The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-06-30
OUR NEXT PRESIDENT,
WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK

W1NEIGLD SIOIA = "a ~ ~ =
A REVIEW OF HIS MILITARY AND CIVIL
General Hancock bears a family name
which long before his birth had been
made celebrated in revolutionary an
nails. To this family belonged John
Hancock of Massachusetts. the first
signer of the Declaration OF lndepend-
ence. In the great struggle for human
liberty and the deliverance OF man
from the old thraldom of kings more
than one ancestor of our subject, ma
ternal as well as paternal, took part.
That Winfield S. Hancock should be- a
lover of his country is a matter of in
heritance. That he is Il man who, al
though a soldier by profession, holds |
the law and the Constitution above the |
sword, is an honorable and patriotic
feature of his character which Is his
own. His name shines therefore with
no reflected lustre from the past.
General Hancock was born in Mont
gomery County, Pennsylvania. His
father, who was native of the same
County, participated In the war OF lSl2,
and afterwards became lawyer OF
prominence. The date of General Ham
cocks birth was February 18th, 1924.
His early education was received at an
academy in Norristown, where ne spent
the first years of his youth. He pos
sessed. as a school-boy, those traits
which sometimes foretell future emf
hence. Studious and thoughtful, he
laid the foundations of great career.
Entering West Point at l6 he gradu-
ated with credit to himself on the 5Oth
of June, 1874. The close of the Mexi-f
can WARM which he had distinguish
ed himself at Contreras, Cherubusco,
1 Moline del Rey and at the capture OF
the City of Mexico-found him Second
| lieutenant of Infantry. Prom lS4S to
1861 he served in various capacities in
the military service. In 1861, when the
war between the United States ana the
| Confederate States broke out, he was
stationed at Los Angeles, California.
/ He offered his services first to his ma
tive State of Pennsylvania and then to
the Federal Government. The latter
accepted them. General Scott ordered
him to Washington and President Lin
coin commissioned him as Brigadier-
!, General of Volunteers September 23d.
General Hancock's command was
composed of four Recommendation
Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and
Wisconsin respectively. With these
, troops he repaired with the Army OF
the Potomac to the Peninsula towards
the end of March, 1862, when General
Mcclellan began his Intellectual CAM
paign against Richmond from that di-
rection. His brigade took part 10 a
number of skirmishes and partial en-
3 eagements that preceded the battle OF
: Williamsburg on the 9Th of May. 1t
distinguished itself on that day, Gene
raj Hancock assuming personal COM
D mand and leading charge. This
. sharing the danger of his men was one
= of the features Of his military career;
he never was unwilling to lead on oc.
casions when his presence was needed
= to encourage his troops, and both al
I. Brigadier-General and Major-Genera
3 he gave to his soldiers the inspiring
lesson of example and emulation. Iul
q all General Hancock's courage and skill
!, could not alter tire DEGREES of Fate. HI
Q retired with the rest of the Army Of thu
d Potomac, 4 from the long-continued
Is bloody and disastrous Seven Days
i. Fight, leaving Richmond in the hands
n of her valiant defenders, but enjoying
- for himself the enviable consciousness
: of having deserved well Of his country
- The testimony to his devotion wa
y shown when, after the battle of Nal
= yern Hill, General Mcclellan recon
" mended that he be promoted to tn
&c rank of Major-General of Volunteers
g and at the same time his services i
g this most active of campaigns wer
;. further rewarded by his obtaining tn
g successive brevets OF Major, Lieutenant
le Colonel and Colonel in the regula
A. army.
a. The months of August and September
1852, found General Hancock with hi
y. brigade at Centreville, serving unde
80 Pope. He fought at South Mountai
50 and again, on September 18th, at Al
~ tietam. In this battle fell the Genera
Commanding the First Division of tn
!. Second Army Corps. During the pros
nc ress of the battle General Hancock ";
ID appointed to the command of the d
vision, and thus began his connectio
ty with the second corps, Of which in Il
ng course of time he became ii
i'm commander.
n. He was commissioned Major Gener
of Volunteers in the month Of Mover
bo Der. and at the mead of his Division
ofl participated in the battle at Frederick
burg on December 18th; here he W
= mo slightly wounded. He shared In q
W defeat of Hooker at Charlottesville
on 1863, and his Division did effectual sc
1ai vice in stopping the ill-fortunes of t
he day by protecting. the rear of the !
IN. treating Union troops. In the mon
all of June of the same year he was ,
RIM signed to the command of the Seco
br Army Corps.
We next hear of Hancock at the or,
battle of Gettysburg which, by Sol
Northern authorities, Is held to ha
an. been the pivotal conflict of the W
no The retreating Union forces were stay
'A at this point by his advice, and h
ad, was it that General Meade, who was
az. general command. determined to me-
a stand against General Lees pursui
ere army. On the first day of the bait
Di- July 1st, he was In immediate &C
mand until the arrival of Meade.
as the second day his corps did exc
1ed tional service and was engaged "
n;u General Longstreet's corps. He
WI command of the left centre of the Tn
hat army and before the close of the {
Let he was severely wounded. In consi
~ ration Of his services in these bat
sas, Congress voted him resolution
,ect thanks.
Tho It was not until the opening of
~ campaign of 1864 that his wounds
the lowed him again to see active servic
ont, Up to March of that year he was
49, sick leave, and was engaged in recr