Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-08-26
HANCOCK,
AND HIS BRUTALITY DURING
THE LATE WAR.
Chicago Tribune.


profane? Soon after his nomination
soldiers who served under hin during
the war Of the rebellion began to give
testimony as to his conduct as an officer
1t is proper that such testimony should
De given to the public. The public
knows very little of General Hancock.
character; but, in view OF the fact thai
he seeks the highest Office in the gift oi
the people, it is right that the people
should know great deal about ital
about il. The people are inclined tt
think well Of General Hancock, not only
as an officer, but as a man. They haC
been told often enough that in his de
pertinent he is every inch a gentleman
When, therefore, close on the heels Of
his nomination soldiers of his commands
in considerable numbers came to the
front and testified emphatically against
the good name of General Hancock as an
officer, people were slow to accept such
testimony as true; they were inclined tt
toss the evidence aside as campaign par
tisan SANDER. But statements of this
character multiply so rapidly and withal
are so specific and so well authenticated
that they must be considered.
The latest charge to this effect comes
from Mr.. Charles Langridge, a citizen OF
Lancaster, Wis, who, on the authority
of the Herald of that place, has lived
there twenty-seven years, and borne the
highest character He belonged to the
Fifth Wisconsin Regiment, and during
his term of service kept a diary, tC
which he refers to refresh his memory
as to dates and events. He says, to be-
gin with General Hancock rarely ad,
dressed volunteer soldier without pro-
family" and adds, He treated them
with extreme brutality. He appeared
to have not as much feeling for them as
a man ought to have for beast; and
the men universally, so far as l know,
beastly instincts" Mr.. Langridge charg-
es that, on the 10th of August, 1862, on
d long and weary march, General Han
cock wantonly deprived the soldiers OF
his command of water, giving full de-
tails of all the circumstances attending
the alleged outrage. At night, after
having marched twenty miles, deprived
of water after the early morning hours,
the command halted. We quote the fol-
lowing remarkable passage from Mr.
Langridge's statement of what then
transpired:
Here near Yorktown we halted, and
Hancock and his staff, on horseback
made their appearance in front of the
Fifth Wisconsin. The men began call
ing Water, waterr Hancock rode up to
the officer commanding the first division
This happened to be myself was
lieutenant and was in command. What
is your name, sir?' he demanded. gave
him my name. "A Odd pretty officer
you are to allow your men to call water
when the commanding General rides
round in review. l demand the names
of the parties so that can punish them !!
howled the General. l answered, 'Occu-
pying the position do, General, in front
of my men, it is impossible for me to
designate them He then rode to the
officer commanding the second division,
Enodh Totten, and the same role was re-
peated. Then, said he, 'bY Cd I'll pun
ish the whole id regiment. And he
went to Lieutenant Colonel Emery, of
Portage, who was in command of the
regiment, and ordered him to put his
regiment through a battalion drill on
the double-quick for one hOuri And
this punishment going on for one hour
after our day of fatigue, and heat, and
privation, we were compelled to under
60. This is the sort of man or brute
General Hancock is, and l think every
volunteer soldier under him at that time
will attest these facts"
Here is a specific charge, wanting
nothing in the way of details, which it
concerns the honor of General Hancock
to deny or admit and justify. Mr. Lam
gridge gives time and place. More, he
gives the organization Of the brigade of
which the Fifth Wisconsin formed a
part, and the names OF the captains of
the several companies composing his
regiment and the places where recruited.
General Hancock may regard the hum
bic person who makes this charge as far
beneath his dignity, and hence as un-
worthy of notice. But he mistakes. Ne
man in this country, however high his
social or official position, can afford to
disregard grave charge affecting his
character emanating from the humblest
individual in the land if the accuser
stands well in the community in which
he lives. Mr.. Langridge charges General
Hancock with degree of wanton cru
city which amounts to gross brutality,
and not only with specific offense con-
sisting of coarse profanity, but with ha-
bitual indulgence of the most shocking
and blasphemous oaths. What has Gen
eral Hancock to say to these charges
They involve both his honor as an officer
and his character as a man.
AN ostrich long on exhibition at
Rome, having been suffocated by thrust
ing its neck between the bars, there was
found in its stomach four large stones,
several smaller ones, several nails, a
neck-tie pin, an envelope, thirteen cop
per coins, fourteen beads, one French
franc, two small keys, a piece of hand
kerchief, a silver medal of the Pope, and
the cross of an italian order.
Mrs. Z. II. PERKINS, Creek Centre,
Warren county, n. Y, writes: She has