The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-16

It would take separate study to get my proof about uniform. However, since | General Walker not only brings it up, but
 bases what he considers some of his
 strongest proof on this statement from
 MT. Lamar Fontain, and bases his only
 impeachment of MT. Marschall's memory
 on this, I shall answer thus: Many his- l torians who cannot decide whether MT. | Smith or MT. Marschall designed the | flag, are outspoken in saying MT. Mars chall in larger part designed the uniform Miss Mildred Rutherford, historian gen eral U. D. C., gives the credit of uniform | to Nicola Marschall and says there is no | doubt about it. From the library of | Southern literature another claim which MT. Lamar Fontain makes is for writ | ing "All Quiet Along the Potomac To- night" This, too, is discredited, and the authorship is authoritatively given to Thaddeus Oliver, with the reasons, which
 are convincing. Major Fontain says, concerning his affidavit that the uniform was adopted without dissenting voice
 on February 14 1861-all insignia from corporal to commanding general-he put
 on and explained to committee
 How absurd 1t is to ask us to believe
 that this most important decision of
 the uniform was decided without dis senting voice and on single day, before the president of the provisional congress had been inaugurated or the act to raise provisional forces for the army had been
 passed February 27, 1S6D, or the act for the establishment and organization of the army of the Confederate States of America (March 4, 1884, or bill to estab- fish war department (February 20 1S6D. The bill for the establishment and organ fyof ffr1r, 1ff 1z@ At- was not even offered until February 25, 1861. Besides, historians and writers of that day tell us this of the uniform committee:
 A board was ordered to pass on prelirn- mary design for service uniform. It con- sisted of Col. A. c. Myers, acting quar- termaster general; Col. George Deas, ad- Jutant generals department, with Price M B. Young, then fresh from West Point, as recorder. Col. A. c. Myers did not reach Montgomery until long after February IA, 1861. On March 25 he was
 promptly appointed quartermaster gen eral, and yet he was president of the
 uniform board appointed by General Bar tow
 General Gordon, military commander,
 in his "reminiscences says that on May 6 the regulation uniform had not at that time been adopSed for field of- ficers and in deference to the wishes
 and somewhat quaint taste of Colonel
 Seibles the regimental companies, the
 mounted officers of the Sixth, wore
 double breasted frock coats made of green broadcloth with brass buttons of the United States army T. c. Deleon
 also gives us charming descriptions
 of the multi-colored ununiformed sol
 diers as late as the 1st of June in
 the city of Richmond. He says "The
 dirty gray and tarnished silver of the
 South Carolinas, the dingy butternut
 of the lank. muscular Georgians with
 it's green trimmings and full skirts and
 the Alabamians from the coast nearly
 all in blue of a cleaner hue and neat
 CT cut. while the Louisiana troops were
 as general thing better equipped and
 more regularly uniformSi than any
 others in. the motley throng." If we
 want other evidence against the claim
 that the whole uniforming of the Con-
 federate army was completed unani-
 mously in one day as early as the 14th
 of February, 1861, take the fact that
 Chairman Barrow did not present re-
 port, bill on clothing, etc. until May
 1S The uniform board appointed by
 the military committee discussed for
 many weeks, days and hours every
 phase of the Confederate uniform In
 deed. the official order for Confed-
 crate uniforms was not given until June 6, 1861, at Richmond. Va, four