St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-06-06
Army Officers.

armies and thus become charged, in q
conspicuous degree, with the respon-
sibilities Of conducting this grand
struggle to a speedy and satisfactory
end. Hitherto these men have, for
the most part, led unobtrusivc lives
while the politician and the statesman
have cngrossed the observation OF the
masses ; but now the men OF words
must retire before the men OF deeds.
Whether the trial is to bring out its
controlling genius Washington, q
Napoleon, a Jackson, a Garibaldl, or
a second Scott-rcmains to be seen.
But that We have excellent military
commandcrs-perhaps under the eye
of that veteran head of the army,
amply competent for all the ~exigcncles
of the contests perfectly manifest +;
and there is every reason to believe
that the talent they have already dis
played, is but an index of the dis
tinction which they are bound to win.
We give mere outline sketches OF
some of these officers, derived mostly
from local papers, which ought to be
well informed as to their subjects.
GENERAL MANSFIELD. General Joseph
K. +. Mansfield, now in command OF
the forces at Washington, and who is
reported as the head Of a very impor-
tant expedition planned for speedy
execution, is a native of Connecticut,
from whence he entered West Point
in 1917, to graduate in 1922, second
in his class. This gave him a COM
mission in the engineer corps, and
when "Old lack" went to Mexico,
Captain Mansfield was selected as the
chief engineer Of the army Of occupa-
ton. His services at the defence of
Fort Brown, at Monterey, (where he
was severely wounded in storming
the enemy's position,) and at Buena
Vista, won him brevets and fame. In
1853 he was appointed Inspector Cen
eral, with the rank of Colonel. He
has been promoted to a generalship
within u short time. "Perley" de-
scribes him as "a soldier-likc gentle.
man, with a full white beard, which
gives him a patriarchal air." and says
he is brave but discreet, a thorough
tactician, and an accomplished militia.
~ engineer"
GEN. BUTLER. Major General Ben
.jamin F. Butler has thus far been the
most prominent volunteer officer since
the Presidents proclamation of April
18th. His energy, activity and per
severance in opening a way Of com
m~unication with Washington, at ;
time when the capital seemed cut of
by events at Baltimore, are we'll I'm
dcrstood by the public, and have VOL
from the Administration the highcs
encomiums. Gen. Butler was born a
, Dccricld, Rockingham county, n. ii
in 1918, and is %forty-thrce years ole
He studied law and took up his res
dencc in Lowell. Mass, where he ha
distinguished himself as an advocat
at the bar. He has always been
jealous politician Of the Democrat
school, and has been in a number G
responsible political positions. w
have seer it stated that he is unma
ried. This is q mistake. A numbc
T. Of years ago he married a dauSht'
IF Doctor Hildreth of Dracut, he:
Lowell, and has now a family Of sew
raj children. At the period of o,
residence in Lowell, during the sti
ring political times of 1910, we kne
little cross-eyed Ben" intimately, q
though opposed to each other in pc
n itics.
GENERAL MCCLELLAN. Major Gener
George B. Mcclellan commands Il
. military department of the gre
q Northwest, and will probably mo-
| down in the direction of the Mississi
q pi River, or western Virginia, as IL
y war opens. He is a native of Phil
delphia, and is under forty years
+ age. He graduated at West Poi
with the highest distinction ; them
q he was transferred to Mexico, und
Gen. Scott, where for his valor
a was twice brevettcd. After the wa
q he was associated with Capt. Mare
in the exploration Of the sources
the Red River, and was subsequent
]. transferred to Oregon. He was tn
. appointed on the Crimean commissio
II which enabled him personality to
spect the military systems of all t
e great European powers-Englan
France, Russia, Austria and Prussia
v and to witness the operations Of wa
under the highest scientific attai
# ments and on a grand scale. He til.
/, became one of the best educated Of
70 GERS in the service. For the last thr
years he has been the executive he'
Of the great Illinois Central railroa
70 He is at at once prudent and resolut
of GENERAL Mcdowell. This ofic,
or who has been modest enough to 4
te cline a major gencralship, because
Mt thought himself only entitled to t
IN lower grade, is a native born citiz
to Of Ohio, has resided in Kentucky, al
o. is q connection Of tho celcbrat
ID James Mcdowell, of the Shenando
region of Virginia. He is about for
- ware IF aro has cnryed in tho No