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An Incident of the Meeting of 'Blue and Gray, Fitzgerald, Ga.
When the news was published that Gen. 0. 0.
Howard was to be the head of the Blue and Gray
celebration at Fitzgerald, Ga., this year, the re
membrance of a letter written in 1855 came to the
mind of Gen. J. C. Davant, the letter being in his
possession. This letter was written by Gen. J. E.
B. Stuart to the brother of Gen. J. C. Davant.
Gen Stewart and Lieutenant W. M. Davant were
class-mates with Gen. 0. 0. Howard, being mem
bers of the class of 1854.
Another thing impressing the association of the
names of Davant and Howard was that during re
construction days Gen. Howard was placed in charge
of a division of the South, taking his headquarters
at the former home of his class-mate, Davant, which
was at old “Cherry Hill” plantation on “Hilton
Head Island.”
The following letters will explain themselves:
Davant & Davant, Attorneys at Law.
Brooksville, Fla., March 11, 1909.
Gen. 0. 0. Howard, in Reunion Blue and Gray,
Fitzgerald, Ga.
Dear Sir: How many of the class of ’54 survive?
My eldest brother in ’56, at Eagle Pass, was the
first removed, I believe. Honoring class esprit,
cherishing associations of the old “Cherry Hill”
plantation on Hilton Head (the paternal birth
place), and prevented by engagements to greet you
on this visit to my next door neighbor, I hope the
inclosed copy may be an acceptable souvenir.
With appreciative sentiment, I am
Respectfullv yours,
J. C. DAVANT.
"The Limit of the Line. ”
mother commented. “But, frankly, I do not see
why a Captain of Industry should be considered
outside the pale’ of salvation. He has been ex
tremely selfish and hard in his demands of his em
ployees, but that is about the worst that can be
said of him. I never heard him accused of per
sonal immorality. He looks as austere as a priest
in the only picture I ever saw of him. But, Shir
ley/’ and Mirs. Bryan’s voice took on a new note
of animation, “it seems strange to me that you
should leave Gregory Ford off your prayer list;
for, by his own confession, he belongs to the guild
of St. Thomas. And you know that he had to
leave Princeton on that very account —his unbelief
in miracles. ” .
Shirley put the last touch on her hair, and then
came and sat down on a cassock at her mother’s
feet.
“Mater, did you ever happen to hear Gregg Ford
talk in one of his best moods?”
“Why, yes, I think I have, why?”
“Then you must realize,” Shirley answered, as
she crossed her hands confidingly on her mother’s
lap, “that his doubts have never really submeiged
his faith. He thinks they have, because he is prone
to indulge in morbid speculations. But when the
moment for action comes, Mr. Gregg, as Little Nell
calls him, takes the right side of the firing line,
inevitably. All those years at Princeton were not
wasted, the higher self prevails in him still, either
.consciously or unconsciously.”
“Well, that is a unique explanation, Breeze,”
her mother replied, “and, I am sure, I hope that
you are correct about it.”
After a moment of silence, Mrs. Bryan put her
hand down on her daughter’s shoulder. “But can
you affirm, Shirley, that you do not prefer Barry
Moore ? ’ ’
“Prefer him to the man of millions!” Shirley
answered lightly, “that were to confess myself not
a modern girl! ’ ’
**.*** * * * * •
Down the street Henry Brown and Ethel Ford
were searching for the temporary boarding place of
The Golden Age for April 29, 1909.
Stuart to Davant.
Fort Clark, January 13, 1855.
Dear Davant: We arrived here safely yesterday
after a very pleasant trip up, and expect to leave
on Monday in rain and cold for Limpia. We have
had some difficulty in procuring an escort from this
place farther on. Dr. Myer accompanied Edson
and myself from Duncan, also on his way to Limpia,
and Green I. B. came this far on a pleasure tramp.
My health is still good. I saw at Eagle Pass, Bliss,
Woods, Capt. Walker, Sheridan, all about starting
on a scouting (alias hunting) expedition, Swaine,
Williams, G. A., Jenkins, Carr (quite well), Rick
etts, Doubleday, Johnston and many others. From
what I saw of the two places I would advise you to
stay where you are. Capt. Walker and Carr are
fine fellows and perfect gentlemen and anxious for
you to come up, but you can’t find such a fellow as
Dab Maury in the Union, so you can’t go to the
Limpia, requiscat in pace at Laredo. The army bill
and the new organizations are the topics every
where, and in regard to both I have heard every
variety of opinion expressed.
G. W. Smith has resigned. I hope to return to
you and your tent at the end of the campaign; in
the meantime let me hear from you as often as
possible, and be assured I will not spare pen or
paper whenever opportunity offers to trouble you
with a line. I found at this post Barney Phillips,
my old friend and tent-mate, Otis, Smith, B. F., and
last and least in size tho’ by no means so in soul,
Cosby. Edson and I are staying with him till we
start. My tent is pitched alongside his in the most
beautiful and romantic spot in the Union, in the
midst of a live-oak forest on a hillside at the bot-
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their friends.
