American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-04-22
Gen. w. W. Loring.

The follow ing sketch of General
William ". LoIiug, from the Rich
moni VA Wing, is attributed by
the Norfolk Landmark to the pen OF
Gen. Dabney IL. Maury:
The decisive victory which was;
won last week by the army of the
Khedive of Egypt from the forces
of the King of Abyssinia is of more
than usul interest to our people, be-
cause of the part which our Confed-
crate General Loring bore in the
battle. Loring was born a soldier,
and began his career before he was
sixteen years old. 1t is probable
he has seen more of actual war than
any man in America. His first
military experience i'll the field was
against the Seminole Indians OF
Florida, his own State. Soon after
wards he went ovef-still a boy
to help the Texans, and took active
part in the operations which ter
minated in the Independence OF
Texas. In 1916 Loring was APP
pointed senior captain of the
Mounted Rifles. The resignation
of the major of that regiment and
| the promotion of its colonel Gre
mont all occurred in rapid success
sion, and made Iorins the actual
commander of the regiment from
the day it entered Mexico till he re.
signed in 1861. He was the youngest
cavalry colonel in the United States
army, being only twenty-six when
he first took command of the
Rifles. His conduct throughout
| the Mexican war was marked by
conspicuous galiantry. He was
with his regiment i'll every battle
to the very last struggle of the wal
at the Belen Gate OF Mexico, where
Loring was shot down and lost his
ann. His restless, ambitious spirit
| would not permit him to lose one
day unnecessarily because of his
wound. lie very soon resumed per
sOnal command of the Rifles again
and no officer of his rank in tho sor
vice was SO actively engaged in the
field as Col. Loring from 1916 tt
1861, when he resigned the colonel
~ of the Rifles ,now the Third
United States cavalry and entered
the army of the Southern Confed
eracy. During the summer, fal
aud winter of 1859, Colonel Lorins
marched column of the Rifle.
from Southern Texas to the POETS Of
the Rio Grande, made a campaign
into Arizona, and another during
the biIlerest winter season almost
over known up into Utah and bach
to Santa Fe aud Fort Union, having
marched near five thousand miles
during the three expeditions
While Loriug commanded the
Rifles that regiment, or detach
rnents of it, engaged the Mexicans
during the Mexican war in eighteen
combats. and from the close of the
Mexican war to the opening of the
war between the States had more
than fifty fights with the Indians o.
Oregon, Arizona, Texas and New
Mexico, losing in action more thar
thirty commissioned officers and
several hundred men. And though
generally opposed by superior mum
bers, the Rifles, except once il
Mexico and once in Texas, invari'
ably beat the enemy. With Gen
Loring's history during the war be
tween the States the whole country
is familiar it was four years of IN
cessant action aud brilliant ser
vices. He is not only an energetic
daring, ambitious and skiliful com
lnander, but he is a warm hearted
hospitable and chivalrouS gentle
man. Although bachelor, no mar
in the old United States army was
more marked in his respect fol-
women, and in his care for those
ladies who followed their husbands
out to the frontier posts under hk
command. Col. Lorimg always an
nounced that i'll his command The
comfort of the ladies of his gar
risons should be paramount TO the
privileges of rank, and would at any
lime vacate his own quarters to the
wife of the youngest lieutenant o
tho post. His handsome income Il!
colonel of cavalry, and an ample
private fortune, were freely dis
pensed i'll the hospitalities of hi
headquarters, and it is a source o
much pleasure to his old comrades
that soldier SO accomplished ant
u gentleman so generous has fount
in the munificent monarch of Egyp
u sovereign who appreciates hi
value and can reward his services
| RIFLE.