The daily gazette., 1880-10-01

| OhDNAb Ah uIb ICtdblOub liIb
was true. He was a dutiful son, an
excellent husband, kind parent, a
generous neighbor, good citizen, a
brave solder and a noble man. Now,
when he is dead, that which was good
In his character seems palmer to dis
Germ, but his excellent traits cannot be
overra'ed. He is sleeping, but he
sleeps well. This sleep is the last
he has fought his last battle. No sor-
row shall wake him any more.
The quartette, consisting of Messrs
reynolds and Storm, and Messrs Hall
and Treidler, now sang the hymn,
From all that dwell below the skies, u
and Rev. Jonathan S. Willis offered
up a prayer. The anthem, .'Cast thy
burden on the Lord" was chanted and
Gen Robert f Stockton of New Jer-
sey, being introduced, delivered the
GRAFTON OF THE DAY
as follows:-
General Tori ert and | were brought
together some twenty years ago, under
circumstances which required constant
attention aud mutual confidence, which
gave rise to an intimacy that soon ripen-
ed intU friendship which has continued
uninterruptedly to the day he was SO
unexpe ,tedly taken from us. Pardon
me, therefore, if | mingle my private
sorrows with the public gri4f. Torbert
was my friend. None knew him better !:
none loved him more.
lie wa, born in Georgetown, Della
ware, July /. 1888. HIS father was
j )nathan X. Rorbert, prominent citi-
zen, iarner by occupation, and Metho-
dist local minister. Alfred received a
good school education in Georgetown at
at the age Of II, aud desired to engage
iu business at his native place. This
purpose he reli quished to crafty his
f.ther aud be "bedient to his cherished
wish. Receiving an appointment, he en-
tered the National Military Academy at
West Point, during 1851. There he
won the friendship of his classmates.
His attention to duty was sufficient to
insure success. He graduated in 1855,
in the same class with Generals Wei eel,
Gregg, Webb, HaZen, Averill, aud Colo
mel ComstOck and Others, whose names
have become familiar in The his. ory of
| the late war. He returned from west
Point with sad heart, only in tims to
see his father laid in the grave. He
soon after reported for duty, and was
sent to the Second United States IT.
fantry as brevet second lieutenant, and
during the summer of 1856 was mo-
NOTED first lieutenant in the Fifth lu-
fantry, and placed on duty at Fort
Columbus, in New York harbor.
In November 1855, he was ordered to
join his regiment, then on the RiC
Grande frontier, at Fcrt Mcintosh
where he remained on Indian service
until the fall of 1857, at which time he
left with the regiment for the swamps o.
Florida, and served through the Semi
mole campaign. In 1857, when oul
troops we're ordered to rendezvous a
Fort Lebanon TO prevent the contem
| plated hoslilities, Torbert came with hi!
company and reg ment, but on the 21s
of July was detailed on staff duty a.
regimental commissary of subsistence
1t will be remembered that the com
| mand under General Alfred Sidne,
johnson started for Utah and encampet
The following winter at Fort Badger, il
the Rocky Mountains. Just before leav
ing Fort Lebanon, Torbert, at his owl
request, was relieved from staff duty
and joined bis company which at the
time was serving as cannoUeers to bat
terry under the command of the late
General Reno. When the army reached
Camp Floyd in the Salt Lake Vale,
during the summer Of 1858, he rejoineC
the regiment, which remained in Utal
until 1860, when he went with his regi
ment TO New Mexico where he served al
| Itdian IA.
spring of 1861. Up TO this time, il
might be observed that Lieutenant Tor
bert he'd no leave of absence since ht
graduated. Iu the spring of 1861, how.
ever, he received 60 days leave of alb
sence to visit the 5 ates, and started fol
home by the overland route from Texas
The orator next briefly referred to
Gen. Torbert's career in the army, al
the opening of the late war, and his
FREQUENT promotion for bravery and
meritorous conduct. At the battle ol
Campton Pass, in crossing the South
Mountain range it became absolutely
necessary to gain possession of certain
stone works. During the march from
Washington the Sixth corps covered
the road from the mouth of the Memo.
| cacy 10 hOckNlilo' 0cioidl fdukiOrO
pushed his corps rapidly for vard to-
ward Campton Pass. The South
Mountain range at this point, 1,00C
feet in height, forms natural military
barrier. The enemy occupied a crest
on commanding hill on the other side
of the pass.
The Sixth corps attempted to gain
the pass. Attack after attack was re-
pulsed, and brigade after brigade was
obliged to return from the field with
ranks thinued. AS the last effort to
retrieve the fortunes of the day, the
General approached Torbert and ask
ed him if he thought his men would
storm the pass. 81 believe my men
would storm hell, sir, if | should give
them the command" Such a reply,
under such circumstances, could no,
fail to procure the order, go ahead
SIR" and the brigade, with its noble
leader, advances steadily upon the
Storm of shot and shell without firing
gun. They bravely and resolutely
crossed the field, as steadily as if OF
dress parade. Bayonet to bayonet
hand to hand, they drove the enem,
from his position at the base of the
mountain, where he had been protect
ed by the stone wall.
This IS not enough, however, for 9
total dislodgment is necessary. With
| I;ttla afrnrt thev renew tha charOe anC