did not
refer in any manner to the name
"Stonewall," as applied to Gen. jack
son. Nor did it in any way discount
tenance the truthfulness of the Gen.
Bee incident at Bull Run, where the
brigade stood like a stonewall against
the assaults of the Union troops. The
story of the stonewall section and the
| name nStonewaIl Brigade" could be
true and not prevent the Bull Run in
cident from giving to Gen. Jackson the
world-famous name of "StonewalT'
Jackson. l have not claimed, nor do |
now claim, that the stonewall fence
story is reliable; but | do claim that
its truthfulnes, if established, would
in no manner affect the Bull Run in
cident. That stands out in bold relief,
clear as the MONDAY sun, monu-
ment that shall never perish, nor grow
dim in it's heroic brilliancy. Like Gen.
Mordecai Gist's brigade that was
firm as a rock in the Revolutionary
War, Jackson's brigade won immor-
tally for itself and it's famous COM
mander by its "stonewalF irmness at
Bull Run or Manassas.
The sensible views of Col Estill and
| the Morning News in regard to pen
sions North and South, both State
| and National, have always had my
l l0QOTSeHlGIli.
solemn truth that millions OF dollars
of the burdened tax payers, of this
| country have been squandered in PEN
! sons Men holding life positions with
big salaries, not to speak of rich men,
are allowed to draw war pensions.
Much fun has been made of the claims
| of the Spanish American War soldiers
for pensions, but my native state of
Maine caps the climax" in the mat
ter of pensions. 1 have several times
allued to the famous "bloodless'
Aroostook War on the Maine border
in which Gen. A. r. Lawton and Gen.
w. W. Mackall then young lieutenants
of artillery in the U. S. A., and my
father participated. My fathers COM
pany used to be referred to as the
soldiers who marched up the hill, and
then marched down again." Welli
greatly to my surprise. Col. r. c. Mill
ken, the state pension agent actually
reports applications from forty-eight of
the 'bloodless heroes who marched up
the hill and down again, in 1889, for
| pensions The Legislature granted a
pension of over four dollars a month,
and thirty-two of the applicants have
been pensioned. Now. bear in mind,
not a gun was fired and not a hardship
endured by these volunteers. They are
| pensioned simply because the whole
country North and South, both State
and National, has gone daft" on in
| discriminate pensions. We do not pay
enough to the really deserving and too
much to the undeserving and well pro-
vided for.
1t is a singular fact and one COM
plmentary to West Point Military
Academy, that in all the great battles
of the Civil War, with two excep-
tons, the Confederate forces were
nardad nv West poinfars The ax-
ceptions We're Gen McCulloch at Will
sons Creek and Gen. Floyd at Fort
Donelson. Gen. Banks at Port Hud-
son and Gen. Butler at Drewrys Bluff
and Gen. Lerry atFort Fisher were the
only volunteer commanders on the I'm
ion side. Mcclellan, Lee, Grant,
Sherman, Johnston and Hood COM
manded in more battles than any other
generals. - The promotion of Brig.
Gen. s. S. Sumner U. S. A., to be
major general, whose brother Brig.
! Gen. Z. ". Sumner, U. S. A., is on the
retired list, reminds me that their
father Maj. Gen. e. V. Sumner u. S.
A., was a great cavalry commander
and that he was in charge of the
Department Of the Pacific in 1861, with
Maj w. w. Mackall as his efficient
| assistant adjutant general On May
H. Maj. M. was offered the rank of
lieutenant colonel, but declined it, and
resigned to enter the Confederate serv-
ice. His last order was dated San
Francisco, May is, and addressed to
Capt. John Adams of the First Dra-
goons the heroic Gen. Adams of the
G. s. A. Cavalry, killed at the battle
of Franklin. Gen. Don Carlos Buell.
succeeded Gen. Mackall as assistant
adjutant general of the Department OF
the Pacific. Gems. f. Porter Alexander.
A. S. Johnston. George E. Pickett and
"a fer toe
in that department in 1861, Gen. John
ston being relieved by Gen. Sumner,
who retained Maj. Mackall as assist
ant adjutant general. he being one of
the most efficient officers in the serv-
vice.
A highly cultured South Georgia "old
fashioned woman" writes me in this
complimentary manner: Il read your
letters in the Savannah News with
great pleasure and interest, as they
| remind me of the days in the long ago
| when l searched the columns of the
| New Orleans Picayune for the letters
OF the famous editor, George w. Ken
dali, Of whom you doubtless knew"
All how well / remember that first
great American war correspondent
| during the Mexican War Jim Blaine
and Mel Fuller and myself were green
young newspaper men down in Maine
! III tnOSe udyS Oh long ago, ana Col.
| Kendall's war letters were a great
help to us in giving a higher tone to
| our journalistic aspirations. James @.
Blaine abandoned journalism for poll
tics, and Melville w. Fuller followed
him into the law. The former reached
the highest cabinet position and died,
while the latter became, and now is,
the chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court. For myself, 1 later
on studied law. medicine and theology,
but simply as aids to Christian ana
| benevolent work among the poor and
the afflicted, never abandoning jour-
| nalism entirely, and never seeking or
accepting a public office. / have no
doubt that Col. Kendall's splendid let
ters had an elevating influence on all
three of us, and honored as was Blaine,
and exalted as is Fuller, l have no re-
grets that / have served my God, my
country. and my fellow men in an
humber sphere Of usefulness. One
| thing comforts mel have had no
sons. like Blaine had, to distress me-
nor daughters, like Fuller has, to mar
ry against my will and repent later
| on. With devoted wife, and a quiet
home, have enjoyed the comforts that
come to satisfied man in private life.
| The honors / seek and hope to win.
all lie beyond and above this fleeing
world, and will endure forever
Sidney Herbert.
j. Edward Addicks. the Delaware