The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1922-05-04
FRIENDSHIP REVIVED BY JOUR-
NAL STORY OF OLD DAYS
lCoNTINuEp FRoM PAGE d

! whether the number was increased
in after years l do not know.
l entered the Institute as "high
private in the rear rank in the
spring of 1852 and graduated four
years after as Adjutant of the
Corps, having served the State be-
tween times as Corporal and Sar-
genat Major. 1t may be said in pass
ing that nothing in those four years
quite so filled me with pride and self
complacence, as my corporal's
stripes. l could not keep from look
ing at them continually out of the
corners of my eyes.
AS Mr.. Roberts has told, Capt. j.
w. Robertson was the Commandant
Of Cadets at the time of my entry,
ard when | first saw him on dress
parade he seemed to me the very
beau-ideal of what a soldier ought
Ito be in appearance. He was over
six feet tall, lnely framed, straight
as an arrow, with jet black hair and
eyes, and with stern air of COM
mand that filed the soul of a poor lit
tie new skedet" like myself with an
awe it took long time to recover
from. Capt Robertson was grad
uate of the Citadel Academy in
Charleston and brought with him
from that celebrated school ideas Of
discipline that did much to make the
G.N.I. what it was.
Because Of some disagreement
nth the superintendent, Col. A. V.
Brumby, (of which | know nothing)
he resigned in his second year. He
vas succeeded in the office of Com
mandant by Capt. Samuel Jones, Of
Virginia, West Pointer, then serv-
ing in an artillery regiment of the
Z. S. Army. A fine soldier was he,
much beloved by the corps, which
was more than loath to see him 90
away to return to army duty on the
expiration of his leave of absence.
He became a major general in the
Confederate service and was especial
ly noted in the defence of Charles
ton.
The next Commandant was
Georgian from old Liberty county.
Captain Thomas R. Mcconnell. who
graduated from West Point, in the
year 1916, and went at once to the
Mexican war wherehe was desperate
ly wounded at the battle of Molino-
del-Ray. He was captain in the
4th U. S. Infantry, but l think re-
signed to accept the place at the
G. M. |. He signed my diploma in
1856, but | do not remember how
much longer he remained at the ms
titute. Capt Mcconnell was very
lovable man, just, kind and capable.
l do not think he had an enemy in
the corps. My position as adjutant
threw me very near to him and I
learned to know his fine character
very intimately. l have held him in
honored memory all my life. That
he had keen sense of honor the
following incident shows: The cad
cts were required to attend church
N the city on Sundays, but singu-
larry enough there were always some
who were too unwell on that day of
the week to meet the requirements
though the next morning found
them entirely recovered. One Mon
day | submitted the reports of the
previous day to Capt. Mcconnell. He
looked at them shrewdly and then
said with a twinkle in his eve" Mr.
AdJutant, this is a very large sick
LIST; please have the sick-call sound
ed in front of my office next Sun
day and inform DR.. Connell that |
VIII attend to the men" The order
was obeyed and l was surprised on
the following Sunday to see the cap
tain walk into the office bearing a
large iron spoon and package
wrapped in brown paper The or
DERBY was instructed to bring a buck
let OF fresh water and a tin dipper
and the siclI-cal was sounded in
-ront Of the door Pretty soon the
applicants for the list were march
Jed down and lined before us. The
captain looked them over quietly for
a while, they in turn looking at him
with concern in their faces. Then
ne gravely opened the package
which was found to contain, a pound
or more of good EPSON salts. "What
the matter with you?" was asked
OF the man at the right of the line,
who IN reply gave the details of his
tSSN-AAS N'o NClI dS he COulu on
he spur of the moment. "Verv
we'll" said the captain, "you are ex-
cused, but here is some relief for
your complaint" At that he dipped
up a cup of water stirred into it a
heaping spoonful of the salts and
cave it to the unhappy lad to drink.
He swallowed it with a wry face
amid grins and chuckles of surround
'ng cadets who had come up to see
he fun. The same process was re-
oeated all along the line, each sick
man endeavoring to invent a disease
hat no one else had thought of, but
m vain, each had to take his medi-
eine-they were all too healthy look
'ng as lot to be spared Finally
bel asst man was reached, Duncan
TWiggs, of Augusta. He was what
Shakespeare calls, "a fellow of inf
mite zest," as full of mischief as bows
are made, and he met his fate with
Z laughable grimace. To the can