Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-26

|
o. S. Senators soon to be chosen. The
Chairman urged the matter with such de-
termined pertinacity, that Gov. Geary or.
that if he should dare again to approach
through the window
Soon after these proceedings, Consti-
tion, known as the "Lecompton Constitu-
tion," was received in Kansas by the "Na.
tional Democratic Party, direct from Wash
ington, where it had been carefully pre-
pared ; and agreeably to the directions ac-
companying it, an attempt was made to
have it adopted by an improvised conven-
ton, and returned to Washington in the
shortest possible time, regardless of the
known wishes of the people. An act of the
Legislature to this effect was Immediately
passed, which was vetoed by Gov. Geary,
for several reasons, the most prominent of
which were, that no provision was made
for submitting the Constitution to the peo-
pie for ratification, and that he was salts
fed that large majority of the actual res
idents of the Territory were decidedly and
strongly opposed to the institution of
slavery, which the Constitution was inten-
ded to force upon them.
This having occurred after the election
of Buchanan, but before his Inauguration,
Gov. Geary addressed him letters, stating
the true condition of affairs, but received no
reply. He did, however, receive positive
evidence, from other sources, that the new
| ly elected President had abandoned the true
Democratic principles, and adopted the
platform of the National Democracy"
! Hence Gov. Geary resolved at once not to
hold an Office under his administration, and
on the day he was INSTALLED in the Presiden-
tial chair, wrote and forwarded his resigna.
ton as Governor of Kansas. On the 10th
of March, 1857, he left the Territory and
again returned to the quietude of private
life. Had Gov. Geary been sustained in
his honest and manly course in Kansas, by
the administration at Washington, there is
reason to believe the destructive war
! through which we have just passed, and
was then foreshadowed, and even threat
ened, might never have occurred, and the
hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers,
who now sleep the sleep of death, would
have lived to bless with their presence the
homes made so sadly desolate.
Although Gov. Geary thus refused all
connection or fellowship with the Nation
al Democratic Party" he persisted in ad
herring to the doctrine he advocatedsmore
recently in Kansas, that the institution of
slavery should not be forced upon an un-
willing people, and never hesitated to ex-
press his disapprobation of the institution
in all it's forms sentiments which have
since formed the basis of the Union Repub-
lican platform. Hence, after his return
from Kansas he associated himself with the
party that sustained Stephen A. Douglass;
which was greatly instrumental in break
ing up the pro-slavery faction, and effect
ing the election of Abraham Lincoln to the
Presidency, result which he foresaw and
which he was desirous of having accomp-
plished
No sooner was the result of that election
known, than plans were being adopted by
the ''N ational Democracy" to fulfil their oft
reiterated threat to destroy the Union
Consequently, when, after the inauguration
of Mr.. Lincoln, war against rebellion be-
came inevitable, Gov. Geary was again
among the first to offer his military ser.
vices to the government. He raised and
equipped, at his own expense, the 2Sth
regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers, of
| which he took command. With this splen-
did regiment, numbering over sixteen hun
dred men, he entered the field in July 1861, 3,
and continued in active service during the
entire four years of the war, with the iex-
ception of twenty-eight days, and when he
was incapactated for duty by wounds re-
ceived in battle.
For meritorious deeds he was promoted
to the rank of Brigadier General on the
25th of April, 1862, and breyeted Major
General January 18th, 1865, 'for fitness to
command and promptness to execute"
| From reports filed in the Office of the Sec
retary of War, it appears that during his
term of service, Gen. 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 Chancellorville, the struggle at
Gettysburg, which also lasted three days,
and resulted in driving back the enemy
from the soil of Pennsylvania, "Wauhatch-
ie," "Ringgold," "Triano," mill Creek and
Snake Creek Caps" "Resaca," 1.-TWO days
"New Hope Church." (seven days,) Mud
dy Creek" NOSES Breek," "Kolb's Farm u
"Kenesaw," "Pine Hill, Marietta" ""Peach
Tree Creek" siege and capture of Atlanta,
| \IWcutJ udJo,J oiCSC VI Suf dhh"hi eSAi
days. which was captured by his division
ten hours before any other troops reached
that city, as was also Fort Jackson, both
of which places were surrendered in person
to Gen Geary. In this capture, $50 pris'
oners, ia pieces of artillery, $500 bales
of cotton, and five ocean steamers, with an
immense variety of ammunition and other
stores, fell into the hands of the victors.
Upor the capture of Savannah, General
Geary was appointed by Major General
Sherman it's Military Governor, which posi-
ton he filled with 81 gnal credit to himself
until he was relieved, that he might &C
company the triumphant army of Sherman
in it's further march through the Carolinas
In the battle of Bolivar Heights he receiv
ed severe wound in the right knee, and
at Cedar Mountain he was slightly woun
ded in the left ankle, and seriously through
the elbow joint of the left arm. He wa
also struck in the right breast and severel.
injured, by the fragment of shell at Chan
, celorsville. His two sons accompanied
him to the field, the eldest of whom,
, young man of eighteen years, who had ad
vanced himself by sterling ability to tn
command of battery, with the rank O
Captain, and gave promise of the utmos
canacitv and usefulness was killed at tn