Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-03-09
ried, so elevated within period so brel
aud to man so young, is without r par
ailel in the history OF the country.


uau nastlly gained from DOORS IN the lev
months preceding his march to the field.
stepping from civil life to the head Of
regiment, the first order he received when
ready to cross the Ohio was to assume com
maud Of brigade, and to operate with an
independent force in l. stern Kentucky
Ills imme diate duty was to check the ad.
Varcs of Humphrey Marshall, who was
marching down the Big Sandy with the in.
entiOn of occupying in connection with
,ther confederate forces the entire territory
Of Kentucky, and of precipitating the state
INTO secession. This was Ct the close OF the
year 1861. Seldom, if ever, has a young
college professor been thrown into
more embarrassing and dis.
ccuroeing position. lie kneS jus
enough of military science, as he ex.
pressed 1t himself, 10 measure the extent Of
his ignorance, and with handful of men
he was marching in rough, winter weather
into strange country, among hostile
population, 10 confront largely superior
force under the command OF distinguished
graduate OF West Point who had seen act
i've and important service in two preceding
wars. The result of the campaign is mat.
ter of history. The skill the endurance,
the extraordinary energy shown by Garfield,
the courage he impaired to his me-, raH
and untIied as himself the measures ht
| adopted to increase his force, and 10 Gre
ate In the enemy's mind exaggerated
| estimates Of his numbers, bore perfect
fruit In the
ROUTING cf MAR'HALL,
| the capture ci his camp, the dispersion oil
his force, snd the seizing Of an important
territory from the control Of the rebellion.
! ConilnG at the c ose of long serie1 Of dis.
TO no Tt1 - 1.tf ~
| bad an unusual and extraordinary i'm.
portance, and In TIA popular judgment ele-
| vate1 the young commander to the rank oil
a military hero. With less than 900 meG
in his entire command, he had met an
army o 5000 aud defeated them, driving
Marshalls force successfully from
two strongholds of their own
selection, fortified with abundant
artillery. Major General Bpell, then com.
ma1ding the departmen. of the Ohio, an
experienced and able soldier, published All
| order ofthanks aud congratulations on tn,
brilliant result ofthe Big Sandy campaign,
which would have turned the head OF less
sensible man than Garfield. Buell de.
| claret that his services had called into ac.
| lion the highest qualities Of assoldier, and
President Lincoln supplemented these
words of praise by the more substantial re
ward of brigadier generals commission.
to bear date from The day of this decisive
victory over Marshall. The subscIuehi
military career of Garfield fully sustained
its brilliant beginning, With his rev
commission he was assigned to the com.
mand of brigade in tie army of the Ohio,
and took part in the second and decisive
days fight in the great battle of Shiloh,
The remainder of the yeaF iS02 was not e.
pccially eventlul to Garfield, as it was not
10 the armies whi3h he was serving, His
practical sense was called into exercise con-
templating the task assigrei him by Gen.
eral Buell., of recOnstruCmG bridges an /
re-establishing lines Of railway communi.
catiCn for the army. HIS OCcuplti IN IN
this useful but not brilliant field was varied
by service on courts martial of importa ice,
in which department of duty
HE WON A VALUABLE REPUTATION,
attracting tbs notice and securing the
approval Of the able and eminent
judge advocate general OF the army.
That of itself was warrant TO
honorable fame, for among the great men
who in those trying days gave themselves
with entire devotion to the service of their
country, the one who brought 10 that ser.
vice the ripest learning, the most ferviG
eloquence, the most varied attalpmcnts,
who in the day of triumph sat ss reserved
and silent and grateful as Francis Deskin
in the hour Of lIungIry's deliverance, was
Joseph Holt of Kentucky, who in his re-
tirement enjoys the respect and venerstion
Of all who love the union of states. Early
in 1868 Garfield was assigned 20
The highly important and responsible
post of chief of staff to General RNsecrans
when al the head of the army of the Cum.
berland. PeThaps in 2 great military cam.
istgn no subordinate officer require
sounder Judgment and quicker knowledge
OF men than the chief of staff to the CONS
mandinG general. An indiscreet man in
| such a position can sow more discord
bread more jealousy and disseminate more
strife t.lan any other officer in the entire
orgTizition. When General Garfield as
surned his new duties he found vari0u'
troubles already well developed, end ser
ously affecting the value and efficiency o
the army of the Cumberlapd. The energy
the mpartiality and the tact with winch Il,
sought to alay all these disscnsionr and tC
, discharge these duties of bis new and
trying position, will always remain one o
, the most stalking proofs Of his great versa
tility. His military dlties closed on III,
memorable field Of Chckamouga, fcl,
which, howeve. disastrous to the uniOr
Armies, gave to him the occasion of winni1i
imperishatle laure's. The very rare dis
| linctiop was accorded him Of a great pro
, mOtto'i for his bravery on held that Wa
! lost President Lincoln appointed him
D ma Jr general in the army OF the uniter
9 5 .ates for his gallant and mertorious con
a ! duct in the battle of CbickamauGa. Tn
:. Army of the Cumberland was reGrganize
# rnder the command of General Thomas
r who promptly offered General Garfield
e ONE OF THE DIVISIONS.
8 lie was extremely desirous
d accept the position, but was en-
a barassed by the fact that he had tn
IS the year before been elected TO congress
v aud the time when he must take his SET
a was drawing near. He preferred to renal
d in the military service, and bad within hi
o own breast large confidence OF success /
n the wider field which his new rank opene
l. to him. Balancing the arguments on tn
a one side and the other, anxious to dete
nine What WAS for the BEST desirous abov
III things to do his patriotic dHty, he Wi
d iecisively influenced by the advice OF Ere
l. dent Lincoln and Secretary Stanton, bot
e. lf whom assured him that he coal
rs at that time be of especial vau
ii in the house ;of representative
Y lie therefore resigned his commission
l. major general on December 8, 1868, an
y took his seat in the house of representative
j. On December T. He served two years an
t, four months in the army and had just con
h p!eIed his sod year.
ID Early Congressional Days.
The Thirty.eighth congress is pre-em
=, men lily entitled in history to the designatio
~ Of the "War Congress-" 1t was eiects
!, while the war was tlagrant, and every men
- - Der was chosen upon the issues involved
% the continuance of the struggle. I'll
q Tbirty.seventh congress had indeed legi
= lated to large extent on vi
" " treasures. but it was chese
u before any one believed tn
u he secession ofthe states would be actual
y attempted. The magnitude of the wor
10 which fell upon its successor, was unprec
10 : dente, both in respect to the vast sum
VI money raised for the support of the arm
u and navy, and ofthe new and extraordinel
~ powers of legislation which it was forced
II exercise. Only twenty-four states we
!, represented and 1872 members were upon i
"a roll. Among these were many distil
u guished party leaders on both sides vete
"a ans in the public service, with establisht
~ regulations for ability, and with that ski
u which comes only from parliamentary e.
~ perieCce. Into this assemblage of mt
~ Garfield
~ =. ENTERED WITHOUT SPECIAL PREPARATION,
NJ and it might almost be said unexpected
+ The question of taking command of q
ls vision of troops under General Thoma
~ or taking bis seat in congress, was ke
e open till the last moment; so late indie,
4 4 -. =