Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-08-23
[from Leisure IIours.l
GEN. WILLIAM M'CANDLESS.
BY J. TRAIYoR KING.

There are few young men in our
country who are more worthy Of pub
lie notice than Gen. William MCand.
less, of this city. Sprung from stock
whose good name has never been
tarnishcd by an ignoble deed, bred to
industry, son Of toll and yet a gen.
tleman in every sense ofthe word, and,
whether in the machine shop earning
his bread by the sweat Of his face,
happy in the esteem and confidence
of his associates and employers; grasp
ing the throttle of his engine TO guide
it with its precious weight of living,
trusting freight, in safety through its
incident dangers raising the voice Of
advice or warning in the halls of State;
pleading a clients cause with concen.
tered eloquencc and minute precision,
or leading the gallant boys of tho
pennsylvania Reserves into the hot
test Of the fight at the Wilderness, or
down the slope of the Ground Top
at Gettysburg, fearless and undauntcd;
engaging in whichever of these occu-
pations, ho has always been man,
the peer of any in the country in the
same sphere.
He is still young man, yet he has
long since earned an honored name
In the annals of the late war his gal
lantry is the subject Of extended en-.
comium by the different historians =
We have before us Sypber's History
of the Pennsylvania Reserves, and
Bates History Of the Pennsylvania
volunteers, from which we gather the
subject matter for the portion of this
sketch which relates to his military
career.
Gen. M'Candless is Philaielphian,
by birth, education and affinity. He
was born in this city on the 10Th day
of September, 1884, and received good
English education. Immediately on
leaving school, having been left an
orphan, he entered himself an appren.
tice to the machnist's trade in the
shops of Richard Morris x Sons, where
he served the term of five years
Subsequently he ran locomotive on
the Pennsylvania railroad, but bccom
ing piqued at being retarded in line
of promotion on account OF his youth
(not yet having attained his majority,
he left the road and commenced the
study of law with Moses A. Dropsie
ESQ, in this city He was admitted
to the bar in 1858, and through biz
personal popularity and legal aptitude
soon obtained lucrative practice. =
Three years afterward the war broke
out and he was among the first 10 en-
list in defense of the Union. He en-
rolled himself as private soldier
in Captain Timothy Mealey's com
pany, and when the regiment wa'
recognized as the I'd Regiment, Penn
sylvania Reserves, he was elected
major In October, 1861, upon thu
promotion of Lieutenant Colonel AL
bert Mag ton to the colonclcy of tho
4th Regiment, Major M'Candless wal
elected and commissioned Lieuten
ian. Colonel and upon tho retirement
+ ., ,,,,.el Wii,,;;:...m B. Mann assumed
command of the regiment. IN The
Peuinsular campaign he comn.,"ue'
his troops with skill, and on the frs
Of August, 1862, was promoted to tb'
co,oneIcy for gallant and mcritoroul
conduct. AT the battle of Bull RuT
he was severely wounded and carried
, from the field TO Washington. lie re
: Joined his regiment at Sharpsburg
and participated in Burnsides cam
paign. In Meadc's campaign, Colono
M'Candlcss commanded .hc LIST Bri
gade of the Reserve Corps; and dun
ING the winter of 1868 and the follow
= ing spring, he commanded the divi'
ion.
On Thursday, the 9th of May, 1861
D. when the lst Brigade was cut off an
Ii surrounded in the Wilderness, Colon'
MCandless was captured, but in III
confusion that cnsued he cluded h
captors and made his escape throug
'g tho dense forest, and arrived safely
ofl camp at Spottsylvania court house,
" While leading his brigade in chart
~ on Sunday evening, he was wound'
y in the arm, and disabled from furth
I'd service. lie returned to philadclphi
70 and was subsequently rendered bri
adicr's commission, but feeling IN
while the War Department acknov
L edged his gallantry and bravery
tho field, and we'll knowing that va
Curtin had long before favored
" promotion, his claims wore slighte
he felt impellod from self-respect,
IS. decline the honor. Accordingly
m remained in the privacy and practi
res l.: 4. x,pntooaion