Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-03
DOESN'T Ike GEN. SHERMAN.
Tho Story of Col. Tom Worthington, of
Ohio.
From the Cincinnati Enqulrer.I

here from time to time, whose in
firmities are aggravated by keen
sense of wrong, Want and priva-
ton have added u his seventy
years. Although clearly in his
person, he is ragged and forlorn.
But he is burdened with an old
grievance-an affair long since for
gotten by the public, and 50 fierce
in his shrill denupciation, so te-
dious in his recital, that men avoid
him, hurry away Mt his approach,
and bolt their doors against his en-
trance.
And yet that man saved, in one
of the disasters of the late war, our
army from utter annihilation. 1t
was no accident, but the result of
his own soldierly instincts and
high courage. His grand achieve
ment that ought to secure him at
least aid in his old age, and lmper-
ishable renown after death, was the
cause of his ruin.
| l met him upon the avenue last
Thursday. 1 made no effort to es-
cape him, although, God knows, he
holds one as the dreadful old mari
ner held the wedding guest in Cole
ridges wild poem. He goes over
the late war again and again. He
has all the facts with q fearful te-
nacity in his mind, and only for
gets that he has given them TO you
over ami over before. His pale,
ashy face, once SO strong in its set
ting Of full forehead, Roman nose,
and square, prominent and solid
chin, has nothing left but
the CLEAN of an eye in which
there turks touch of insanity.
His slouched hat is pulled over his
white head, as il it were q night
cap. His clothes, of a past fashion,
are ragged and threadbare, while
his feet are clad in heavy shoes,
good for ten years. wear, that he
greases and wears innocent of socks.
Every part of him indicates pow
erty, but an indepe ndent, fierce sort
of poverty that defies charitable aid
or sympathy.
While he rehearsed the old story
of wrong, lie suddenly stopped, and
as ugly CLEAN as ever care to
see shot from his gray eyes. He
was looking at carriage and pair
that was rolling by. The high.
stepping hays in their glittering
harness were driven by " colored
man, sleek, fat and insolent, and
they carried Gen. Tecumseh Sher-
man, sitting back with arms folded
as If he felt that the eyes of the
world were OH him in grateful ad.
miration. My old friend lifted his
arm and shook his clinched hand
at the carriage and occupant as
they swept by, and cried out:
'There goes the damned scoun-
drel-the damned, cowardly, lying
scoundreI; the damned traitor!
There he goes, damn him."
Fearing that l might be impli-
Gated in this fierce indictment of
the General, hurried away. Bar
ring the profanity the old man did
not give this epuletted fraud an
epithet amiss.
The man who thus auathematizel
Sherman was old Tom Worthing.
ton Of Ohio. A graduate of West
Point, he left the service for more
active life, and did not return until
the late civil war broke upon the
country, and he then raised II regi-
ment, the Forty sixth Ohio In-
fantry, and took the field. He mu,l.
| for the time an extraordinary Of
ficer. His keen soldierly instincts,
stimulated by all indomitable eii-
ergy, and sustained by all iron will,
were marred by u quick temper
and II coarse, Overbearing manner.
Col. Tom was u martinez, and
drilled and disciplined his troops.
His soldierly instincts taught HIM
that as much could be got from the
spade in the use of raw troops AS
the musket, and his encampments
could be traced by the earthworks
he left behind, aud he fought with
readiness. that indicated pleasure
in the fighting. These high quail
ties proved his ruin CD trying oc-
casion when any other man would
have secured fame and fortune.
Col. Toms Forty-sixth Ohio In
fantry made part of Grants and
Sherman's advance when it went
into camp ut Pittsburgh Landing,
probably remembered in history
as Shiloh. The 'Forty-sixth made
the extreme right, and Col. Worth
ington went into camp full of
anxiety. He knew that Grant had
cut his army in halves, and was
marching into the enemy's
country with the leading half with
out the other in supporting dis
lance. He saw with CONSERVATION
that the army was encamped
without reference to a defence, a
wide gap being left between the
wings for force that was supposed
to be ten days at least in the rear.
This anxiety was not quoted by
the criminal negligence that left
this force without even apicket
line.
Col. Worthington repaired to
headquarters to lind the Generals.
They were deaf to all suggestions,
and he returned to make the best
preparation he could TO meet ca
lamity he knew to be threatening.
The next morning the storm fell
in surprise that spread consterna-
ton and death in every direction.
Men at 7 A. NJ. were shot while pre-
pairing akfast, and bayoneted in
their tents. 1t was the most fright
full confusion aud slaughter.
There was one point that was not
surprised and at which our troops
fought with n cool stubbornness
that had not been shaken by q sur
prise. 1t happened to be the key
point of the situation, held by Col.
Worthington, and around this the
few men that could be rallied
fought the whole livelong day. The
rest of the army with Sherman
and, suppose, Grant, was huddled
under the bank of the river where
the gunboats, with their heavy
pieces, afforded protection.
1t was luck alone that brought
| pta1 aud .Ioan