The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-06

educate men for civil pursuits. Per-
maps, however. we had better let we'll
enough alone. for I have frequently
shown jim these letters that West Point
has given to all the professions and
pursuits a great proportion of her
gradusooA hundreds of whom never
entered the @Rnly for a single month.
In closing, Editor Walker says: 81 be-
Ieve that the United States has much
to gain from turning into civil life such
great body of trained West Point
men-almost as much, in fact, as it
would derive from the services of its
trained officers in time of war" 1
have often said the same thing, and
held up Col. w. w. Gordon of 1915,
and Gen. A. r. Lawton of 1899. as
proof of my assertion.
Some of the newspapers notice the
death of Col. Charles P. Ball of
Montgomery, Ala, as that of Con
federate general" but he was only a
colonel, and he was a good one, too.
l am quite sure that Ball was a cadet
at the State University in Tuscaloosa
in 1861, and with lot of other cadets,
mere boys, sent a petition to Gen Joe
Wheeler later on to allow them to
come and zine the cavalry" The Pc
tition could not be granted, but the
boys scattered and got into the army
in some way. making good soldiers to
the end. In 1864 the Eighth Alabama
Cavalry was organized at Newbern, N.
c., by Lenuel d. Hatch of Alabama,
who was entitled to be it's colonel. but
Gen. Polk appointed Ball and made
Hatch lieutenant colonel. After the
war Col. Ball was in the railroad bust
ness. as have before me a pass issued
by him to me in 1874 signed c. p
Ball, superintendent. This was over
the Western Railroad of Alabama, but
in 1876 he gave me one over the Ala
bama and Chattanooga Railway, sign
ed Chas. p. Ball, superintendent.
Later, ] think. he was superintendent
of the East and West Railroad and
also member of the Alabama Rail-
road Commission. 1 think Col. Ball
was the sole survivor of the cadets
who petitioned Gen. Wheeler. Hon.
b. NJ. Robinson of Orlando, Fla, was
cadet. but do not think he signed
the petition. All the cadets were
bound to get into the Confederate
army and they did, and they made fine
records.
Last Sundays News and Courier Of
Charleston, S. c., devotes nearly a
whole page to the able and eloquent
sermon on True citizenship" by Rev.
DR.. II. w. Bays, delivered before the
Burnet Rhett Camp. U. c. V. Him
self Confederate veteran, this emf
nent Methodist divine gave his old
comrades a most admirable sermon,
one full Of patriotic fervor and noble
sentiments. Rev. DR. Bays, however,
falls into the common error when he
says that II is mo wonder that Gen.
Grant refused the proffered sword of
the brave, patriotic Robert Il. Lee"
The sermon closes with an appeal to
the noble women OF the South not to
weary in their self-imposed labor of
love for the old Confederates, living
and dead. Il WISH" says the preach
er, ito emphasize the heroism OF the
Confederate soldier in an effort TO
make his country prosperous and hap
by since the close OF the conflict. Both
the victor and the vanquished are now
pledged alike TO the defense OF a COM
mon flag and country. our institutions
are as sacred 20 the hearts OF these
brave men whom / address to-day as
they could be 90 the victor who con-
quered In the strife. This is our
country united by all the ties OF life
and death, by every sacred memorial
Of the past cementcd by the blood OF
"A later generation. The Confederate
veterans conduct AZ a citizen has call