River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-03-26
BEECAER'S SON.
Did EiltOn or WiIkesOn Secure His
Commission i'm the Regular Army.
New York Times.l


The world at large would never know
about an intensely dramatic and funny
situation which came under the personal
observation ofa reporter of the Times dur
ing the progress ofthe Beecher trial on Fri
day. The reporter happened to be seated
directly behind Mr.. and Mrs. Beecher
while Mr.. Wilkeson was narrating in a
very dramatic manner how Tilton came
to his office and told him (Wikeson) the
particulars OF how he went to Washing
ton in 1861, saw Mr.. Lincoln, and got
son of Mr.. Beecher transferred from
Brooklyn regiment into the Fourth Ar
tillery of the regular army.
"What did Mr.. Tilton say :" asked Mr.
Evarts.
"Why," said Mr.. Wikeson, "Titon
said that, in the first year Of he war,
Harry Beecher had fallen into deep
trouble by seine misconduct which he
would not characterize, but which he sub.
sequently did characterize had fallen
into deep trouble in Brooklyn regiment
in which he was an officer, and that il be-
came necessary to transfer him from the
volunteer service into the regular army
to save him from ruin. and that the faith
er had come to him in tears. and had told
him the trouble in which his son was, and
his own grief and anxiety, and the sor-
row and anxiety Of the whole family
about the boy. And said he, Il want
you To 60 on to Washington Immediately
and get him into the regular army And
he gave me $50, says iilton, 'and. with.
out waiting for a change Of clothing,
crossed the ferry and took the first train
for Washington. On my way over, said
he, 4 read ~ newspaper that there was
to be a meeting Of the Governors Of sew.
eral of the loyal States, and some leading
members oftCongress. and some Generals,
at the house Of the Secretary Of War
next morning, TO have a conference about
the condition Of thecountry, and the idea
occurred TO me that would 20 TO that
meeting, and that, before left
that meeting, ! would get that commits.
sion FOR Mr.. Bcecher's son. got to
Washington early IN the morning, he
said washed myself up, and brushed my
hair. and went over b. Simon Cameron Is
house.-.who, by the way, had never
seen, and didn't know land il WASH I
difficult, a. strangers were entering the
house for the purposes Of that reunion,
that conference, for me to get in. A ser.
want let me in without obstruction He
went in and asked which was the Score.
tary Of War, and Mr.. Cameron was point.
ed out to him. lie went up aud intro.
duced himself to Mr.. Cameron as con.
ncctcd with the independent newspaper,
| think he said, and Mr. Cameron was
polite 10 him and invited him
TO the breakfast which had
been appointed. And lac said he went
and took his place at the breakast.tabe
with the Governors Of the States, and the
leading members Of Congress aud somc
Generals Of the Army, and he partici.
pated in the conversation, took his share,
bore his part. and then devoted himself
directly to winning Mr. Cameron, and that
he got out of himself everything there
was the best Of Judgment, everything
there was. the best Of anecdotes, the wit.
test things he could think Of, he said, AVID
he fascinated the Secretary Of War; he
won him, he thought, completely, SO that
when breakfast was over, and the party
broke up, II was simple thing for him 70