The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-12

Army. The first action in which he figured con-
spicuously was the battle Of Williamsburg, May s.
1862, in which, by brilliant and successful bayonet
charge, he closed the operations OF the day. AT the
battle OF Antietam, September II, 1862, he
succeeded to the command Of Richardson's
division, when that general fell, mortaliy wounded
In the battle Of Fredericksburg Dec. 49, 1852, and
again in the battles OF ChancelloFville May and g.
1868, he figured consplcuously as division COM
mander; and when on the 2sth OF june 1853, the
command OF the Army Of the Potomac was conferred
upon General Meade, he was placed in command OF
the 2d Corps, having previously been promoted
TO the rank Of MajOr-General OF Volunteers. When
the Of the action OF July |, 1868, near Gettys
burg, reached Meade with tidings OF the fall of Rey
nods, he ordered Hancock, who was ranked by both
Howard and Sickles, to hurry to the front, assume
the command, and decide the question OF advancing
OF retreating. When he reached the scene Of the
conflict, which at this stage was disastrous to the
Union troops, Hancock sent back such
report as determined the commanding
General TO advance with his whole army and the tide
of battle was turned the Sd, but not until Han
cock had been so severely wounded as to make it
necessary for him to retire from the field. When in
March, 1864, Grant appointed General-in-Ch Chief,
and assumed a personal direction Of the Army OF
the Potomac, Hancock, recovered apparently from
the effects Of his wound, was restored to the
mand Of the I'd Corps. He subsequently acted
conspicuous part in the battles of the Wilderness,
May, 1864 in that Of Spottsylvania, May TO- where
he captured the Rebel General Edward Johnson's
division Of 5000 men, together with 80 guns, sending
this announcement to General Grant:-"I have fin
ished up johnson and am going into Early" con-
tnued with his command in the passage OF the
North Anna and the attack on Petersburg, in June
following; and finally sustained severe repulses, aud
was forced to retreat from Reams Station, in August
and Hatcher's run, in October because OF his iso-
lated positions and the lack of reinforcements.
Still suffering from his Gettysburg wound, he soon
affn rn1ip pnniC nod fhp md nf tha
and came North to recruit and organize a new corps
to be known as the 1st
His POlitico-Military Career After the Re-
beIliOn.
After tie close Of the war, General Hancock was
promoted to a major-generalship in the regular
army, his commission bearing the date Of July &C.
1866, for his gallant and meritorious services He
was employed in various commands after the cessa-
ton of hostilities but did not appear prominently
before the public until at last he fell victim to the
evil genius Of Andrew Johnson. The executive
order OF the latter functionary removing General
Sheridan from the command Of the Fifth Military
District, embracing the States of Louisiana and
Texas, because Of his faithful enforcement of the
provisions of the Reconstruction acts OF Congress,
was dated August H. 1861. In that order, Sheridan
banished to the Department OF Missouri, Thomas
was ordered to take the command OF the Fifth Dyi-
| sion, and Hancock that of the Department OF the
Cumberland. General Grant eXpostuated with
| the President against the proposed
changes, alleging that there were military reasons
pecuniary reasons and, above ALL patriotic reasons,
why the change should not be made. The precarous
| state OF General Thomas health served to relieve
him from the dsagreeable duty of superseding Sher
| dan. Then, on August 26th, came Presidential
order, which was duly promulgated and carried into
effect, assigning Hancock to the Fifth district and
| transferring Sheridan to the command OF the De-
partment of the Missouri, for some time previously
| held by the former. 1t was not until the Goth OF
| Hancock he die
| charge Of the duties Of his new command which he
did in an order in which he set forth the principles
of the new regime Of the supremacy of the civil law
announcing that "thc great principles OF American
liberty still the lawful inheritance of this people
and ever should be-" change for the worse was
manifested at once. The slumberng embers OF
Rebellion again broke forth spasmodicay, and Loui
siana and Texas once more became unsafe for loya
men. The troubles in the district were still further
increased by an order issued December s, in which
General Hancock revoked order Of his predecessor
declaring that none but legally registered voters
and all such were eligible for jury duty in Ioui
sana BY this order the trial by jury was henceforth
to be regulated and controlled by the Constitution
and civil laws without regard to any military orders
heretofore issued" The next step taken by Genera
Hancock towards giving "my policy" full sway and
swing in his command was by an order issued Jan.
uary l. 1868, in which he totally disclaimed the
| right, under the Constitution and laws OF the two
States and the acts Of Congress- to exercise in any
degree judicial functions arbitrary power such
as he had been urged to assume by certain appi
cants for special interferences in their behalf with
the civil courts. Again, on the 11th OF January he
Illuminated another principle OF 'my policy" by set
ting aside the memoranda distributed by Genera
Sheridan in May, 1867, which declared disqualified a.
voters all persons who had held civil, military OF
| naval positions under State national authority
previous to 1861, and had subsequently engaged il
rebellion claimed protection of foreign powers, a.
| had haan aYta dOna I'm nd
Hancock declared that he dissented from the con
struction placed upon the acts by hi
predecessor and ordered the registers to be gudet
solely by their own Interpretation OF the laws anC
| the fourteenth constitutional amendment Still
again, on February l, General Hancock removed
| from office several aldermen OF New Orleans who
| had ordered an election in that city, in contempt
| and defiance OF his pronunciamentos. On February
| 27, this last order was revoked by command OF
General Grant
General Hancock, having thus contributed every.
thing in his power to render null and void the rec on
structiOn acts OF Congress- and regarding his oppor
tunty for usefulness in that command as at an end
requested to be relieved. In this he was grathed on
March 2s, the saline order assigning him to the COM
mand of the Military Division OF the Atlantic Presl-
| dent johnson, however, would not permit him to
pass into momentary obscurty without, an effort to
prevent it, and he accordingly sent to Congress re
quest that General Hancock be rendered a vote OF
thanks as the Second Washington, in return for his
bold struggle in behalf OF the supremacy OF the ciyi
over the military law.
| All these events had fully prepared the way fol
| General Hancock's name TO be presented to the
| Tammany Convention as candidate for the
| Democratic leadership in the Presidential campaipr
| OF 1868. He started on the first ballot with So \