Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-10-08
HancOck's Cruel Treatment Of Vol
unieers.

a General and his domineering spirit
and cruel treatment of volunteers:
Many have already read chapters from DIR.
Alfred l.. Castleman's diary portraying Gener-
al Hancock's hauRhtiness and profanity, ana
his brutal treatment of volunteer soldiers un-
der him DIR. Casteman wns surgeon of the
Fifth Wisconsin volunteers. of which regiment
Amnsa Cobb, known 10 every citizen of this
Third Congressional District who reads q news
paper, was Colonel. lie-the doctor-admits
that General Hancock was an officer OF fine
appearance, and says he was so ornamental in
dress and manner that the soldiers nicknamed
him General Strut.
Three weeks after General Hancock took
command, a chapter in the diary says he came
lone morning to brigade-drill perfectly so-
ber" He wished to appear excited at some
little mistake in mancuVer, and the volley OF
oaths he Numbered down the line startled his
men. They thought he mistook the men for
mules and their officers for drivers.
Another chapter relates Hancocks visit to
the hospital, whore he said the men in hos
ptal were "a brigade of id sight better
men than were left him for duty; that such
beds and such comforts. would invite every
man in the regiment into hospital before a
month.
Another chapter notes the fact that on Han
cocks order an experienced druggist was
taken from the hospital, end man that did
not know one medicine from another put in
his place. One man was in consequence pol5-
oned to death, and two others nearly so.
Another chapter tells how the hungry men
hired aud paid for the privilege of one draw
eral rode down and cOmpacently looked on
until the good haul was brought TO shore,
when by his order every fish was carried away
for himself and friends, whose tables were al
ways laden with wines and the best viands.
Another relates how, after a long and tire
some march without water, the men were not
permitted TO get water when it was cOnven-
lent, and Il regiment was punished severely be-
cause some of the meu called for water.
There lives in Lancaster gentleman,
Charles Langridge by name, who belonged to
the Fifth Wisconsin at the same time with DR..
CIstleman. He has been frequently interro-
gated as to the truth of the accounts copied
from the doctors published army journal. and
several citizens have urged him to publish his
answers to their questions. To get at the
facts, we invited Mr.. Langridge into the office
the other day, and asked him what truth there
was i'll DIR. Castlemuns diary.
so far a. | have seem" said he, every
thing related is substantially true. As we
were not always at the same places at the
same times, he and l might differ a little in
particulars, but our accounts would be as near
alike as Johns Gospel is 10 Matthew'S. Cen
eral Hancock rarely addressed volunteer
soldier without profanity. He treated them
with extreme brutality. He appeared to have
not as much feeling for them us a man ought
to- have for a beast; and the men universally,
as far as l know, came to the conclusion that
he had only beastly Instincts
DO you remember all the incidents related
by DIR. CastlemanY
"Some of them did not come under my own
observation, but even those had not personal
knowledge Of were so much talked of that i
DO you recall incidents he has not related
derogatOry to the character of General Han
cuci1t'
II could recall many Of them by reference
to my diary. l, too, Kept daily journal of
what transpired that thought worth noting
AS expected you to ask such questions, L
have brought it alOug.'
"Well, give an item from notes of your own
indicating the Generals character"
ION referring 10 March ID. 1852, 1 find that
we made siN-mile march through a drench'
ing rain To the vicinity of the thigkQhOmllY
The roads were deep mud. Our brigade made
a halt near very fine farm belonging to the
distinguished Lee family. Some members OF
the regiment not on duty went TO fence, took
of top rails. and leaned them with one end
against the fence and the other on the ground
over these they spread and fastened their rub
Der blankets, as means of protection from the
rain. They then went to straw
stack, and carried from It armfuls of straw
which they placed under the blankets 10 rest
on Us protection from the mud. Hancock hap
/ pened along JUST then. He approached then
| in his usual rough manner, and ordered then
| Immediately to replace the rails on the
! cattle. This they had to do, and the waiting
| soldiers were compelled to remain in the raiT
/ and mud. Hancock regarded the value Of
| little rebel straw as of more concern to hin
/ than the comfort of volunteer UnioI
! soldiers.
| - could give you many other similar Incl
/ dents, but few suffice TO show the nature o
| the man.
The account of Hancock's taking the boys
fish is familiar to me and all our regiment
/ After that, the boys when they saw him woulC
say, There's the tish-thiet" " or There come
the old tishmonger!
