The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-11
SIDNEY HERBERTS LETTER
Facts Of Interest to War Veterans and others.

Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla,
Dec. 10.-In a very quiet, invalid man.
ner, am to-day passing the three
score and twelfth milestone in my
strenuous life career. Although a
battle SCARED partial and at times
full invalid since July 1861, when
run up against" the Oglethorpe Light
Infantry. c. S. A, at Bull Run, Va,
I have outlived hundreds of my I'M
wounded and vigorous comrades and
friends. But when 1 try to think
am an old man, my dear friend, Ex-
Gov. Frederick Robe. of Gorham, Me-,
writes me that he graduated at Bow
lddin College in 1S41, and although
SO years old is still in active public
life. And my dear old neighbor, Hon.
Andrew Richmond, ex-Mayor Of Win
ten Park, Fla, has just passed the
eighty-flfth milestone, and with his
venerable and beloved wife is living
here in quiet retirement. He grad
uated at Yale University In 1912. Now,
these two veterans were leaving col
lege to enter upon their life pursuit,
just when l was preparing at Water
-
and they may possibly outlive me
yet. II had the health and strength
would like to write a book on my
sixty years acquaintance with no
table men and women, the earliest be-
ing Vice President Hannibal Hamlin
and Rev. DIR. Saml F. Smith, the
author of America Daniel Webster,
Jenny Lind, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe,
Mrs. Lydia Huntley Sigourney, Long
<alloxr NJ
Robert c. Winthrop, George Ticknor,
Henry Ward Beecher, and others
equally as distinguished. And the
wonderful development of this young
Republic, how I have seen the for
ests give way to the farm, and the
farm to the town, and the town to
a great city. How the railroad and
the telegraph have bound the world
together so compactly. When 1 was
city editor of the Bangor, Me-, Even
ing Mercury, over fifty years ago,
there were no reporters and few edi-
tors on any newspaper.
The Florida Index of Lake City an
nounces the arrival there on sick leave
of Capt. Thomas McGinnis. wife and
four children of Atlanta. But his
name is Thomas F. Maginnis. captain
of the Sixteenth United States Infan-
s"s The Waycross Journal refers to
Harry S. Edwards as zone of the post
master generals" The editor seems
TO forget that they are not generals"
but postmasters general which is a
very different thing. - Mrs. Frank
j. Smith, who died suddenly at her
home in New York city recently, was
born in old Fort Moultrie, at Charles
ton, S. c., in 1888, at which time her
Ga he Iak Dv;ew -
Burke, U. s. A, was a first lieutenant
Of the Third Artillery, at that station.
She was a niece of Gen. Zachary Tay-
Tor and a most estimable woman. .
And now the well known widow of Gen.
John A. Logan, u. S. ", is advocat-
ing Peace with a big P. at may not
be too much to expect" she writes.
that before half the twentieth century
has passed all nations will lay down
their arms and all international diff
culties will be settled by arbitration. -
About the only sign l see of an era
of such peace is in the building of a
big navy for the United States of
America. With such a navy we may
be able to compel less formidable ma
lions TO keep the peace" The antici-
pated era of peace will come from fear
and not love of other nations.
Questions of rank, etc, are a COM
mon thing in the navy. for Prof. Gig
nilliat, Of Savannah, formerly naval
officer, correctly declares that our naval
officers are the real aristocracy OF the
country. They are great sticklers and
mo niger need apply" at the Naval
Academy, not even with an appoint
ment from the President himself. Just
now there is ferment over the tenn
porarily title OF rear admiral allowed
70 heads Of certain departments, and O
retired pay director wants to be called
"Payntaster General OF the u. s. NJ
although there are no generals IN
the navy. AS 20 this STAFF and line