Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-30

IN his honest and manly course, In Kansas.
By the administration at Washington, there
is reason to believe the destructive war
through which ne have just passed, and was
then foreshadewed, and even threatened,
might never have occurred, and the hum
dreds Of thousands of brave soldiers who
now sleep the sleep of death, would be living
to bless with their presence the homes made
so sadly desolate
Although Governor Geary thus refused
all connection or fellowship with the ma
tional Democratic Party, he persisted in
adhering to the doctrine he advocated in
CALIFORNIA sixteen years ago; and still more
recently in Kasas that the institution of
slavery should not be forced upon an unwill-
ing people, and never hesitated to express
his disapprobation Of the institution in all
Its forms, sentiments which have since form
ed the basis of the Union Republican plat
form. Hence, after he associated himself
with the party that sustained Stephen A.
douglas, which was greatly instrumental In
breakinlng up the pro-slayery faction, and eff
fecting the election of Abraham Lincoln to
the Presidency, result which he foresaw
and was desirous Of having accomplished.
No sooner was the result of that election
known, than plans were being adopted by
the National Democracy to fulfill their
oft reiterated threat to destroy the Union
Consequently, when after the Inauguration
OF Mr.. Lincoln, war against rebellion be-
came inevitable; Governor Geary was again
among the first to offer his military services
to the government. He raised and equipped
at his own expense, the Twenty eighth regi-
ment of Pennsylvania volunteers, of which
he took the command With this splendid
regiment, numbering over s:rteea hundred
men, he entered the field In July, 1851, and
continued in active service during the entire
four years of the war, with the exception of
tWenty-eight days and when he was incapa-
cltated for duty by wounds received IN bat
tie
For meritorious deeds he was promoted to
the rank Of Brigodier General on the 25th
Of April, 1862, and BreCeted Mqjor General
January 18th, 1865, for the fitness to COM
mand and promptness to execute.
From reports fled in the office of the Sec
retary Of War, it appears that during his
term Of service General Geary was engaged
in over fifty hotly contested battles and i'm
portant skirmishes besides many others of
lesser note. Among these engagements may
be especially named that of Bolivar
Heights, Cedar Mountain the three
days, fight at Charlottesville, the struggle
at Gettysburg, which also lasted three days,
and resulted in driving back the enemy from
the soil Of Pennsylvania, "Wauhatchie,
Lookout Mountain Mission Ridge,
"Ringgold," ''Triano," Mil Greek and
Snake Greek Gaps, 'Resaoa, two days,
New Hope Church (seven days, Mud
dy Greek, Nose Greek, Kulp' Farm.
'|Kenesaw, .'Pine Hill, Marietta,
''Peach Tree Greek, siege and capture Of
Atlanta twenty days., siege of Savannah
(ten day. which was captured by his diyis-
ion ten hours before any other troops reach
ed that city, as was also. Fort jackson, both
of which places were surrendered in person
to General Geary. In this capture three
hundred and fifty prisoners, one hundred
and fourteen pieces of artillery thirtyeigit
thousand FIVE hundred bales of cotton and
five ocean steamers, with an immense variety
OF ammunition and other stores, fell into the
hands of the yictors.
Upon the capture of Savannah General
Geary was appointed by Major General
Sherman its Military Goreraor which posi-
tion he filed with signal credit to himself
until he was relieved, that he might accom-
pany the triumphant army of Sherman in
Its further march through the Carolinas
In the battle of Bolivar Heights he received
a severe wound in the right knee, and at
Cedar Mountain be was slightly wounded In
the left ankle, and seriously through the ell
bow Joint of the left arm. He was also
struck in the right breast and severely iniur-
ed by the fragment of a shell at Chancellors-
vile. His two sons accompanied him to
the field, the eldest of whom, young man
OF eighteen years. who had advanced him.
self by sterling ability to the command of
battery, with the rank of Captain, and gave
promise Of the utmost capacity and useful
ness, was killed at the battle Of Wauhatchie.
At the time that he fell, says an eloquent
writer, he was acting as Lieutenant Of one
section Of Knapp Battery. As an artillerist
he had no superior in che army His gun
was hls pride. He was always besides her,
and his aim was unerring. At this battle
about twelve hundred and fifty men, under
command Of Gen. Geary, were attacked from
an eminence, by FIVE thousand of the enemy,
at twelve O clock at night. The unequal
fight was gallantly accepted, and though the
command was at first thrown into some dis
order, they speedily rallied, and not only
but drove from the field the
vastly superior numbers of tie enemy. In
the hottest of the fght-in the act Of sight
ing his gun, his forehead pierced with
bullet, yonng Geary fell, aud instantly ex-
pired. His father coming to the spot, clasp
ed in an agonizing embrace the hfeless form
of his boy-then, mounting his horse, dash
ed wildly into the thickest ranks of the foe,
and rode like an ayenging spirit over that
bloody field, until the enemy were utterly
routed and put to fight. This General
Hooker pronounces the most gallant and
successful charge that has come to his
knowledge during the war
In his official report of this battle Gen.
Hooker says: During these operations a
heavy musketry fire, with rapid discharges
of artillery, continued to reach us from
Geary ItEas evident that a Formidable ad-
verSary had gathered around him and that
he was battering him with all his might. |
For almost three hours, without assistance,
he repelled the repeated attacks of vastly |
superior numbers, and, in the end, drove |
them ingloriously from the field. At one time !
they had enyeloped him on three sides, un-
der circumstances that would have dismay- |
ed any officer except one endowed with an |
iron VIII and the most exalted courage. y
such is the character of General Geary! |
- Pittsburgh Gagette
SPEECH OF GENERAL BANKs.-The |
Washington correspondent Of the New York |
Tribune SAYS that the late speech of General |
Banks upon the bill appropriating 100000 /