The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-24
GEN. JOSEPH LANE.
An Autobiography al Sketch Of the Veteran
Soldier and Senator.

An Autobiography al Sketch Of the Veteran
Soldier and Senator.
The following letter from Gen. Joseph
Lane appears in the Charlotte, N. c., Oh
seruey. It's dated at Rosenberg, Oregon,
July II, 1870, and is addressed to lady
friend and relative at Charlotte.
DEAR MADAM-Your letter of the 21st
ult. has been received. I thank you for
it, and would have answered ere this but
for press Of business that could not be
delayed.
am the grandson of Jesse Lane, one
Of the three brothers mentioned in your
letter, who lived where Raleigh now
stands. The three brothers were born
near where they lived away back in colo
NAL times; were clever, intelligent, old
style gentlemen, and did good service in
the war Of the Revolution. Ny father,
John Lane, entered the army while quite
young, just in time to be in the battle
of Kings Mountain, and remained in the
army until the surrender Of CORVALLIS at
Yorktown. He voted for George Wash
ingtOn the second term, North Carolina
having adopted the constitution after his
first election; he then voted for John Ad-
ans, first and only term, then for Jeffer-
son, two terms, then for Madison, for
Monroe, Jackson, etc.
My father and uncle, Charles Lane, set
tied in Buncombe in 1895, where they
spent money, time and much labor in an
effort to establish iron-works near where
Asheville now stands, but failed to &C.
complish their object.
In 1903 my father, then about 40
years old, married my mother, Elizabeth
Street. am the second son, and was
born iu BuncOmbe, thin four miles OF
Asheville, on the 14th of December, 1901
In 1904 my father left Buncombe fol
Henderson county, KY, where was rails
ed. married young, raised ten children
six sons aud four daughters-all now
living but one, a son, who died of cholera
IN New Orleans, IN December, 1848. The
others are living in this state, all married
but one, t''-wit: Col. John Lane, a grad
uate of West Point, who resi- gned at the
commencement OF the late civil war
joined the Southern army, came out a
the end of the war badly whipped, anc
returned to Oregon.
Ny life has been an eventful one.
was elected to the legislature OF Indiana
in 1898 from the counties of Wander bure
and Warw ok, where had settled some
years before, and continued to serve ii
the State Legislature off and on unit
46, when resigned seat in the Senat,
and entered the army then being organ
lied for the war with Mexico; soo1
raised from the position of private to tina
Of birgadier, and came out of service at til,
close of the war a ma jor-g general. NV frs
battle, Buena With, was under Taylor. thel
transferred to Scott's line, and saw ant
helped to fight as many, if not more, bat
ties than any officer Of that war. Yer,
soon after peace was made with Mexlc,
1 was appointed by Mr.. Polk, thel
f1esloent, governor of Oregon ter
ntory and ex-otficio superintendent of In
dian affairs: The trip to reach<my pos
OF duty had to be made across the plain
in the winter. feat that had not befor
then been accomplished. But I had q
the request Of MIR. Polk undertaken tn
journey, and with hurried preparations a,
escort of twenty men, under Lieut.. Haw
kins, left Fort Leavenworth on the 1Otl
day of September, 184S, aad after ha,,
struggle arrived at Oregon City on the 2,
of March, 1949, and on that day issued
proclamation making known that tn
laws of the United States, by act of Con
gress, had been extended over the TER,
tory Of Oregon that had been duly el
ected governor, had taken the oath Of of
nee and had entered upon the dutie
thereof. We'll, continued in Office, at