The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-19
Not Captivating Record for Soldiers or
Civilians.

Civilians.
DR.. C,Ntleman, surgeon OF the Fifth
Wisconsin Regiment during the war, was
one OF those inconvenient men for political
Sspirants who kept diary during the
service. He published this diary as long
ago as 1868. He was close observer and
an accurate describer OF what happened
under bis eye during the great contest.
He had no political object in view in pub
fishing his book. Hancock was then not
dreamed Of as a possible can
didate for the Presidency, and was
not even known to the world as q
Democrat. He was not MajIr General
at the time, bu: simply brigade Com
msnder. Very little Of the b,Ok ia de.
voted to him in any capacity whatever.
There is passage, however, in 1t that is
likely To attract attention Just at this time
from soldiers aud civilians, because 1t
shows that lie was not aud is not man
who has any sympathy with those who
tread the common walks Of fife. Here,
for instancs, il an extract under date Of
August 10 TO which We invite attention:
This morning we started early. The
day has been intensely hot, the dust al
most insuiTerAble, General Hancock was
in command Of his b'igIda We bad
made rapid march of about ten miles.
The men were iatigued, footsoIe, and
thirsty. 10 many instances, two or three
having to depend on one canteen, Ii was
soon emptied, aud when We stopped to
rest after the ten mile march, were in
sight Of spring Of beautiful. cold yater.
But the General ordered that not a
man should leave the ranks TO fill
his Gauteen. 1t was hard to bear, but
tho men submitted in patience I'LL they
saw the soldiers from the other brigades
passing from the spring with their canteens
flled. This was too much, and they be-
gan crying out: "Water, water" Imme-
diately the General dashed among them,
proclaiming "Mutiny" and demanding
the offenders. OF course, no one could
tell who they were. He then turned upon
the regimental aud company officers,
"d-d them to hell" and and spent some
time In consigning the soldiers to the same
comfortable quarters. Alter he had got
them all labeled for that kingdom, he
told them their officers were mot worth a
lG-d-," and having exhausted his
vocabulary Of gentlsmanly expletives cal
culated TO encourage subordination. he
called the men in line and put them
through the eyolutions OF brigade drill
for about half an hour, and thus we're they
rested to resume the march. These men
this remnant OF fine army Who had been
dragged through the putrid swamps ol tue
Chickahominy till they we're more like
ghosts than men-were thus rested, thus
drilled, thus marched, thus abused.
It Is no wonder that Gen. Hancock was
! never popular with his soldiers. In this
report he differed wholly from several
other commanders, Gen. Grant in partic-
ular. Grant had seen something Of life
among the masses outside of the army.
He had been one OF the people-as poor
as any OF them In the years preceding the
war and he had feeling In common
with them. Hence on certain memora'
BILE occasion he gave = striking proof oi
how easy It was to arouse his feelings on
behalf Of the common soldier when the
latter needed his sympathy and interpo.
sition. We refer to the instance as fol-
lows:
"rt was reported Of Gen. Grant that on
one occasion he was riding In special cal
attached to train carrying private soldiers
| All the cars except that In which Gran
rode were crowded, and soldiers thronReC
the platform OF the private car, but thI
officer in charge refused to admit them
They did not understand why Their
should be 40 many vacant seats in onl
, car, while they who were being convey
i ed to the field OF battle should b
forced to stand on the platform. Genera
I Grant noticed the confusion, and. upoI
ascertaininH the cause, orderedin his qnie
way that the men be admitted, remarkin
as he removed the cigar from his mouth
s II occupy but one seat" Grant had beel
Q one OF the people, and, although at tn
= head OF the great army, he knew how I
sympathize with those people WLo ha
h volunteered to fight the battles Of thei
n country.
1t This action Of Grant contrasts In yer
Q striking manner with that Of Hancock.
" has been well remarked the action Of th
a latter exhibits the real character Of th
- man In . ,ova,r-,ant Of thu peonla. Il