National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-04
SOME RECOLLECTIONS
OF GENERAL GARFIELD AND OTHERS.
War Times at ChattanOoga-The President as Gen
eral Rosecrzns' Chief Of Staff-GeDerafS
Hazen. McCOOk, and Others-In-
teresting Incidents.

boy, did know MIN Wnell ne WIS DeHeifti isose-
Grams chief of staff. bearing the rank of major
general, General Rosecrans being then commander
of the Army of the Cumberland. 1t was at Chatta-
nooga, about the time of the battle of
Chickamauga, that met General Garfield. Being
at that time the wife of an officer and inmate of
the military family of General Wagner, who was
commandant of the post, met from time to time
many of the officers of the Army of the Cumber-
land among them General Alex. McCook, and
poor Colonel Dan McCook-God rest his kind soul
Generals Hazen, Which, and our own Colonel
Jack McKibben, and General Garfield, who was
introduced to me one evening by General Wagner
well remember that had wheezy piano IN my
great, earpetlcss room, which had been brought to
headquarters for my use from o deserted house,
and that played for the dedication of my visitors
that evening
"wE'LL RALLY ROUND THE FLAG"
and several of the war songs of the day. for which
offense I have some fear the President may yet
prefer charges and have me dismissed from the
public service General RoSecrans chief of
staff was just at that time very busy man, as
Chattanooga was then the front, and it was not
certain even after the battle of ChickamauGa that
We would be able to hold the city. For several
days it rained almost constantly, and pontoons
were in imminent danger of being washed away,
which would have left us at the mercy of the en-
envy. The outside world supposed Chattanooga to
be safe at that time and had idea of the anxiety
of the unremitting vigilance of the officers of
TIE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.
General Garfield, in speaking of the dispatches
which were constantly coming in night and day,
said he kept a chair by the head of his bed, upon
which he piled the dispatches brought in by
the courierS during the night, when he was often
permitted TO sleep but few minutes at time,
and that by morning the chair and the floor
sy,I n,,. II HIl--
ing my stay at the COMMANDMENTS I having little
supervision domestic affairs had the pleasure
of ordering a plate to be laid for General Gar
field An extra plate the only preparation
considered necessary for company then. There
was no sound of cake beating smell of delicious
dainties from the kitchen, nor agitation i'll the
wine cellar, but bareback, coffee, brown sugar
pork, beans, and potatoes we were always sure Of
AND GENERALLY FRESH BEEF,
though, the latter was considered rather as
luxury than necessity. When the boys could
manage TO drive a stray cow into the back yard,
and feed her horse rations we kepta family COW.
and had milk for our cooking and our coffee,
which General Wagner drank without thinking
but what one of his own cows had been driven
down to supply his table with the lacteal fluid; but
somebody was sure to leave the gate open every
few days, which BoSsy invariably took advantage
Of not fancying being MIXED every hour or two
by different person On the occasion of
GENERAL GARFIELD DINING WITH Us
we had all the Injuries mentioned save milk; our
cow having taken French leave we were obliged
to drink Our coffee black; but we had "sure
'nough hot biscuits, and though they were short
ened with fat fried out of bacon, and had little
brown specks in them yet three or four hours of
horseback riding every day gave us appetites
which more than made up for deficiencies in
cooking; and doubt not General Garfield enjoyed
the dinner more than he will many one in the
White House. During the meal he read aloud
from a paper containing news to U.S.