What about his not letting the soldier
| have water when they were thirsty ant
| fariRued, ard water convenient
dr. Castleman has not clothed that outrag,
with more than half its real atrocity. 1t /
| what he refers 10 as happening August 10, 1852
| Possibly. however, this incident is only anOthe
/ Of similar kind that happened the same dal
and in the line of march some distance from
! me. The General resolved we should have n,
| water-it looked as If he premeditated tn
wckednesS the night betOre-and may havl
| kept riding along the brigade TO see that tn,
| resolve was enforced. l will tell what know
! and what VIII be substantiated by an,
others who know the facts. On tn
Ietn OF August we marched over tn
o!d Williamsburg bat Battle-Ground, an,
]. nj the base of which was small mill-pOnd
The day had been intensely hot and dusty
and rs soon as the boys broke ranks they mad
for the mill-pond with soap and towels. Afte
Il taps lcdll to retire. that evening, the boy
Il were ordered TO have their canteens filleC
ready for an early start the next morning
\ The only possible place. for filling the can
/ teens was to get water out of this mill-poud
which was literally pond of soapsuds, 70
thousands of men had soaped and bathe
themselves in il. We took the early start
and after marching a few miles we notice
men in regiments ahead of us were breaking
TO the left with canteens, evidently going 70
water. The men of our regiment then aske
Permission of their officers to go for fres
Mater. Permtssi N was given, and, as usua
afew men were selected to take canteens fO
the whole company. The stream proved to b
mill-race of fine, clear, running water,
think from II suw-mill. The men got thei
cantcens filled, or nearly so, when, to thei
sup.1sc, Hlnc )ck and his staff rode out trOT
behind the mill, and compelled them to empt
their canteens and go back TO their cOmpan
without water.
rAbout noon was the next opportunity for
short halt and peremptory orders We're give
byHanCoClS that the men should have no OF
ponunity TO get water. We went on an
reHhed Yorktown about two o'clock. We ha
stated from below Williamsburg and on
holiday in August, in that sultry climate, "
hadmarched eighteen or twenty miles wit
onlysodpsuds drenched OF our bodies in ou
canhens when we started and without an
water in them after we were required
empty them. Here near Yorktown we halte,
ana Hancock and his staff, on horseback, mad
tnelrappearnnce in front of the Fifth WiSCOi
sin. The men began calling Water, water
Hancock rode up 10 the officer cOmmandin
the INST division. This happened TO be m!
sell. / was Lieutenant and was In commM
What Is your name. sir he demanded
gave him my name. "A Cd d--d pretty o
hcer You are TO allow your men to call water
when TIE Commanding General rides round
review l demand the names of the partie
so thatl can punish them, howled the Gel
, erAl. answered, Occupying the position
do, q General, in front of my men, 1t is impo
: went tothe officer commanding the Secon
Division Enoch Totten, and the same role W,
: ! iNf'htN4 1uttls Shll me- 'nN ID, i
punish the whole id regiment And
I went TO Lieutenant-C ColOnel Emery, of Portag
who wasin command OF the regiment, and o
dered him to put his regiment through a bd
| tGttgn-diM on the dOltblC-Quicl for Olte hOu
And tins punishment-guing on the run Il
one hOur--after our day OF fatigue and hea
and prvaiiOn, we were compelled 10 undergo
> "Did you ever tell these facts before Hal
. | cock wasnominated for Presidentf"
"Manya time. Many people in Lancast,
have heani me tell them from the time can
| home IRON the army and since. And here Is
J | letter tiom DIR. lngersOll, of Waukesha,
| brother OF Bob mgersOll. On my way hon
from the army stopped in Waukesha Count
: | 70 recruit myself and there fell in with d
lngersoll, an old friend of mine. He Writ
me that hen told him of Hancock brutali
| (Which tnctl do not rcmember and he urg,
II upon me as Il duty that | tell IL all 10 Il
} public. ! shrink from the publicity, but 10 u
IL Is simply horrible TO reflect that man
l | such brutal nature and character as White
, Scott Hancock IS likely TO receive the suffrag
! OF large PARTON of the people for the oii'
] | OF PresldentOf the United States That he
the choice OF the keepers of AndersonVil
and Libby and their friends is not surprising
. but how cana Northern man vote for himf'
We publishthe foregoing knowing that NJ
langrdge ma been pressed by many citizel
20 give II 70 The public; and they urge II knO'
J ing ne is relalle in every utterHnce he max
! upon his acknowledge. He has been "A eli