Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-18


gress to the States forbidding forever iegisla- |
ton on the subject Of slavery. He took the /
and when what was known as the "milliOn /
war bill' catne up, he was the most cOnspicu- /
ous Of It's advooates. Troops were being rmsed |
In Ohio early in 1851, and General Garfield nc |
once notified Governor Dennison OF his desire !
TO enter the service Gntfeld was sent TO New |
York by Governor Deunison 70 secure arms |
for the equipment Of tee Ohio troops, and 1
upon his return was offered a LleutenHnt-COO- !
nelcy In a proposed regiment which was meyer |
organized, IN August, 1891. however, after Nc !
Clellan's West Virginia campaign, General |
Garfield was appointed LicutenautCOlOnel of /
the Furfy-Seo0nd Ohio Regiment, for which /
had been recruited many Of hie old pupils at
the Hiram Institute General Garfield went
diligently mt work studying tactics, and after
hve weeks OF camp life was promoted to the |
Colonelcy Of his regiment and started for the
field.
II reported to General Buell., and Garfield was
at once assigned to the command of the Sew
ontebnth Brigade and ordered to drive the
rebel forces, under Humphrey Marshall out of
Eastern Kentucky Up 10 that date no active
operations had been attempted west of tho
Blue Ridge Mountains, and General Gar
field found himself I'm command of four
regiments OF infantry and eight companies of
cavalry, charged with the important work of
driylngout Of his native state an officer re,
! ported 70 be the abiest that Kentucky had
/ given 70 the rebellion. General Garfield had
never seen a gun fired In action, and had no
/ knowledge OF military service except what
/ had been Rainedin a few months experience.
| Garheld moved rapidly up the valley with
] force numbering only Z,20j TO meet an expert
] enced officer with 1900 well-equpped men,
/ but Marshall retreated before HIM and after
slight sCirmish Garfield found himself in pos
| session OF the enemy 3 camp and baggage lie
/ pushed the pursuit, and was reinforced by
! about 900 men. The fight that followed was
severe at times, but on the whole desultOry,
! and continued three days, until the troops had
become practically disabled because Of a
heavy ranstOrm that flooded the mountain
gOrges, and made 80 strong current IN the
rivers that Garaelds supplies were unable to
The troops were almost out of rations and
! the mountainous country was incapable OF
| supporting them. Garfield went by land to
the base OF his supplies, and ordered steam
cr 20 take on n cargo and move mp to the re-
lief OF his troops. Tho Captain declared It was
impossible; n ialiy Garfield ordered the Cap
tain aud his crew on board, stationed, senti-
/ nels In the pilOt-house and, having game
load, started up stream. The water In the
usually shallow river was sixty feet deep,
and thetree tops along the banks we're sub
merged. Tne little vessel trembled from stem
TO stern at every motion OF the engines; the
waters whirled her about as IL she were u
ski1, and the utmost speed that steam could
give her was thres miles an hour. When
night fell the Captain of the rat beggo per-
mission to tie up. To attempt ascending the
Hood I'm the dark he dec ared was madness,
But Colonel Garfield kept his place at the
wheel Finally, in one of the sudden bends Of
the river, they drove, with a full head Of
steam, into the bank. Every effort to back
her or was IN vain. MuttOcks wore procured,
bedded bow Still she stuck Garfield at last
ordered boat to be lowered 70 take line
across TO the opposite bank. The crew pro.
Z tested against Nenturing out in the Hood. The
! Colonel leaped into the boat himself and
! stetr3d II over. A windlassOf rails was hastily
{ made, and with a long line the vessel was
wurped of, and once more was atoat.
II was Saturday when they left SANDY Creek;
l All through that day and night, Sunday and
Sunday night, the boat pushed her WAY against
1 the current, Garfield leaving the wheel but
J eight hours of the whole time. Az nine o'clock
NhfWTN NkaNrp IftNn ANN ~
scarcely escape being borne TO headquarters
! on the shoulders of the men, During tine
I months of january, February and March there
! wore numerous noluntors with mountain
2 guerrillas, hut the Union RrmS finally pre-
vailed and the bands OF mnrauders were
driven flOm the State, just on the border
{ however at the rough pass ncross the noun
. tains known as Pound Gap Humphrey Mar
| shall still held q post OF OBJ eryatign, with g
l GARFIELD stgrted with 500 infantry and cluple
OF hundred cavalry against this detachment.
