The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-07-30

mt the light Of his experience, thought Of sac
hs fights, swcFe that he would q the San
1sips sgsin if e sysr g st eh = 81 3
Cd seemed to have no doubts that he woul
I'd be equally successful in second encoun
- ter.-COrrespondence of NeO York EOc,sf,s
70 Post.
a The Late Major General Janel
t. BiFdseye McPherson.
nj General Mcpherson was born in San
, dusky, Ohio, November II, 1923, and wa
a therefore 1T the time Of his death IN tn
thirty -s1xth year of his age. In June
. l840, he entered the United States Military
: Academy at West Point, a. q cadet. and
81 graduated with high honoss in June, 1853.
= Immediately after graduating he was an
: pointed Instructor in the science Of prscti-
cal military engineering, In which posi-
. ton he continued until September. 1854.
and from that time until December, 1856,
he was employed - assistant engineer on
the defenses Of New York Harhor.. In
I cond lieutenant Of engineers. From jan
nary TO July, 1857, he was engaged in sua'
J perlntending the construction Of Fort Del-
aware, ON Delaware River, and received
the highest commehdation for the efficient,
manner in which be discharged his afau-
gust, 1881, he was in charge OF the construo..
ton Of forti6cAtions at Alcatras Island.
San Francisco Bay, California. and surveys
On Inc racine coast: During this period
IN December,. 1Sde-he was promoted 20
ishing his work on the PaciAc coast he was
again promoted-in August, 1850. AZ cap
tain Of engineers he was placed in char0o
OF the defenses Of Boston Harbor. and re-
manned at that post from August to No
Yember Of 1881.
In November, 1861, when General Hal }
!eck assumed command of the Western
department, he was appointed Aid-de-
camp with the rank Of Lieutenant Colonel.
General Halleck assigned him on en-
gineer duty, and kept him engaged on .
important works in Missouri until Febru-
~, 1867, when he was made Chief Engineer !.
to accompany General Grant in the expeIi-
tons TO Forts Henry and Donelson. He
remained with General Grant until after ].
the battle of Shiloh, when he was promoted :,
to-the rank Of Colonel and Chief Engineer !,
Of all fortifcations erected during the siege !
OF Corinth; On the 18th Of May. 1852, Re
was commissioned Brigadier General OF ,
Volunteers, and appointed by General
aalieck Superintendent Of the Military
lieved Of this duty IL August. 1852. a tie 7
battle OF Iuka he acted as Chief of Staff to
General Grant. On the fourth Of October.
1867, he was assigned to command Of q d.
vision OF troops and sent in pursuit of the "a
reoels on their retreat from Corinth. On !
the eighth Of October, 1867, he IVES pro- !,
NOTED to Major Generally, and assigned
TO the command Of the troops then aS Be- 2
livar Tennessee. ..s, - 4.
His history since his assumption Of the !.
command Of troops in the field, II familiar
% every Newspaper reader. The 18th corps
OF which he was in command during the d
siege OF Vicksburg, took . more activo
part than any other In that memorable
campaign. At the close Of the siege Ger
eral Grant rec0mmded General McPher.
son to the authorities at Washington for q
promotion, and he was accordingly made
. Brigadier General In the regular army.
The personal appearance of General Nc 4
Pherson was that of . high-toned gentle
man and scholar, and the moro intimate
the acquaintance with him, the more thor ID,
oughly were these first impressions con- J,
frmed. In few military men Of our army
were the qualities Of b true gentleman 80
happily blended with those Of . real sol- d
der. Justly regarded as one Of the most
skillful officers in the Western army. he
was noted for total absence Of that rough
ness ana uncouthneso OF manner. almost
amounting to boorishness, which some Of. d
ficers seem 70 regard as . sine qua non to y.
the makeup OF good commander. No
subordinate, whatever his rank or station, (. :
whether private soldier or Bfigadier Gene u
swer or an uncivil word. He was a. cour-
teous TO his b0dy-servant q he was res
pectfnl to his superiors in rank an position.
The writer recollects on one occasion IN Nj
officer said to him, why don't You swear I.
at the damned rascals1" abiding to some
men who had been guilty Of dlereliction Of
duty. The General replied, II have NO ii
more right to swear at them than Il Won, s,-
How would you like me to damn You Z lit
Tie now and then?n It was fAvorite ex-
preston OF his that politeness was . coin 4.
that passed current every where, and was b
never ct . discount. \,
His courage was ofa kind most valuable
TO an army and to himself % . comman-
Der. He was stoical but never impetucus
calm, cool and SELF. possessed, no matter Il
he never lost his presence of mind for = /.
single moment, even in the most desperate
or during the progress Of the
most hoily-contested engagem0nt.~ His en-
lhusiasm never got the better Of his judg- !,
.aa and ne could give e good counsel /.
net charge, led by himself - II - were
Enjoying Q social tete a tete 1hr removed a..
rom the scene Of hostile operations. He
would form his line Of battle under the heo- ;
nest hre OF the enemy, with - much IN ~
to rebel cannon and sharpshoet- d
rs as i he were arranging : holiday dress \ \
parade. We think We utter but tie ver-
llct OF all who know General Mcpherson. ~ =
vhen We say he was model soldier and = 4
nodei gentleman-a soldier whom the Re- q
aan ~S San os s :ss e o;s and gentle
The General was an unmarried man. He. q
las not visited home or friends since the jill
of the war; having often ex- al
'ressed his determination neither to ask
Or, nor accept . furlough while the rebel
ion lasted. General Grant rendered him a
leave Of absence after tho termination Of
he seige Of Vicksburg last summer, but
70 would not accept il.
General McPhefson's mother is now liv-
ne at Fremont, near Toledo, Ohio On. =
0m, s-E a Sf.4 y. yfl
ENCOURAGING DEMoCRATIC vfEw or " 4
CONFERENCE.-The New York World VI
hows how poor men may make specul1- 3so
ion by volunteering, ~ follows: ease
nth but small families, could not do Bet
er than to take adYanfaRA nf tho larro v