The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-07-08
miscellaneous.
SUPERB HANCOCK
THE HEROIC SOLDIER AND THE
WISE AND PRUDENT
STATESMAN.


Courage on the Battle Field Allied With Wis
dom in the Council Chamber.
1.-THE annexed sketch of Major General
W. S. Hancock is from the pen Of Gener-
al James S, Brisbin, who is Il OF the
the many Republican soldiers who will
support his election. 1t was written for
the Philadelphia Times, and appeared in
that paper Of March 10
Few men have served their country
better than Winfield S. Hancock and
few deserve more from their country
men. A big man, with a big head, a Big
heart, and a big brain, Hancock is the
very personifcation Of honor, honesty
and capacity. Gallant and u%nassuming,
a soldier in three wars, a hero of a hun
dred battles, he is a man on whom all
Democrats might consistently unite for
President,and who, as a candidate, would
perhaps command a larger degree of res
pect and support from Republicans than
any other man in the Democratic party.
Clear.headed and self reliant, his career
as a judicial statesman and Military Gov
ernor while in command Of Louisiana
and Texas gives evidence that if q strong
man is needed for President, there is no
man in the nation more fit for that posi-
ton than Winfield S. Hancock. With
him as the candidate of their party the
Democrats have nothing to explain or
defend, and proudly point to his record
and challenge a comparison OF it with
that OF the Republican candidate. The
people of this country will not soon for.
get there was a day in lis history when,
if General Hancock had not shown the
highest capacity as a military command
err, there might be no Republic to gov
ern. 1t was on that day when the gal
liant General Reynolds fell at Gettysburg
and Lees forces were driving back the
Union Army. Like a thunderbolt Han
cock preCipitated his troops upon the
victorious enemy, hurled them back, and
seizing Cemetery Heights and Round
Top wrested order from confusion and
restored confidence to our h~alf-beaten
army,
A YOUNG P-ENNsYLvANIAN.
Winfield Scott Hancock was born in
Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, Feb
ruary IA, 1924, and is therefore ffty.six
years of age. His mothers father was a
Revolutionary soldier and was captured
at sea and confined in the Dartmoor
Prison, England, His great grandfather
on his mothers side was also a soldier
under Washington and rendered good
service, dying at the close ofthe Revolu.
ton from exposure and hardships endur.
ed in the field. HancOck's father served
in the Wan of 1912 and afterwards be-
came a lawyer of distinction in Montgo-
merry county, PENNSYLVANIA. At the age
of sixteen Hancock was sent to West
Point and had for classmates Ulysses S.
Grant, George B. Mcclellan, j. F. Rey-
nolds, j. L. Reno, Burnside, Franklin
and W. F. Smith. He graduated in 1914,
June 80, and in 1915 6 served with his
regiment in the Indian Territory as a
second lieutenant of the Sixth Infantry.
In lS47 we find him in Mexico and con.
spicuous for gallantry at the Natural
Bridge, San Antonio, Contreras, Cheru-
busco, Nolino del Rey and the capture of
the City of Mexico. He was breveted
for gaIlantry at the battles of Contreras
and ~Cherubusco. In 1S49 and 1850 he
served with his regiment as quartermss-
ter and adjutant, and in the fall of 1850
was married at ST. Louis to Miss Almira
Russell, the daughter of a prominent
merchant of that city. He took part in
several Indian campaigns in the West,
and in 1857 was engaged in the Southern
Florida war. He served in the expedi.
ton against Utah and in 1859 went to
California.
When be heard of the rebellion he
took high ground in favor of the Union
and did much in 1861 to check the seces-
sion spirit then Selling upon California.
He applied to Governor Curtin of Penn
sylvania, for a commission in the volun-
teers, but the Governor being slow in re-
plying to his application he obtained a
leave of absence and came East. His
earnestness impressed General Scott, who
ordered him to report to General McClel.
Ian, and on the formal recommendation
of Mcclellan, President Lincoln, on the
23d of September, 1861, commissioned
Hancock a Brigadier General of Volun-
teers. He was assigned to a brigade in
the division Of General Badly Smith and
reported for duty at Chain Bridge, Vir.
ginia, in the Army of the Potomac.
HIS R BATTLE.
His first battle in the rebellion was at
Warwick Court House, near Yorktown,
and he led his brigade in person driving
the enemy before him. LAT Williams
burg Hancock bore a conspicuous part,
The rebels having repulsed Hooker and
exposed HanCock's left flank he determ-
ined to retire and ordered the batteries
back to the slope, where his brigade line
stood. The rebel commander, seeing
the movement, at once advanced his
and they came down on Han.
cocks right in two superb lines of battle
cheering tremendously, and calling out
Bull Rum Bull Run! The flag is oursl"
Hancock sat IN his horse behind the {
Of his line, waiting with impur- {
GOODNESS the favorable moment. {
on the men to stand fast and
keep their pieces loaded, Hancock wait I
ed until the rebels we're within 100 yards
then dashing forward on his horse with =
head barred and swinging his hat, he !
shouted, NForRard forward flrward p {