, The distance was forty miles. The roads were
at their worst, but by evening of the next day
& | he had reached the mountain two miles north
D of the gap. Next morning the cay1iry were
3 deployed up the gap road, while the infantry
l. were led along an unfrequented path on the
n side of the mountain. heavy snowssiorm
0 also helped to musk the movement. While
o | the enemy were watching the cavalry, Gar
h field had led the infantry to within quarter
s of a mile Of their camp Thon an attack
: prise, and a fewvOlleys sent them in confusion
n down the side Of the mountain into virginia
z Considerable quantities OF stores were cap
q tured. That night the victorious troops rested
1 Ia the comfortable Jog huts built by theenemy
D and the next morning burned them down. StA
? days afterward the command was ordered e
z Louisville These operations had been Oon
Quoted with such energy and stil as 70 receive
y 1 the special communication of the Government
, and Colonel Gariodwas given u commission
q as Brigadier General. The discontinue OF
b Humphrey Marshall was source of speola
3 chagrn to the rebol symplthEers OF Ken
y tuclty, and Garfield took rank In popular estt
2 nation among the most promising of the vol
u unteer Generals. ON his return 70 Louisville
= after the e9mpaign nc found me army OF lhs ht
> 10 Grants aid at Plttsburg Ian ling. lilo hast
ened after IT, ana assumed commend OF the
a. Goth Brigade. He reached the field on Pitts
q burg Landing about O'Clock on the saconS
a day OF the battle, and parttoip pate IN the clos
\ ing scenes. When General Buell. sought u
: Garfield to the task of rebuilding the bridge
/, | and railroad from COrinth 20 Decatur. Ate
( performing the duty. with great skill aud en-
orgy he found hlmaolf reduced by fever anC
4 nguo which he had contracted IN the days o
/. his tow-path service on the Ohio Canal, ans
4 swont home on slOly leave Soon after he re
!, ! ceived orders TO proceed to Cumberland GaI
" and relieve General George W. Morgan OF hi
d command, but he was too II 70 leave bis bed
I and another Olhcer was sent to the service.
y As soon rs his health would permit be wa
Z ordered TO Washington whore he wls pacet
:, upon oourt-martial for the noted trinl OF Fit
~ John Porter. General Garfield was one Of thu
:, Oeargst and foremost In the conviction o
N Portors guilt. and had the bill to restore Por
4
|. resontatiYes he would have made 9 deter
4 mined opposition 10 It's passage, nat Genera
u Logan finished the shameftt scheme In th'
a Senate aud General Garfield never had an Op
\ pOrtunity to deliver u spoeoh which he hai
y prepared with great thOrOughneSa and care
10 After the trial OF Ftz John Porter hewns ap
y pointed Chief of STAR to General ROseor9ns
4, and from the day Of HIS appointment beoam
Z the intimate associate and doOnhdentialadvise
u of his chief. Gartleld's influence had becOm'
" so important In shaping onmpalgns that h
y was always consulted, ana during the success
full cRmphigns that followed Chickamauga h
u took an active part During this campaign
y he had been elected TO Congress 10 succeel
ls Joshua il. (iiddings, who had served for TWEEN
y " years rs tho representative from the dis
/ triot composed OF the largo aud pro3perou
counties IN northeastern Ohio. He resgne,
- from the army under the belief that the pat
y of usefulness TO his country lay ia the direC
n tion OF Congress rather than the mllitNr
* service. He sacrificed what seemed 10 be hi
u personal interest, and resigiing his commit.
" sion he entered the Thtrty-elghth Congress.
y Before taking hla seat he was pronOt cd to b
y Major General OF volunteers, The delivery o
V his early speeches stamped GARFIELD as one o
" the rOadlest aud most forolhle debHters 4
V Congress. This standing no never lost mean
= time In the committee no proved himself a
Q In Congress General daraeAa a. once too
4, high rank. He was made q memher OF IN
~ Committee on Military Ahaira, where ~ hi
4, activity, industry, and tiimlnniliy win "a
~ army, ho did signal service, asi the field. II
~ soon became knOwn as powerful speaker, II
- m0rkuhly ready, and always euectve IN az
~ huta. He was rtnOnlnnted by auQllmauun b
NJ the convention of the party in his d,striot tu
~ the Thirty-ninth Congress, and was re-electe
IL by a majority OF over twelve. thous0ud, D
,c highly was he now rankod in the House thu
~ he was given place on Why's and Means. II
"a studied the whole range of financial question
~ with the assduity of his old college days, IN
40 was spoken Of by tho Secretary of the Trea
ury as one Oh the bost-infofmed men on sue
~ topics thon 40 public life, During his Coz
~ gressonal career some OF ms s. most most nota9 20