Vicksburg weekly herald., 1878-04-19

children.
Gen. Chas. w. Field.
THE PRESENT DooR.KEEPKR OF THE
HOUSE OF REPREsENTATIvEs.
Gen. Charles w. Field was born In
WoOdford county, Kentucky, in 1918,
and is consequently sixty years old, al.
though he carries bis age well. His
parents were from Culpepper, Virginia,
where there are still many of the fam.
lily. In Kentucky, Henry Clay took o
great fancy 10 young Field, aud the
whole Field family were ardent friends
Of "Harry Of the West" In l845,
Field was appointed 10 West Point
through the Influence Of ex.President
Andrew Jackson. He graduated 10
l849, and wss assigned 10 the Second
Dragons, Col. HArney. In 1855, he
was promoted 10 Lieutenant In Q regi.
ment Of which Albert Sidney john
son was Colonel, and r. E. Lee, Lieu
tenant Colonel. The year following, he
wac assigned to West FONT as com.
mander OF the cavalry Of that institu-
tion. He remained until 1851, when
the war between the States admonished
him that be must take sides. He re-.
signed, and cast his lot with the South.
Going to Richmond, be rendered hls
services to the Confederacy, aud was
assigned 10 the command of the
cavalry school Of instruction, near
Richmond. Shortly afterwards be was
given command OF the Sixth Virginia
Cavalry. At the second battle Of
Manassas he was made Brigadier- Gem
eral for gallant aud meritorious con,
duct, out the battle cost him u wound
which came very near taking his life.
Il is said that no General officer 10 the
war received such severe wound aud
recovered. He was confined 10 bis bed
for neatly ayear. In February, 1864,
be again took The field as Major-Gen.
eral, aud was given command OF Hoods
old Division, In LUngstreet's Corps,
He made very gallant and capable
General Of Division, aud is nearly al.
ways spoken Of with praise in Lees
official reports. A Southern historian
speaks as follows Of Field aud his Di'
vision In the closing days Of the rebel
lion: at was In the last deJs OF thC
Confederacy that Fields Division
shoue in its greatest and most peculiar
glory. To the very day Of surrender |
was remarkable that this body o.
troo7s was In prime condition, ,compac
aud brilliant, partaking OF none of the
diSorgAnizAtIon around II, animated BY
lie glorious memories and retaining III
arms and spirlts to the last"
A short time after the surrender
General Field himself wrote: al an
proud OF my division, always was, but
never so proud Of 1t as on that black
9th Of April, when, for the first time on
the retreat, our army was ell together,
aud | could compare their soldlerly
appearance and numbers and bearing
with the wrecks about me-"
He surrendered nearly 5000 men
nearly one half of Lees army, In arms
During the memorable last retreat biz
division was the rear guard. At the
time of surrender, General Field re-
lsies the following incident: General
Meade. whose army was In the rear
sent a request to General Field TO con
duct him through his lines to Genera
Lee, who was mile in front. Al
Meade, at the head of his staff, passed
through Fields division, the men gath
cred along the route In squads, attracted
by the spectacle. The two GeneralI
were side BY side, conversing, when Gen
Meade turned to Field, with the re-
mark: "Your troops are very compli
meutary to me-" "How so1" asked
Gen. Field. "Why, they say lool
like a rebel" "DO you take that for 6
compliment ?" said Gen. Field. "To be
sure l do" replied Gen. Meade. "Any
people who have shown the courage
and spirit you have, must have their
admirers everywhere"
Since the war Gen. Field has beer
floating about, some Of the time il
Georgia in the insurance business, anC
often in Virginia with his relatives ant
those of his wife. He lived q few
years in Egypt, having command II
the Egyptian army; but returned Ia
this country TO spend his declining
wears aud the better TO educate BIZ
children.