Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-08
OUR NEXT PRESIDENT,
The Life and Services Of Con. Winfield
Scott Hancock.

The Life and Services Of Cen. Winfield
Scott Hancock.
His Services I'm the Field ass
Union General, Etc.
| Few men have served their country
better than Winfield 3. Hancock and
few deserve more from their country.
men. A big man, with q big head, q
big heart and big brain, Hancock ID
the very personificati0n Of honor, hon.
esty and capacity. Gallant and unas.
suming, . soldier In three wars, the hero
Of . hundred battles, he il o man on
| whom all Democrats can unite for Presi.
dent, and who, as candidate, would per.
haps command . larger degree Of respect
and support from Republicans than any
other man in the Democratic party.
A YOUNG PENNsYLvANIAN.
Winfield Scott Hancock was born in
Montgomery county, Pa, Feb. IA, 1924,
and is, therefore, Sc years of age. His
mothers father was a Revolutionary
soldier, and was captured at sea and
confined in the Dartmoor prison, Eng.
His great grandfather on his mother 8
! side was q soldier under Washington,
and rendered good service, dying at the
close Of the Revolution from exposure
and hardships endured in the field.
Hancock's father served in tho war of
1872, and afterwards became lawyer
Of distinction in Montgomery county,
Pa. At the age of 16 Hancock was sent
to West Point and had for classmates
Grant, Mcclellan, Reynolds, Burnside,
Reno, Franklin and w. F. Smith. He
graduated June 80, 1874, and in 1856
served with his regiment in the Indian
Territory As Second Lieutenant of the
Sixth Infantry. In 1s47 we find him In
Mexico, and conspicuous for gallantry
at the Natural Bridge, San Antonio,
Contreras, Churubusco. Molino del Rey
and the capture of the City Of Mexico.
He was brevetred for gallantry at the
battles of Contreras and Churubusco.
In 1S49 and 1850 he served with his reg
iment as quartermaster and adjutant,
and in the fall of 1850 was married at
st. Louis to Miss Aimira Russell, the
daughter Of q prominent merchant of
that city. He took part in several In
dian campaigns in the West; in 1857 was
engaged in the Southern Florida war
Utah, and In 1859 went to California.
he took high ground in favor of the
Union, and did much In 1851 to check
the secession spirit then seizing upon
California. He applied to Gov. Curtin,
Of Pennsylvania, for . commission in
the volunteers, but the Governor being
slow In replying to bis application he
obtained leave If absence and came
East. His earnestness impressed Gen.
Scott, who ordered him to report to
Gen. Mcclellan, and on the formal rec
ommendation of Mcclellan President
Lincoln, on September %, 1861, COM
missioned Hancock a Bigadier-General
of Volunteers. He was assigned to a
brigade in the division of Gen. Baldy
Smith, and reported for duty at Chain
Bridge, Va, in Army of the Potomac.
HIS FIRST BATTLE
In the war was at Warwick Court
House. near Yorktown, and he led his
brigade in person, driving the enemy
before him. At Williamsburg Ham
cock bore q conspicuous part, saving
the Union forces after Hooker had been
repulsed. Hancock's name was her
aided from Maine to California, and in
q few hours, from an unknown subOr-
dinate, he had leaped into fame and as
sumed q national reputation. McClel-
Ian telegraphed the President, "Han-
cock was superb to-day" an expression
which all who saw him towering above
his men leading then to battle knew to
be only just.
HIS SERVICES IN THE PENINSULA.
On June q, 1862, Hancock, who was
then at Golding's Farm, in the PENN
sula, received a severe attack from the
enemy. He repulsed it and continued
the fighting far into the night, the con-
tending forces firing at each other at
close quarters in the dark. This battle
of Hancock's was one Of the grandest
spectacles of the war, and will never he
forgotten by the Army of the Potomac.
On June %, 1862, Hancock was heavily
engaged at Garnett's Hill, as he was at
Savage Station on the Goth, and at
White Oak Swamp on the 3Oth. His
troops fought four battles in as many
days, and in every one of them. were
led by Hancock in person. He never
knew fear himself, and could not toler-
ate it in others. For his services in the |
Peninsula campaign Gen. Mcclellan
Hancock for promotion |
to the rank of Major-GeneraI Of volun-
teers and the bre vets Of Major, Lieu |
Colonel and Colonel in the reg
ular army.
In September, 1862, Hancock COM
his brigade in the battle of
South Mountain and afterwards at An
tietam. In this latter engagement,
when Gen. Richardson fell, Hancock
was sent to take command OF that gal
liant officers division. In November,
1862, Hancock received his commission |
as Major-General, and on December 13
was engaged in the despera te and bloody
assault on Marye's Heights. He WAS,
with his division, in the thickest Of tho
conflict, leading his men as far a. it was
possible, under the circumstances, for
men to 60, and only falling back when
attempt at further advance was fool
hardy and useless. In this fight, as in
almost every one in which he was en-
ragged, he seemed to wear . charm on
ais life. He received in this fight .
light flesh wound. Ginning out other
wise unharmed, though with uniform
perforated with the enemy's bullets.
II this battle Hancock lost one-half Of
lis command, killed and wounded, and
III his aids were wounded.