The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-05-31
A Tribute to the Gallant Dead.

- 1IlDute 10 tuS 3allAHt 0eaA.
TO .hs Editors cf ias Dtspase.
The following weli.wr;ttan account af ina
iifs and services OF General SLACK, of Ais.
souIi, Is from the pen of Thomas B 0ral Am,
'cs1., who Is now Judge Advocate OF the
Foul n Division, Nate SLACK 's,) Nilsson ri state
Huard Colonel Graham sntsred the Mis-
sonr state service, FROM Chi lIcothe. Missouri,
Oeptaln Dyes company. Colonel Hughes's .
regiment Of Slaok's Division, and was with
his beloved com mandsr who had placed MIN
on mis- s,sffl through the bloody battles OF Oar
thage,~ @ X Hills, Lexington, and Eikhoru 1,
besides many Others OF minor iEtpor tancs,
aud Nc psys handsome and graceful tribute
10 the departed hero In the following 6rier
account i send IL to you that you may pub.
lish 1t. The hardships and courage OF the
Missouri volun tesrs are Oriehy and ETarnicai'
ly dsiiueated ia this sketch Of one OF the
brhvsst OF our soldiers:
aaHIRAL SLACK, OF MISSOURI.
BriEadisr. General William Ionely Slack
was born in kentucky. when three years of
Missouri, and settled near Colum bia Here
he learned the tanners trade, which he soon
relir uished, and studied law. When young
man he went to Livingston county. Missouri,
and commenced pra"ticinE law at Chiltco!he.
soon after, he married the daughter OF NE Jor
Woodward, of RictiNond, III Ray county, Ms.
s1uri, with whom ne lived happily IN til her
death, which occurred In January, 1906. The
Issue OF this marriage was six children, only
two of whom ars living q daughter and q
son, but seventeen years OF age, who has bsen
III tue service Ss q private since the com
menesment of the war. and who has done his
duty as 4 soldier. On the I'd OF DeccIn ber,
1857, Gen. Slack was again tuarried to a
daughter Of Hon. uustavus Bower, of Paris,
Missouri, by whom hs ha1 one child, which /,
being born after the second retreat from Lex
iraton, he was not permitted to see.
hs Captain OF a company OF cavalry, tsn
Slack served with distinction in the Mexican
rr6. Nh2 tn0 DrSn vEh hon
com nanded regiment Of Missourians with
as much ability, courage. ana success re he
now leads armies to battle aud victory. At
the we'll conte led battles Of Cartada, Ssm-
boda, ana Taos, where the enemy numbered
three to one, all who saw hir, agree In sayin,
that none conducted themselves with greater
cooiness, courage and gallantry, than Gen.
Slack. He remained In this service about
fourteen months, having Volunteered for
twelve. When his country no longer needso
his services ne resumed tn practive OF law at
Uhlicothe, which he continued to pursue
until he received from Gov Jackson the ap.
! pcintment OF Brigadier. General Of the 4.h
Military District. when he turned his atten.
tiOn to the OrRnnizatlon OF troops according
to the military law OF the state OF Mlssou :
He had mustered In but G. Few companies, ana
these far apart, at different points in the dis.
trict, when eight hundred federais were
landed from the cars, oa the nlgat OF the t4th
Of Juno, 1851. at Onilico.hs; and ne was forced
TO leave mis- home aud family, 10 which ne " rs
des sined never to return
From this time until his death ne was con-
stantly In this field; utinG every effort and eu-
ergy III the cause OF Southern Independence.
During the fatguing and harassing marches
of tha State Gu ard, he aiacdys al has posi-, and
shared the fare, the dangers and the nardships
OF his men He par cicipated and n:ribu ted
l9rsety TO the success Oil the battles OF Car
thar and OAK Hills At tnellat.er he was daa.
gerousiy wounded In the nip, 1hish a first
was thought 10 he mortal; but by the strlcs
atten ton of DR.. Ksi7h, his family ply scian
a IN
ahectionate wife, who encountered every
danger and came to him, ne at last recovered.
onu Al Ain took command of his division the
u n OF CctCber following
When the troops belonging 10 tns Missouri
State Guard were being mustered into the
Confederate SratfS service las. wiz utter, Gen
Slack USED every effort to induce the men un-
oes his conan .pd to join itnelriy ali CT whom
tooI his advice and are still in the service.
