The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-28
General Hardee.


ever been published, even before he
gave the glorious lustre that concen-
trated the admiration of the world
TO his peerless name from the smoke
OF the battle fields of the Lost Cause.
Long before the secession of the
States, he had made his name nation
al by the brilliant services he had
rendered his country in defending
her honor and carrying flag to victo-
ry. He had, prior to the commence
ment of the war between the States,
given twenty years of his life to his
country. He had followed the "stars
and stripes" through Florida and had
watched sn 4 guarded them on the
western frontier. He followed old
Rough and Ready" across the Rio
Grande and added brilliancy to
American gallantry on many of the
contested fields of Mexico. He was
on two occasions brevetted for gallant
and meritorious service, during the
Mexican war, and came out of it a
Lieutenant Colonel, by brevet. In
1856 he was appointed Commandant
of the Cadets at West Point, and &C.
cupicd that position until 1860, when
he was relieved. At the time of the
secession of the States he was upon
leave of absence his resignation was
rendered the government, and he
linked his destiny with the good old
State that gave him birth. No man
who came from the cid army had
greater military experience, and
his name was a household word
for every volunteer. company in the
South had been drilled by his tactics
The great organizing capacity of the
lamented dead was so highly sppre-
cisted by President Davis that he OF
fereded him the position of Adju-
tsnt General of the Confederacy, but
he declined it, as he preferred the ac-
tive service and the tented field.
When the Provisional Congress au-
thOrized the appointment of five
General officers, HARDEE's name was
to have been one of them, but the ar
rival OfGeneral COOPER filled out
the number. Gen. HARDEE was as
signed to the command at Fort Nor
gan in 1861, and we we'll remember
him as he commanded that Fort
He was on duty, the soldier-Of du-
ty the approachable, noble man. We
often thought as have seen him
ride through our streets, or when we
have met.him as our personal friend
and fellow-citizen, of the perfect
sameness of the man in social every
day life when adversely was all
around us, and when he commanded /
MI army. We can not attempt in a |
newspaper PARTICLE to write even an |
epitome of his life and services. To |
attempt to write even that, would be |
to attempt to write the history of the |
country, and tell of the heroic strug- /
giles of the lost cause. His life is it's J
history, for he was identified with
from the firing of the first g 1t
Sumpter, to Bentonville, W I'm al
charge upon an ascent } LUZ IL d
of his troops hesitate q saw some
horse to the front anu PuSheo MS
his own troor and in full view OF
bis IS and the enemy, he
this fier men forward. Twas on
tbs. ID, the last battle of the war,
his only son, a boy sixteen years
old, yielded his life upon the altaer of
his country, and where Gen. JOHN
sToN, witnessing the act above re-
corded, rode to him while the guns
were still firing, and victory was ours
and said, General, l congratulate you
on your success You have only
done, however, what you always do"
We do not propose to write of his
military campaigns. The rCputa-
ton of his corps, and il does not de-
was the most brilliant in the army OF
Tennessee; victory rested in the
folds of its banners, and the sOubri.
duet of the "Old reliable" given to
the lamented deceased was won by
his corps. His action at Murfrees-
borO, Missionary Ridge, Kennesaw.
Atlanta, Jonesboro, Savannah, Ben
touville is part of the historyof the
country. 1t is the record of genius.
discipline and personal bravery. In
truth, as a celebrated writer has said
"HARDEE's record as a command
er in the Confederate Armies, is per-
feet in its round of usefulness and
honor. Always in the field, always
on duty, always st the point whiCl
danger and responsibility made the
post of honor, from Missouri to n
Carolina-from Shiloh to Benton
vile, he was intrusted with high du-
ties and critical enterprises, and
found faithful in all and equal to all
In the outset of the war he began BY
preterrirg active field service t.
rank and positions of ease in an adj
Ininistrative department. 1t is well
known that he resisted the strong
est temptation that could have beer
held out to a noble ambition, in de-
olining the command of the second
army in the Confederate States, wher
he thought that the public wea
would be advanced by entrustiu" il
TO other hands. He won the criti-
cism of Equal TO any emergency"
FROM the unwritten, but infallible
verdict of the rank and file of the ar
nay and with them he stood as the
leading corps commander or the Con-
federate States. JEFF DAVIS so re-
gsrded him. JOE JOHNSTON said he
was more capable Of handling TWEEN
" thousand men than auy other
Confederate General Such was his
status ss a soldier. History will do
him Justice.
As citizen he was social. uuobtru-