The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-01

warfare, both on land and sea, was
more deadly than the warfare of tho
present day with its modern imple-
ments Of combat. To compare one OF
our old wooden war vessels with the
Oregon's and the Alabama's OF our
present navy, would be like comparing
night to day. With guns that shoot
from three to thirty miles away there
is no need of the cutlass and the board
ing attack that made Capt. John Paul
Jones so famous. The same is true
of our armies on land as compared
with those of ancient times with spears
and battle axes and arrows. One OF
the Maxim articles many valuable ana
remarkable illustrations, tells how you
can shoot around the corner without
exposing yourself by using the newly
invented Hyposcope. This reminds me
that when "Stonewall' Jackson was a
professor at the Virginia Military In
stitute, a cadet tried to force smile
from his never-smiling face, by asking
in the class room, If a gun could be
invented that could shoot around the
corner. The stern old major never
smiled, and simply replied. well, hard
ly." There was no vision of a Hypo-
scope in sight in those ante-bellum
days, nor OF a gun that could send
cannon ball over twenty miles.
My Savannah corrector is hardly
well satisfied with my Gen. David
Hunter explanation. She places too
much importance on Cullum's West
Point Register, as it is not an official
publication and would not stand in
court against the official army regis
ter. / am not, as suspected, Doubt
ing Thomas" but have simply stated
that there is no record of any kind
to show that Gen. Hunter was born in
New Jersey Cullum says he was
born in and appointed a cadet from
the District of Columbia. The Off
cial List of Cadets" published by
the adjutant of the Military Academy
in 1902, has David Hunter, D. c., 1878,
who graduated, and a David Hunter,
Va, 1918" who did not graduate. In
1890, Clerk F. B. Hoffman of the adju-
tant generals office of the War De-
partment published a Historical Reg
lister of the United States Army" in
which David Hunter is recorded as
born in the District of Columbia and
appointed from Illinois. A lieutenant
David Hunter of Virginia, in the
Twelfth Infantry. was killed at battle
of Chrystler's Fields. N. c., No. II,
1913. But Hamersly's Complete Reg
ular Army Register" published in 1880,
has 1t David Hunter, born in and APP
pointed from the District of Columbia,
anu SIMPLY mentions the appointment
of Lieut.. David Hunter of Virginia,
March 20, 1913, with no reference to his
death. Neither of these publications
Is reliable, although purporting to be
compiled from official records. The
Official Army Register" published by
order OF the Secretary of War, from
the adjutant generals office, is the
only accepted authority in these cases,
and that Is not always correct.
have before me as write the Reg
lister" of 1859 and that of 1861. In the
former David Hunter, then a paymas-
ter, with rank of major. is recorded as
born in ID. c." and appointed from
I'll" In the latter ne is recorded as
a major general of volunteers and as
colonel of the Sixth United States
Cavalry, and both records are I'D. c."
and III" But for some reason the
general impression has been that Gen.
David Hunter was a Virginian. There
were, however, two Virginians of this
name-Cadet David Hunter, at West
Point in 1918, and Lieut.. David Hun
ter, u. S. A. in 1S13-and this fact may
have confirmed that impression, as in
my case. Here endeth the second
lesson. Sidney Herbert.