4 snort time before the commencement OF
the 1atreat from Springfield, Gen. Slack was
appOin1e3 by General Price to command the
second brig de OF Missouri Confederatss, d
body G insisting OF companies which had not
been o. inlZ into Ie.imer.s or batteions-
10 all about Il teen hundred men II was With
hese man, aud the fOurtu divisOa Missouri
s5iatu ~ ua,u, ,i4.t G.A. - Dom, Iii ;is re
port Of the battle OF Eikh5rn, speaks OF Gen
SLACK as "gaiihItly maintainiHg d continued
and sue ce ,sfui attack 4. this battle, q a5ont
noou on march til, 1su. SLACK uaa mortuily
wounded, The bail entering an Inch anCvs tna
old wound he received at Oak Hill, rau gin &
HOWuW WuTusI ahH WHICH, WUunuinS the 31cTdt
pLt1a Of narV.s, produced paralysis or the
urinary org ans, which lesuis ted liz inn ialnIaa
ton ana gan9rens EeWas caught ry Colonel
Scott, his aide de. camp, when about to fali
from his horse, ana, with the assistance Of
others, carefully conveyed In an ambulance 10
house in sugar Hollow asad for hospita!
where his wound was Skllltuily dressed by
Dr. Austin, ths division surgeon. 1hs next
| day, when he order YVES given to fall bach. 9
| was placed in TN ambulance and convey ed 70
| Andrew RalisTss eight miles east of the bat
| tie ground, accompanied by Uol. Cravens and
Dr. Keith, of the 4lh division, ana SeF2saI
| Streei. Of the 2d brigade. Here ne remained il
! until tas 18th, and seemed to Id doing we'll, q,
| when, becoming appIehsnsivs OF bsiGg cap
| iured by The Federais, he desired his attend
| ants to take him further e. way Trey accord
ing!y removed him seven miles further, to
| Musess Mills, where be rapidly grew worse,
| and on Thursday. March 20.h, ~ a quarter
| past O'Clock A. NJ, quiely hfsathsd his last
| The next morning he was buried sigh,milss
| eaSt OF the battle ground by his faithful
| friends and companions. al Of wnom after
| wards ADurned safely 10 the army. When
| told mis- end was approaching. no eX pressed nc
| regrets, nor gave any evtdenca OF alarm, but
| calmly awaited its arrival. His request to
DIR. Keith to give his watch 10 HIS daughter,
II he ever had an opportunity, was the only
! mention he made Of his family or property.
None familiar with the capacities OF Gene.
raj SLACK, will deny that he possessed many
of the q qualifications requisite TO constitute an
SfficieLt commander of volunteers Tenn
perate and abstemions III his habits i'm
ps,uous, daring, and courageous, yel pru.
6snI, wary, and cautious, be was we'll
C ,lcuiatsd Ior sktrmishing, or as q leader
IN Il charge. But these not the q uali lies
which alone dIsiing nish, him. HIS mind
was bold, Clear, and vigorous, and altogether
practical which, added TO sCund and PEN
etratins Judgment. gave his opn ,ons no or
binary weight iu council; while his business
| and orderly nabits enabled him TO conducs
wit tn ease and accuracy tha an airs Of his com
maud. He was ahabis and courteous IN his
manners, generous and uussihsh in his dis.
| position, and kind and indulgsnt in his na-
lure. His age was about forty i've years.
But that which most distia uished him was
his earnest devotion to the cause in Whica he
fell 1t was for this he gave up his beautiful
home Its en- joyms snts and associations; 1t was
for this he encountered, with the fortisude OF
| a soldier and patriot, the frosts and SHOWS OF
| win ter, and the heat and dust of summer; it
was for this he endured the haIdahips, tolls
| aud priSa lions OF one Of the longest, most ac-
| tive and bloodiest cam pagns recor dsd, or to
/ be recorded, on the pages CT history; it was
| IOr this he Suffered long and painfully it was
| for this he looked dsa III In the face In m any
| shapes and forms Il was for this he died
| Many Others Of the great and noble CT our
! land did the same, but none endured all mOre
| patish tly, snaered all more gladly, or gave OF
| their lives more freely. And OF all The off I.
| ings yet laid upon the altar OF State sove-
| reiguty ana constitutional liberly, there il
| none purer or noblsr than that offered by
General ". Y. Sisc ck. TBhPz
|