though some weeks old, an article going the
rounds, called The House that jeff Built" which
we all enjoyed immensely, partly because it was
an emanation of the times and partly because it
was read excellently ard with such hearty appre
citation. Perhaps my reader would ask, Did Cen
eral Garfield look then as he does now? and 1
should be obliged to answer no. The years which
have stolen the roundness and the roses from my
face and brought to it lines and shadows, have
also
MADE CHANGES IN HIS,
though it will always preserve that strong indi-
which makes it eminently face to ITSELF
separate and distinct from all other faces. Al
though in perfect health, and living much cut of
doors General Garield's face was neither Drowned
nor Redeemed by exposure, as was every other face
belonging to the army. The whiteness of the
together with the peculiarly clear
cut features nature having made in them
no uncertain nor wavering line, made
me think always of General Garfield as the marble
face of the Army of the Cumberland. Not having
seen the General from that time until five years
ago, 1 found his complexion had darkene3, or
taken q more reddish cast, while the accumula-
ton of flesh had, to some extent, marred the firm
ness and clearness of the outlines of the face-in
short had spoiled. to certain extent its
but yet, when the time comes for
making bust of Garfield his face. and head will
be found TO furnish
AN ESPECIALLY FINE MODEL
Fortunately, President Garfields war record
needs no touching up by me. His record as soldier
and statesman having been SO amply written of, it
is only mine TO tell such little common places as
came to my notice when he my military
neghbor which happened from General Rose
but few doors apart Although at that time
was what is sometimes designated as a little,
plain goose" recognized General Garfield as
man among remarkable men. Had
been told that he would one day be President it
would not have surprised me greatly but, as I
never expected TO hold or to want an office, L
should not have seen that President could be of
any possible use to me. l was even pathetically |
ignorant of the fact that
GENERAL HAzEN, NOW CHIEF
of the Signal Service Bureau, then brigade COM
quarters. He was then called one of the hand |
soonest men in the Army of the Cumberland, and |
was notable for his efficiency and exactness US an
officer, for having every duty performed TO the let
ter and to the minute and for having the most |
orderly and perfectly pOliced command in the |
army. well remember the exactness with which |
bis little city of tents pitched and the unim-
peachable cleanliness of the streets between them
Even the tents seemed to understand whose !
they belonged to, and to keep them |
selves SpOtleSS and white
GENERAL ALEXANDER MCooK,
late of General Shermans staff, now colonel Sixth
and of the famous fighting family of Nc
Cooks, was also an occasional visitor at command
ant headquarters, though l met him ofIener |
months earlier al Camp Nevin. Kentucky. Gen |
eral McCook was then considered an ex- |
oellent and efficient officer. although quite |
Ills punishments of men for infrac |
tons of military rule, although never cruel nor |
unnecessarily harsh, were sometimes very whim- |
steal and original inventions. remember once |
in riding out along the lines, that we came TO |
some boys who were undergoing punishment |
by patroling back and forth with rails instead of
the poor fellows had to come to a pre- /
sent arms as we passed with their rails which pro-
iuced most ludicrouS effect, although to me it |
vas pathetic as well as ludicrous. General Nc |
Cook managed to preserve his dignity while pass
ing though noticed a suspicious twftching about |
the corners of his mouth, which dispersed into |
broad smile and inward laugh when we were |
fairly past. The McCooks, so far know them are |
A GENEROUS, BIG HEARTED FACE,
and General Alexander McCook is no exception to |
he race-cerain it is that he can never reproach |
himself for any unkindness shown his dead |
BROTHER, Colonel Dan, who was something younger
and more delicate than himself Though always |
'colding him in his rough, good natured way, he |
was always taking upon his own broad shoulders |
every burden possible, which would otherwise |
nave fallen upon his brother.
COLONEL DAN N'CooK's DEATH
vas one of the few army deaths which brought |
ears to my eyes, for the news of it brought 10 to
ne with painful viyidnesS his last act toward me-
which was one of thoughtful kindness. It was on
he march through desOlate portion of Tennessee
hat he one day came up with u.s. jauntei, ioked,
md chatted for a while and at last passed on
N about half an honr courier came
% me with q package of lulch from
Colonel McCOok-oniy sandwiches, to be sure
put imagine the luxury ofsandwiches in desert,
lay anyway, hope for anything better than rations
If hardt tack coffee. and bacon. Although with a |
avenouS appetite from being so much outdoors |
seemed to have lump in my throat as i