Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-08-05


cock that a ponto0n bridge had better b
, thrown across. Hancock was stxndiu
but few feet from me when the con
versation took place, and / heard ever
wnri of it. Hancock replied: sNo
Let the sons OF b--s wade through
1t won't hurt them.' I never fnrgo
that, and the whole corps never forgo
1t, nor will they forget it next Novem.
Der. The entire army of over 30, ,OO(
men had to wade the creek, which was
waist deep 1t wonld have taken bui
twenty minutes TO throw pontoon
bridge across the stream, and every man
could have passed >dry shod. After
crossing the streain the men were
Obliged to walk through deep sand for .
mile. The sand worked down into their
shoes. and nine out of ten men went
lame from raw feet, the skin being
worn of in patches by the wet sand.
The wading OF the stream would not
have caused mnrmer but for the
brutal conduct of Hancock in applying
the foul and unsOliierly epithet 70 his
men. tell you the lth Ohio boys car
ried the words TO the second army
corps, and they have treasured the
words like | have. wouldn't vote for
him for dog catcher"
"The Democratic papers have circu-
lated the story that $4,000 of his men
lived in Pennsylvania and would turn
the State for him."
''Tllat Is very ridiculous statement.
His corps never amounted to more than
10000 men. provided his regiments
were full. Before Grant took charge
there were less than $1,000 men. or
these men many were from Massachu-
sets and the majority from Kentucky,
Indiana, Ohio and the West. One
whole brigade, the "Irish Brigade"
was from New York, and the Pennsyl-
yania troops were very small minor
ity. Their G0,O00 Pennsylvania vet
Grams wOnid be more correct If counted
900 and 5000 of them that knew him
and heard of his sentence, Let the sons
of b-s wade, would consider it a per-
sOnal affrOnt to be accused of an inten-
tion of voting for such man. know
would"
Mr.. Ward knows whereof he speaks.
The city does not possess better citi-
zen, and his statement will open the
eyes of the boomers.
From another well known citizen
who served under Hancock during the
war the following facts were CLEANED
which comedies with Mr.. Wards state
ment about the pompous military aris-
tOcrat, who considered private soldier
on an equal with a dog. This gentle
man said;
ii was member Of the famous 'Irish
Brigade, in the second army corps.
Our boys just lived for the honor Of the
brigade and wonld gladly died any time
to rescue the dear old standards, the |
harp Of Erin and the stars and stripes,
which ever doated side by side Ia the !
van. One day we were little slow In |
obeying an order to charge on account |
of misunderstanding. for God knows
that the Irish Brigade was always too
willing to attack. Our commander re-
turned In few minutes and we chsrg- |
ed. He seemed dOwnhearted and confi-
dentially tfelated to his officers that |
night that. Hancock had ordered him to |
'charge with his flannel m0uthed sons |
OF b--s Ga favOrite epithet) aud let |
them be killed to make room for better
men, The brigade was nearly ruined
by this"
There are many men in the city who
fought under this man for years-men
who knew him before as well "a during
the war-but not man will speak we'll
Of him who knew him. He ia begging
the votes to-day Of men whom he called
vile names at the crossing of the ford
near Manassas. That ford Is Hancock's
Waterloo, for the men who crossed
under the ire of his words, more scath-
lug than that of battery, are now no
longer private soldiers, but American
better than their commander,
and holding In their hands the mighty
weapon of American sOvereigns, the
ballot, which will be put into the con-
test next November, mute but power
fnl protest against the insult to the "a
Army Corps OF the republic, seventeen
years ago.
Here Is something more in the same
1t is copied from the dairy
Of DR.. Castleman, Surgeon of the 9th
Regiment, published In 1868.
long before Gen. Hancock was thought
of as Presidential candidate: srf
This morning we started early. The
day had been intensely hot, the dust
almost insutferable. Gen. Hancock was
in command of his brigade. We had
made a rapid march of about ten miles.
The men were fatigued, footaore and
thirsty. In many instances, two or
three having to depend on one canteen,
it was soon emptled, and when we
stopped to rest after the ten mile march,
were In sight of large spring of beau
tiful cold water. But the General or
dered that not a man should leave the
ranks to fill his canteen. Ii was hard
to bear, but the men submitted in pa
tience till they saw the soldiers from
other brIgades passing from the spring
with their canteens filled. This was too
much, and they began crying out,
'sWater, wafer" Immediately the Gen.
eral dashed among them, proclaiming
''Mutiny" and demanding the Offenders.
Of course no one could tell who they
were. lie then turned upon the regi-
mental and company officers, s'd-d
them to hell" and spent some time con-
signing the soldiers to the same CON-
Portable quarters. After he had got
them all labeled for that kingdom, he
told them their officers were ''nOt worth
4 aG-d-," and having exhausted his
Of gentlemanly expletlves,
calculated to encourage subOrdination,
he called the men In line and put them
through the evolntions of a brigade
irill for about half an hour, and thus
we're they rested to resume the march.
These men-this remnant of q fine
army who had been dragged through
,he putrid swamps of the ChickahOminy
ill they were more like ghosts than
thus rested, thus drilled,
.I,,o rohol tl..o oh..anl l.