Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-03-24
This having occurred after the election
of Buchanan, but before his Inauguration,

positive evidence, from other sources, that
the newly elected President had abandoned !
the true Democrutic principles and adopt |
cd the platform of the "NdtiondI Democrd.
cy.' Hence, Governor Geary resolved Mt
,Ouse not to hold On office under his admin I
1stratlon, and on the day he was Installed
in the Presidential chair, wrote and for
warded his resignation as Governor OF Kan.
sas. On the l0h of March, 1857, be left |
the territory, and again returned to the
quictude of private life Had Governor /
Geary been sustained in his honest and |
manly course, in Kansas, by the admins
tration al Washington, there is reason to |
believe The destructive war through which !
we have just passed, and was then Tor !
shadowed, anG even threatened, might !
never have occurred, and the hundreds OF
thousands Of brave soldiers who now sleep
the sleep of death, would DC living to bless
with their presence .he homes made 50 sadly |
desoae.
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 Kansas, that the institution Of
slavery should not be forced upon an un-
willing people, and n ever hesitatCd to cX-
press his disnpprobation of the institution
in all its forms, sentiments which have since
formed the basis of the Union Republican
platform. Hence after bis return from
Kansas he associated himself with the party
that sustained, Stephen D. Dou glas, which
wGs greatly iDstrumcntal in breaking up the
pro-slavery faction, and effccting tho elcc-
tion Of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency,
result which he fOresaw and was dcsirous
of having accomplished.
M 1o ror,,l. ,,f, ,1nt
known, than plans were being adopted by
the National Democracy" to fulfill their oft
reiterated threat to destroy the Union. Con
sequently, VIXEN after the Inauguration Of
Mr.. l.incoln, war against rebellion became
bic, Governor Gcary was again among
the first to offer his military services to the
government. lie raised and equipped, at
his own expense, the Twenty Eighth Rcgi
ment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, which he
took the command. With thia splendid re-
gimcnt, numbering over sixteen hundred
men, he entered th4 field in July, 1861, and
continued in active service during the entire
four years Of the war, with the exception of
twcnty-eight days, and when he was ncapa-
cltated for duty hy wounds received in bat
tie.
For meritorious deeds lie was promoted
80 the rank of Brigadicr General or the 25th
of April, 1862, and Broveted Major General
January 18th, 1865, for fitness to command
and promptness to execute"
From reports fled in the Office of the Sec
rotary OF War, it appears that during bis
term OF service General Gcary 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 three days
fight at Chancellorsvile the struggle al
gettysburg, which also lasted three days
and resulted in driving back the enemy
rom the soil of Pennsylvania, "Wauhat
"Ringgold," "Triano," mill Creek ant
Snake Creek Gaps" 'Resaca,' (two days,
New Hope Church." (seven days,) ''Mudd,
Creek" Moses Creek" .'Kolbs FaIm,
'kenesaw,' Pine !lil,' Marietta 'Peacl
cree Creek, eeige and capture Of Atlanta
twenty days., seige Of Savannah, (ten days
which was captured by his division tel
hours before any other troops reached tha
city, as was also Fort Jackson, both of wljc
places were surrendered in person to Genera
rGcary. In this capture three hundred an,
iitty prisoners, one hundred and tourtee,
2ieeea OF artillery, thirty-cight thousand fv
oundred bales Of cotton and five ocean steG
mcre, with an immense variety of ammun
'A''i H'N ''iI'A "Np'N9, lSlL l!-lO lilc iuDNlS L
the victors
Upon the capture of Savannah Gcners
Geary was appointed by Major General She
iman its Military Governor, which positio
hc tiled with signal credit to himself UNI;
he was relieved, that lie might accomDun
the triumphant army of Sherman in its fu
ther march through the Carolnas. In I'll
battle of Bolivar Heights he received q 81
we're wound in the right knee, and a. Cetl,
Mountain he vas slightly wounded in IL
left ankle, and seriously through the clbo
joint Of the left arm. He was also struck
the right breast and severely injured by IL
fragment of 4 shell at Charlottesville. II
two sons accompanied him to the field, Il
eldest OF whom, young man of eighties
years, who had advanced himself by stcrir
ability to the command Of battery, with Il
rank Of Captain, and gave prone of the L
most capacity and usefulness, was killed
the battle of fWauhatcbie AT the tr
that he fell" says an eloquent writer, =
was acting as Lieutenant of one section
knapps Battery. As an artilerist lie h;
no superior in the army. His gun was
pride. lie was always beside her, and |
aim was unerring. At this battle, abo
twelve hundred and fifty mcn under co
maud Of General Gcary, were attacked frC
an emneuce, by five thousand of The enen
ct twelve o'clock at night. The uneql
dght was galiantly accepted, and thou
the command was ut first thrown into sol
disorders, they speedily rallied, and not OF
repuiscd, but drove from the field the vas
superior numbers Of the enemy. In the h
test of the liyht-in the act of sighting
gun, his forehead pierced with bull
young Geary lrll, and instantly expired.
father coming 10 the spot, claspcd in
agcnzng embrace the lifeless form of
hoy-then, mounting his horse, dashed wi
ly into the tGickest ranks of the fee, q
rode like an avenging spirit over that bloc
field until the enemy were utterly rou
and put to flight This General Hoo
pronounces the most gallant and success
charge that has come to his knowledge
ring the war.
In his official report of this battle Gene
Hooker says "Dur.ng these operation
heavy muskctry fire, with rapid dischar
OF arulcry, continued to reach us from {
rs. It was evident that formidable ad
1sary had gathered around him and that
was battering him with all his might.
al. ,l, ~. :