Mr. Brown quoted:
“As for thee, star-eyed Egyptian—
Glorious soceress of the Nile!”
“I am not star-eyed, Mr. Brown,” very gently.
“Moon-eyed, then, Miss Ethel?”
“Oh, dear,” sighed Miss Ford, “just fancy!
Moon-eyed! Then I don’t like the Nile!”
“Why?”
“It overflows its banks, and is the cause of much
suffering’. ”
“Overflows its banks? Um! I am sorry, but I
can’t prevent it.”
“If I must be the soceress of some river to you,
Mr. Brown, try the dear old Hudson on me. I pre
fer it.”
“Truly?”
“Cross my little heart, I do. The banks are so
charming high, you know —like most American ar
ticles.”
He felt the hammer of his heart get busy. My!
if the pure joy of this night with the most alluring
girl in Gotham did not kill 'him, he 'would live to
tell his children’s children about it. Then,
“I hate to hunt numbers,” he declared unwisely.
“With me?” The light of gold in her eyes daz
zled him.
He revised his rash statement somewhat.
“I’d hunt ... in Pompey . . for buried
numbers . . . with you.”
“Oh!” said Miss Ford. “I think that we had
best find Mrs. Bryan’s number, quick.” The light
of a friendly street lamp slanted across the madden
ing oval of her patrician face, the tempting carna
tion of her arched lips.
Mr. Brown fell back on his reserves, that is, his
poetry. He said:
“Light the path to Stygian Darkness,
'With the splendor of thy smile.”
“I will loan it to the General Electric Company,”
she affirmed naively, “my smile!”
“I am jealous,” he replied doggedly, with a re
markable huskiness in his voice for a man of his
inches, “of the General Electric Company!”
“You should be jealous of Gregory Ford,” she
almost electrocuted him by stating, “but you are
Sy GEORGE HY7IAN.
tom of which sleeps a limpid stream in the embrace
of moonlight, but hold on; see what an effect the
spot has.
Cosby and Edson send their regards to you and
Lt. Maury; please tender my kindest regards to
him and the other Rifle Officers. Saw Jones and his
lady, Mrs. Claiborne. Please send whatever comes
to Laredo for me to “Limpia via Fort Clark,
him as postage; I forgot to pay it, and charge it to
Texas. ’ ’
Pay to Quarter Master Beall 25 cts. which I owe
my estate, also pay the “forward” of all letters
for me and charge it to the came. My compliments
to Mrs. Bee. I remain My Dear Davant,
Ever your sincere friend,
J. E. B. STUART..
Gen. Howard to Gen. Davant.
Lincoln Memorial University,
Near Cumberland Gap, Tenn.
Burlington, Va., April 2, 1909.
J C. Davant, Esq., Brooksville, Fla.
Dear Mr. Davant: Your favor of March the 11th
has just found me. I was earnestly entreated to
meet our comrades at Fitzgerald, Ga., but nobody
could help me to transportation so I could go.
I had great affection for J. E. B. Stuart and
your good generous brother when we were asso
ciated. The memory of it has been with me ever
since.
Thank you much for Stuart’s letter.
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) ‘ * OLIVER OTIS HOWARD.
P. S. —I think there are ten left of our class.
Abbott, Green, Langdon, Soutelle, Black, Bingham,
Howard, Townsend, Closson and Morgan.
not that kind of a cad.”
He called her by her first name before he could
head himself.
“Ethel,” he said, “you’d make General W.
Tecumseh Sherman desert his own statue and pro
pose to you. lam trying hard to keep my form.”
“I’ll wring Ford’s neck,” he went on, “if I
starve. ”
She gathered her blue skirts in one magnetic
hand. He felt that she was choked with laughter.
“Oh! blank the System,” he groaned. “You are
making it hard for me.”
“If this keeps up,” she warned him, “you and
1 will be hunting the Rev. Rowley Powley. My for
tune is in my own name, you know. Do you know
him?”
“I wish he was alive,” said Henry Brown sadly.
She drew in her breath.
“Please beg my pardon for calling Miss Ford,
Ethel.”
“Isn’t that her name?”
“Y-e-s, ” very softly.
“Then I expect that my mind’s tongue will call
you Ethel, Miss Ford, forever.”
“I can’t 'here your mind’s tongue,” she con
fessed, helpless before such abstract logic.
An open door threw a yellow sheet of gas light
across their path.
“Mrs. Bryan is coming down the stairs,” she in
formed him, “if you intended to kiss my hand, it’s
all off now.”
“Love of life!” he vowed, as she swept in a
swirl of blue skirts before him. “’Gregg Ford
must have told her all I said about her.”
He sauntered up the steps presently, and was
greeted as graciously as the girl from Gotham by
his old friend.
“I am so glad to be able to tell you,” Mrs.
Bryan announced, after they were comfortably
seated in the private parlor which belonged to her
suite, “that Shirley has at last got her consent
to let Little Nell go North for treatment.”
“When do you start?” the editor inquired cour
teously.
“Tomorrow,” she answered, “at four o’clock.”
(To be Continued.)
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