Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-04
GENERAL JAMES SHIELDS,
The IIlastriOus Hero Of Two Great Wars,
Senator from Two States, Once SUI
preme Judge Of Illinois and
Citizen Distinguished In
all the Walks of Life

HOnOrs Blest-A Nan that any COun-
try Might be Proud OLA Life
that all Boys can COntem-
plate Probably.
1.-THE telegraph yesterday announced the
Death, at Ottumwa, Iowa, OF General James
Shields, late a United States senator from the
State of Missouri. Below we give very full
biographical sketch of him as we find 1T IN
the st. Louis Post Dispatch of Monday even
ing:
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
General James Shields was born at q place
called Altmory, in the county Tyrone, Ire
land in the year 1910. His mother was early
lett a widow with three boys on her hands,
and with sufficient means to educate and rear
them up in a respectable manner. James,
the eldest, early gave evidence OF great en-
ergy aud activity. Before he arrived at the
age of sixteen he had made himself a good
English scholar, good mathematician, and
had acquired a toleraoe knowledge OF the
classics and French language at that age
ne lett his home and came to the United
States. la 1882 he emigrated to Illinois and
commenced the practice OF law in Randolph
county, meeting with some success. In 1885
he was elected to the legislature from Ran
dolph county. Here, In
''oLD VANDALIA,"
he first became acquainted with Abraham
Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas. John j.
Hardin, Edward Baker and many others,
who have since figured in the public history
of the country. IN 1910 he was elected state
auditor, and discharged the duties of that
| important position with such efficiency and
| success that he was unanimously reelected
| by both par.ies-Whigs and Democrats.
| Douglas, about the same time, was made
secretary of state, so that these two fast
! friends were once more associated together
! In public life. Ia 1916 be was appointed
Judge of the supreme court, so that on the
supreme bench the two friends came together
sgaIn. When James K. Polk wss President,
OF the United States ne appointed General
Shields commissioner of the general land
office, and again he and Douglas came to-
gether, Douglas, IL the meantime, having
been elected to congress. AS comulls-
| sioner of the general land Office, General
| Shields won the respect and admiration
of all parties by his strict integrity,
| industry, and consummate ability. War soon
broke out with Mexico and he was appoint
ed brigadier general, aud assigned to the
! command of the Illinois volunteers. He
| served under General Taylor on the Rio
| Grande; under General Wool in his cam
| pai9n against chihuahua, and next under
! General Scott, when he entered on his cam
| At the siege of Vera Cruz he distinguished
| himself for activity, energy, and tearlessness.
| After the fall of Vera Cruz the American
army under General Scott, had to encounter
| the whole Mexican array at Carro Gordo, the
strongest natural position on the continent.
Here General Shields was assigned to attack
| the Mexican reserves under the command OF
! General Santa Anna In person. This he ac-
\ complished with such intrepidity and cor
| suTnmate skill, that he fairly surprised the
| Mexican force, and swept them before him,
| CARRYING battery of Elk pieces OF cannon at
| the point of the bayonet. Unfortunately,
! before this battery he received
A TERRIBLE WOUND,
| deemed at the time mortal-a grape-shot
having punctured his right lang, tore through
/ his body and passed out near the spine. To
| the surprise of everybody and the astoDish-
ment of the medical staff of the army, in ten
weeks be was again in the saddle and at the
head of his command. He entered the val
| ley of Mexico with the American army-his
! brigade consisted of the New York volun-
| teers, the Palmettos, of South Carolina, and
a battalion of United States marines. The
| first battle fought in the valley was that of
| Contreras, where the enemy were strongly
| posted within their intrenchments. General
! Persifer Smith was sent against them 10 the
| afternoon and General Shields was sent to
! Join him the same night, and being senior IN
| rank was entitled to take command, but ind
ing that General Smith had made his DISPOSE
lions to make an attack upon the enemy
about daybreak, and approving of the ar
! engagements he declined to deprive General
Smith of the honor of the achievement. He
served under him next morning and aided
HIM essentially in the attack, which was en-
inently successful. This was
AN ACT OF soLDIERLY MAGNANIMTTV
of which there are very few examples. The
next day was fought the battle OF Churubusco,
which was one of the most bloody engage
ments of the war. In this battle General
Shields was assigned the command of a dIVi-
sion, aud appointed again TO attack the Next
can reserve, uuder his old antagonist, General
Santa Anna. This he accomplished with
rapid and fearless audaclty, and, although the
enemy were FIVE to one, ha carried their posi-
ton, captured their artillery and drove them,
broken and shattered, into the City OF Mex co
|, But this daring exploit coat him the lives o.
some of his bravest officers and about one
third of his entire command. the gallant
and noble Palmetto regiment lost half of it:
members in killed and wounded on thai
bloody Geld. Next succeeded the storming o.
Chepultepec. In this he was again seriously
: wounded, musket-ball having torn through
{ his arm, passing out near the elbow. Not
wlthstauding the wound, be pursued the eqe
my to the very gates of the city, having h
horse shot under him.
THE CAPTURE OF THE CITY
followed, aud, peace being soon after con-
| cluded, he returned home to Illinois. Int
next year, 1919, Illinois, in gratitude tor hi
gallant services, returned hiD to the senate
of the United Stat 3. In that body he RGd
Douglas met again s7 colleagues. He haG
the pride and satisie ction OF serving 81
years in the senate of the United States witt
Webster, Calhoun, Clay, Benton and Cass
BE had the good fortune to be highly re
spected in that body, end retired from 1t will
: the reputation of an honest rla9, ard an abl'
and efficient senaf n. He next emigratod (
) Minnesota, which, on becoming State
Q elected him one of its senator's. 1t was nj
{ | fortune to draw the short term, so that b
| only served two yc rs from that State. Tn
Minnesota climate pSosing too severe 10
him, he made a trip to & .ifol AIS, where h
married his present wife, remaining In al
D State couple OF years. The war of the re
bellion broke out while he was soiourning II
California. He YVES again appointed briga
s general, and autographed for by the wa
, department. On his arrival IL Washington
, he was assigned to the command OF
, THE ARMY OF wEsTERN VIRGINIA.
With this army he entered the Shenandoah
valley, and he was encountered by Genera
StoneWall jackson between Winchester an
a | Kernstown. The forces on this occasion wer
= nearly equal. Jackson excelled greatly Il
| cavalry-Shields in artillery-whlle the III
} fantry force on each side was about equa.
: The battle was a fierce one. The command
If ers were well matehed--both sklllful an
q fearless. After several hours hard hghtlu
the Confederates gave way about dark, re
e treating about six miles from the field. an
It leaving a large number of wounded an
n prisoners in the hands of the Federals. Som
If time after, another engagement took plaC
between a portion of Shields's command an
General jackson, at a place called Port RI
n public, where the Federas were routed
: leaving several pieces of cannon and nun
Der OF prisoners in the hands of the ConfeC
4, Il e