The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-16

to become OntCerS in the Servlce AZ Is well known, many graduates of thS Virginia Military lnstitute-and l be- lieve of some other military schools ip the Confederate States-did receive commissions in the army at an early date
 The history of the Cadet Corps of Alabama, as find it recorded by Colonel James T. Murfee. Command ant of the Alabama Corps of Cadets, from 1862 to 1s6o. inclusive. shows con- clusively:
 That this corps was organized by the Governor of Alabama and the Board of Trustees of the University in 1880 for the special purpose of training of ticers;
 That. on the recommendation of the Faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point. N. r., Colonel Caleb Huse. an instructor of that academy, was made commandant of cadets and commissioned by the State of Alabama:
 That, on the recommendation of the Faculty of the Virginia Military In stitute. a graduate of that institut" was made professor of mathematics and assistant commandant of cadAts: while two other graduates of the Vir- ginia Military Institute were made in structors of companies, all of these gradeates having been duly conimfs- slonedl by the State of Alabama;
 That. the corps. thus otficered, was organized in September, 1860; that. in February, 1861. 1t was formally dedi- cated to the service of the Southern cause in front of the Capitol. in Mont- gomery, Ala, when 1t appeared there under review of the Governor and Leg islature; and, that, then and there, the Governor. after ccmplimenting Colonel Huse on the soldierly qualities of his command, expressed his purpose to use the corps in the Civil War, so near al hand:
 That Colonel Huse. till lately an officer of the United States, there pledged himself to the service of the South, whose cause he espoused; and as a result of the facts hereinbefore cited, the Legislature promptly appro- priated the additional yearly amount of $S,0O0 to the fund of the University. for the purpose of maintaining the Corps of Cadets;
 That the Corps of Cadets rendered military service to the Confederate States continuously from 1861 to 1s65 in the Camp of Instruction at the Uni versity and sometimes in the field;
 That the Corps. when in the field and at the Confederate Post at Tusca- lOOBd, was uHueT tHt COIlndUQ OI OHl- cers of the Confederate States; and that the service 1t rendered at ali times was prescribed by President Jef ferson Davis:
 That once or tkice each year Colonel Garland, President of the Uni versity, made visits to Richmond in order to persuade President Davis to put the Corps permanently in the field. but in every instance--even as late as 1s65--he declined to do so. declarins that, although the Confectionery Was pressed tor soldiers. every cadet in the Camp of Instruction preparing to become an officer was worth much more than he would be serving in the ranks;
 That a detachment of the Corps un- der Confederate officers. engaged the Federal in the battle of Chehaw. Ala, and that it was an important factor in repelling a serious cavalry raid:
 That the entire Corps. after the capture of Tuscaloosa, on the night of April 3rd. 1865, and after the Post Commander had been made prisoner, under its own officers. marched from the University. engaged the enemy and forced them to surrender the streets and retreat to the bridge below the city; that, previously. in 1865 the entire corps was stationed at Blue Mountain. Ala. for the purpose of repelling raid threatened by the Federals; and, that in 1864 1t was also stationed at Blakely. Ala.,s under the Confederate General Liddell. when the enemy was expected to attack Mobile from Pensa- cola.
 'If it should be said. on the other hand. that under the last law of 1865. calling all men of 17 years of age to the colours, these cadets should have presented themselves for enlistment. the conclusive answer is: that to have done so would have amounted to de- sertion and could not have been tol- erated in view of President Davis's positive and repeated refusal to per init them to enter the ranks regularly. /'In my opinion. in view of what has been stated. the Corps of Cadets was in the military service of the Confed crate States from the beginning to the end of the Civil War. from 1861 to 1865, and that the survivors are. there fore, entitled to the honour of member ship in the Confederate Veterans Asso- citation and their sons to the honour of membership with the Sons of Con federate Veterans
 Tt is to be observed that nothing herein expressed is intended to have the effect. in any way. of limiting any of the Confederate Veterans camps in their sole right. under the constitution of the United Confederate Veterans. to be the exclusive judges of the qualiti- cations of their own members.
 With the request that you will transmit these conclusions to General S D. Lee. Commanderin-G Chief, U. c. ". return the documents accompa- nying your communication, and re- main, Yours very truly
 "E M Hudson,