The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-03
CLAIM OF GENERAL BADEN-POWELL
TO LINEAL DESCENT FROM JOHN SMITH
Colonel Gordon McCabe Writes
London Paper to Show No
Foundation for 1t.
PRESENTATION OF THE BUST
circumstances Attending This
Leads to Investigation and an
Interesting Review.


The Saturday Review, London, of Jan
tary 10Th. prints quite long and inter
estng letter from Col. w. Gordon Me-
Cabe. Of this city, on General Baden
Powell's claim of descent from Captain
John Smith. The Review, commenting cdi-
torally on the letter says:
General Bnden-Powell Of Mafekng,
must look, not to his laures, but to his
ancestry. Recently he presented the state
OF Virginia with n bust OF Captain John
Smith composed by himself, partly 1t
appears because John Smith had always
been his model mot In the scuiptor's
sense) and partly bccaGsc John Smith
was his ancestor, and the College of Arms
says So Hereupon q very distinguished
Virginian. Confederate hero who served
under General Lee, comes forward In
letter to the Saturday Review to challenge
the generals claim The objection taken
certainly goes TO the root OF the matter.
q lawyer might say It was alb initio Can
tain John Smith cries this formidable
knight was never married. How can our
popular hero be descended from n man
who was never married.? We invite the
attention of General Badcn-Poweil and
tho College of Arms to Colonel McCabe's
letter Can they produce legitimate
answer.
Col McCabe's letter is as follows:
TO the Editor of the Saturday Review:
Richmond Va. u. S. A, Jan. g. 1907
Slr,-On yesterday ! received from n
friend In England a copy of the stand
ard of 10Th December, containing n repor.
of some of the speeches delivered ut i.
luncheon given on 18th December at the
Savoy Hotel by Mr.. Charles W. kohlsaat
commissioner General of the jamestown
(Virsinia) Exposition. 1907 on which oc-
casion "MajorGeneral Baden-Powell the
hero of Mafeking. was the chief guest"
In this report we mr., told that Captain
John Smith to whom is ascrbed the hon
or OF founding tho American Republic,
exactly 300 years ago, was a direct ances-
tor OF the Inspector-General OF Cavalry"
and that General Baden Powell in re-
spending to the toast of his health, said
that although the English press had tried
TO deprive him OF his ancestry. in this
respect the College of Hcrnlds bore him
out. and he was firmly OF opinion that
John Smith was the grandfather OF his
fathers grandfather However. II any one
wished TO claim John Smith as an ancestor
he was willing to dispose of him as such,
provided the claimant was prepared to
make as good use of him as he (the
generaD had done: that was. to use him
- q t'.OHS1 .hAAi sSfIiip4e LOE al tlldL was
best in honesty. pluck. perseverance and
enterprise. Cheers" I need not say
that l have not the remotest doubt that
such a gallant gentleman and brilliant
soldier as General Baden-Powe is firm
~ OF opinion" that he is in very truth,
direct descendant OF the doughty captain,
and I. for one. wish with all my heart
that his claim were true.
To me. as an old soldier John Smith at
one end OF the line and Baden Powell at
the other. would be a kindling thing to
think upon. and va Virginians. descen-
dants OF the men who rode with Smith
around the land and Raleigh around the
seas." would be proud. indeed to hail
"the hero Of Mafeking' as OF the very
blood Of Virginias greatest president"
Alas! In the truth OF cold facts" we ,
cannot honestly do so.
1 know not OF any efforts on the part of !
the English press ito deprive him OF |
his ancestry" and. in consequence. am
quite unbiafed by anything that may |
have been written on your side the water |
touching his claim.
Tho first intimation / had OF any claim |
OF direct descent from Captain John |
Smith worthy of notice Is contained in |
the following letter. which appeared.
with the quoted PREDATORY words, in the
Richmond Cyirginia) Times Dispatch Of
9th February. 1906
Governor Swanson on yesterday received |
the following letter from Judge Charles
Mayer. in which he tenders to the State
of Virginia q bronze bust OF the great |
John Smith. composed by Major General
Baden Powell. of the English Army, the
hero of Nrafeking. lineal descendant OF /
the founder of Jamestown
Richmond. Va. February "a, 1906.
Yt.I l1a,,, Afx-
gina.
MY Dear Governor,-As the son OF a
Virginian. it is source of qualification to
me that am enabled. through the gene
rosty OF its distinguished creator, to offer
to Virginin, the mother of heroes and
statesmen bust of John Smith, some
time Governor OF Virginia and Admiral
of New England
II realize that your historic and beauti
full capitol is tho only place for this treas
ure. and Its ownership should he vested in
Virginia, the greatest monument to this
old warriors name. The gift becomes
doubly appropriate when we remember
that the blood OF this old Virginia hero,
whose fame it commentaries, runs in
direct lineal descent in the veins of
'B. p the hero OF Matching.
"Trusting that 1t may be your pleas sure
and that of the State of Virginia to ac-
cept, remain. with assurances of highest
esteem Yours sincerely
Charles Mayer"
(The original of this letter is now before
me.)
In the same ISSUE OF The Tlmes-Dis-
patch may be found a long interview
accorded reluctantly" by Judge Mayer
to tho reporter. In which he tells the ir-
repressible interviewer that he is can