Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-24
INTERESTING COINCIDENCE
T.ro 4f.ny Teterans Reunited 4fter FIFTY
Fire Years.

Fire Fears.
A correspondent of the Detroit Fret
Press gives the following interesting
sketch of two army veterans. Gen,
Ebenezer Sproat Sibley is the Oldest
brother of Gen H. H. Sibley, of this city;
To the Editor of the Detroit Free Press:
On the eastern part of Jefferson ave-
nue., and separated from each other by
but single house, two veterans OF the
old regular army have pitched their once
wandering tents, and have settled down
to pass the evening of their days in hon.
orable and we'll earned retirement.
Philip St. George Cooke, of Virginia,
and Ebenezer Sprost Sibley, of Michi-
gan, both graduated from the West Point
Military Academy in 1927 The Office first
named was assigned to the Sixth Infan-
try. Of which he became adjutant and
with which he participated in the battle
of Bad Axe, which gave the coup dc grace
to Black Hawks Sacs and Foxes in 1888
He was then transferred to the First ORA
goons as first lieutenant, serving with
that regiment for fourteen years, and
with those dashing troopers Of the
"Long sword, sadd fe, bridle,"
And with their worthy compeers, the
Second Dragons, to which he went as
major in ls47, traversing again and again
the vast and then unexplored plains and
deserts of the great virgin West; riding
thousands of miles from the Mississippi
to the Pacific ocean; leading battalion
of Mormon and Missouri volunteers in the
Mexican war to the conquest of Califor-
MIA, and leaving his name on mountain
passes and mountain peakes as mementos
of fearless and daring explorer. Dur
Ing part of the war of the rebellion he
commanded, as brigadier general, the
cavalry of the Army of the Potomac; was
brevetted major general for gallant and
merltorious services during the war, and,
after its close, and while in command of
the Department of the Lakes at Detroit,
was retired as brigadier general Of the
regular army, having served over forty
five years.
Young Sibley, son of Judge Solomon
Siblev, one Of the justices of the supreme
court of Michigan Territory, and de-
scendant of Commodore Whlpple of rev.
dictionary naval fame, left the village of
Detroit in 1919 to attend a preparatory
school in New York, from which he went
in 1923 to West Point, and was sent, on
his graduation, to the First artillery, with
which regiment he passed through the
fearful cholera campaign of the Black
hawk war; then served as assistant adju-
tant general on the staff of the venerated
and beloved Gen. Brady, commanding at
Detroit; and went thence as
assistant quartermaster, with the
rank of captain, first to duty
with Gen. Scott, on the Aroostook, in the
Maine boundary difficulty, and then from
extreme North to extreme South, to par
ticipate in the harrassing trials and per-
lis and exposures of the Florida war, that
hard, rough and rugged school which
trained the veterans who conquered Mex
leo. From Florida he went to Mexico,
holding most important and responsible
positions in the quartermaster's depart
ment of General Taylor's army, along
the Rio Grande, and discussing millions
upon millions of public funds with I'M
blemished fidelity and accuracy, until
his name became synonym for the
faithful discharge Of duty. Here he re-
ceived the brevet of major, 'sfor gallant
and meritorious conduct in the battle of
Buena Vista,' the grimmest trial as well
as the most brilliant victory of the Amer
lean arms.
The outbreak of the rebellion found
him on duty in the quartermaster gener-
al's office at Washington, where he con-
tinued to fill high, responsible and i'm
portant trusts with signal ability, and at
tanned the rank of colonel in that depart
ment of the stuff, until his health gave
way from protracted and arduous labors
and from the malarious midsummer eli
mate of the capital, compelling him to
retire to private life.
And now, having served the old flag
faithfully and well all over the vast ex-
panse of the dominlons of the great re-
public, these two war-worn veterans who
separated with their fresh diplomas and
commissions and their maiden swords in
1927, are, fifty-fve years later, quietly
dwelling almost side by side, full of years
and of honors,
"With honor, love, obedience, troops Of
friends"
Awaiting with soldierly composure the
inevitable summons (which we pray and
hope may be long deferred) to join their
departed comrades---Sco Gaines, Wool
Worth, Twiggs, Smith, Harvey and
Kearney, in the great eneampment
across the silent river, where
"On fame's immortal camping ground theil
shadowy tents are spread,
And honor guards with ceaseless round thu
blvouac of the dead.''
BURGHER.