The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-04-08
PRO..MAR..GRN. FRY.
His Birth, Life, Rdacatisn, and
Mathematical Attainmenss.
fFrom tina New York Mercury

Mashen atlcal Attainments.
From the New York Mercury]
It is very doubtful question whether
Mr.. James B. Fry, Colonel in the Regular
Army and Provost Marshal General OF
the United States, is very popular per-
son. He may be popular in some sections
of the country, perhaps, but in this city
and vicinity any mention of his name is
received with the most decided express
sions of disapprobatiOn. However, with
our accustomed good nature, we, give
Colonel Fry the benefit of the doubt
about his popularity, and present our
readers with his photograph.
Colonel Fry was born in the State OF
Illinois, ON or about the year 1926. He
is, consequently, thirty-eight years ofage
there or thereabouts. He was an OBJ
stinate, unruly child, anu never could DO
brought to see anything in the same light
az other people. His father was General
Jacob Fry, of the Illinois militia, a lead
ing Democratic politician of that State.
Young Fry attended the village schools,
aud made good progress in most OF his
studies, but in the study of arithmetic
he was always lamentably deficient. His
teachers said of him that he never could
understand figures. He grounded on
the four ground-rules, and was too arts
tocratic for vulgar fractions. 1t rela.
ted of him that his uncle once handed
him six apples, and told him forgive half
of them to his little brother. Fry puz-
zed over the division for long while,
and at last handed one apple to his
brother, and marched off triumphantly
with the other five. When rebuked for
his greediness, he pleaded Ignorance OF
arithmetic as his excuse The boy has
been father of the man in this respect
Fry entered West Point in the year
1S43, and graduated June 30th. lS47. His
incapacity for figures still impeded him,
and he stood No. IA in his class. Ills
Door old father demonstrated with him
upon being so low down; but Fry set to
work to convince his father that four
teen was more than one, and that, cOnse-
quently, the fourteenth boy graduated
with higher hOnOrs than the first. The old
gentleman could not understand this new
system of ciphering, and left Fry only
fourteen dollars in his will, as slight
token of his esteem. But in the mean-
while, Fry had entered the regular army,
al langhable errors occurred from his
misapprehension of his rank. He i'll
sisted that second lieutenant ont
ranked first lieutenant; aud it was not
until he was privately contaminated
by his brother officers that he discovered
his mistake Nevertheless, he would not
allow third lieutenant to command
.him-his mathematical ignorence thus
extending in both directions.
On the 22d of February, 1851, he was
promoted, and sent to assist in garrison
ing one of the forts on the coast, where
he lived in clover until 1853.
In 1853 Fry was appointed Assistant
Instructor in artillery tactics at West
Point. His duties we're to ride around
on horse, and let his pupils follow him
with the artillery. These duties he per-
formed so we'll (no ciphering being neces-
sary) that he was made local Captain
in 1854. He held this ancient and hon
orable rank until 1860. In 1861, he was
ordered to report to Washington as AS
sistant Adjutant General, and served as
such at the battle of Bull Run on the
staff of Gen Mcdowell. There were no
need of arithmetic to teach him what to
do at that battle; and 80 he ran away
calamity as soon as Mcdowell gave the
signal. On the Sd of August, in the
same year, he was attached to the staff of
General Mcclellan as additional Abide
camp, in spite of his ignorance of addi-
ton. But Mcclellan, who is aegreat
arithmetician, soon grew tired of Fry.
and packed him off to do duty with Gen.
eral Buell. in Kentucky, where he was an
nounoed as Chief of Staff Of the Army
of the Ohio. His rapid promotion after
ward shows that he had at least learned
enough of arithmetic to look sharp for
No.. !. 1tr'''if' -'.'< U.s.
participated in the battle Of Shiloh, and
was made . Major on the 22d of April,
1862. In December Of the same year, be
was raised to Lieutenant-C olomelcy in
the place Of julius p Garesche. killed at
Murfreesboro. The succeeding February.
he stepped up one grade higher, and be-
come a Colonel. which rank he now holds
His commission tells us that he was pro-
lnOted "fOr meritOrious services Of the
hattie OF Shiloh, aud for other services
with the Army of the Vest, and i'm the
Adjntant Generals Department" This
does not tell the, whole story, however.
The manner in which he distinguished
himself ats5hiioh is thus related to US by
An eye and ear witness: In the heat of
the battle; an officer rode up to Fry, aud
said: General Buell. wants you to in
form him how many soldiers thsre are in
those two brigades ynder.9a Fry knew
how many msnrthere were in each brig
ade, ,bnt all his efforts to arrive at the
sum total were in vain, At length. after
repeated efforts, he gave yell Of mingled
shame. despair and defiance. and dashed
stsaight at the enemy, to vent his rage
upon them His men followed hinia TO
save him; the enemy turned tail, and the
yictory was won .-'sa i'.la b9Aasl'
Section v of the Act for Enrolling aud
Calling out ofthe National Forces created
the Office Of Provost Marshal General,
and on the 18th Of March, 1863, Col Fry
was appointed to that office, President
Lincoln appointed him az q bort Of rrac-.
teal joke, sud spoor jolsesit has proved
to be "Iknow Fry don't know anything
sbout figures" said the President, abut
that Office win be q frat, rate place I'M
him to learn" The President was wrong
for once Fry has not learned any thing
Of figures yet. The manner In which be,
Al 1890. o. ~