New-York tribune., 1880-10-03
GENERAL VAN VLEIT AT HOME.
r.o,, tn. Wosbinoton ReD,,5iio.

from The Washington Republic.
There Is hardly q man, woman i or cnIid Van IN
YIet, at least by sight. His appearance IS no.
easily forgotten, for IL is Without doubt the nose
striking of any in town. Who. once seeing ~, can
ever forget that wealth of flowing hair as fine as
silk and as white as snowfakesf Who can forget
his whiskers. matching as they do that wonderful
head Of hairy Who can forget that Sy rea bso ,sop,
ing it. forget that loud, hearty Iangh lnat ;s
with him awaysY General van bsis sIe's and y
hearty as most men at forty, and is still as lively
aud full of fun as q cadet. HIS first commission
was in the artillery. Ho served tive years IN tho
Florida War and was in several fights; lie was
also two wears in the Mexican War lie was In
several storming parties, and commanded battery
at Vera Cruz bu it was not in battle that he was
spicuous but he found to possess Qualities tnaI
fitted him for Quartermastcr, and he was ordered
to join troops to protect overland emigration 10 10
Oregon long before the gold fever broke out III
California. While at Fort Laramie IN 1879. ne
was the Editor of The Chug Water Joanat lourna, na
unique in its way. IL was sheet about - Ny ~ ~
inches and contained poetry, sketches. travcstles
etc. and was certainly credltaple proiucuon
The work was all done with a pen, and the heading
was a marvel of skill and beauty. IL also con,
tlined pictures Illustrating the Jokes and drives
of some of the officers at the post Inc pennahshP
was exceedingly fine and the drawings were eopq'
This part of the paper was the work OF private SOL
der Each edition consisted of only copy OF the
paper This was handed round among the ana
sent from one post to another Ihe journal was ssueg
whenever
nothing else to do. General Van Welt has all these
papers now and they form interesting feature IN
his beautiful library. Chug Water was the name
of a creek in the vicinity OF the fort.
General Van Vleits residence in this city IS IN
n locality conspicuous for It's distinguished men:
Adjoining his house to tho south Is the residence OF
General Sherman, while Senator Blaine lohs nm
on the north In the same block are the houses Oh
Fernando Wood and Ex-Governor Thomas swami
of MARYLAND The house is on tifteenth-st De-
tween III and /, and is much like Its II ates; III -
of brick ana brown stone, four stories high, WIN
iron balconies on the second and third ho0rs. III
was purchased by General Van Welt from the nelrs
of the late Senator Buckingham. OF Connectlcut.
IL is large and commodi0us. and handsomely mn
The habits OF General Van vlet are decidedly
democratic The old veteran has neither time nor
taste for parade show. With an lndepenueht
fortune larger it is said than that OF any olncer
I'm the Army he Is vet most simple man III MS
habits. He does not drive fast horses or COSTLY
equipdges He would as socn be seen III quarter
masters wagon as in his wifes handsome carnage
In this respect he is like nearly all great soldiers
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan do not care for
parade If they are in hurry they want to ride,
If not they 20 afOot. Grant, Sherman ana van
Vleit are the closest of personal friends ana
they will all take their tOddy without hypocflsy.
When General Grant was peDe at WSst
Point General Van Yleit was first capta!n OF tne
corps of cadets. General Grant has often salu
since that at the time he was uncertain III MS
own mind as to who the greater man, Napoleon
VI, aif