The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-08

try, are everywhere to be foun
among the young men of Americ;
But from his graduation at VII
Jams onward, to the hour of hI
tragical death, Gariield's career wa
eminent and exceptional. Slowl
working through his educational pt
ROD, receiving his diploma whe
twenty-iour years OF age, he SCENE
at one bound to spring into conspic
uous and brilliant success. Within
six years he was successively Presi
dent OF a college, State Senator Q
Ohio, Major General Of the Army o
the United States, and Representa-
tive elect to the National Congress
A combination of honors so varied
so elevated, within a period so brie
and to a man so young, is withou
precedent or parallel in the histor,
of the country.
Garfeld's army life was begur
with no other military knowledg'
than such as he had hastily gainet
from books in few months preced
ing his march to the field. Step
ping from civil life TO the head of ;
regiment, the first order he received
when ready to cross the Ohio was tC
assume command of q brigade, anC
to operate as an independent force
in Eastern Kentucky. His immedi
ate duty was to check the advance
of Humphrey Marshall, who was
marching down the Big Sandy with
the intention of occupying in con-
nection with other Confederate fore.
es the entire territory of Kentucky
and of precipitating the State into
secession. This was at the close Of
the year 1861. Seldom. if ever, has
a young college professor been
thrown into q more embarrassing
and discouraging position. He
knew Just enough OF military SCI
ence, as he expressed it himself, to
measure the extent of his ignorance,
and with handful of men he was
marching, in rough winter weather,
into strange country, among a hos
tile population, to confront largely
superior force under distinguished
graduate of West Point, who had
seen active and important service
in two preceding wars.
the result of the campaign is q
matter of history. The skill, the
endurance, the extraordinary energy
shown by Garfield, the courage he
impaired to his men, raw and un-
tried as himself, the measures he
adopted to increase his force and to
create in the enemy's mind exagger-
ated estimates of his numbers, bore
perfec: fruit in the routing of Mar
shall, the capture of his camp, the
dispersion of his force, and the
emancipation Of an important terri
tory from the control Of the rebel
lion. Coming at the close of long
series of disasters to the Union arms,
Garfield's victory had an unusual
ana cxuraneous importance, ana III
the popular judgment elevated the
young commander to the rank of a
military hero. With less than two
thousand men in his entire COM
mand, with a modified force of on
ly eleven hundred, without cannon,
he had met an army of five thous-
and and defeated them-driving
Marshall's forces successfully from
two strongholds of their own selec-
ton, fortified with abundant artillery.
Major General Buell., commanding
the Department of the Ohio, an ex-
perienced an able soldier of the reg
ular army, published an order of
thanks and congratulation ON the
brilliant result of the Big, Sandy
campaign, which would have turned
the head of less cool and sensible
man than Garfield. Buell. declared
that his services had called into ac-
ton the highest qualities of SOL
dier, and President Lincoln supple
mentt d these words of praise by the
more substantial reward of a Briga-
der Generals commission, to bear
date from the day of his decisive
victory over Marshall.
The subsequent military career of
Garfield fully sustained its brilliant
beginning. With his new commits
sion he was assigned to the COM
mand OF brigade in the Army of
the Ohio. and took part in the sec
ond and decisive days fight in the
great battle Of Shiloh. The remain
der of the year 1862 was not espe-
cially eventful to Garfield, as it was
not to the armies with which he
was serving. His practical sense
was called into exercise in eomplet-
ing the task, assigned him by Cen
eral Buell., of reconstructing bridges
and re-es.ablishinc lines OF railway
for the Army. His
occupation in this useful but not
brilliant field was varied by service
on courts martial of importance. in
which department of duty he won a
valuable reputation, attracting the
notice and securing the approval OF
the able and eminent Judge-Advo-
cate-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. one who brought to
that service the ripest learning, the
most fervid eloquence, the most va
ried attainments. who labored with
modesty and Stunned applause,
who in the day of triumph sat re-
served and silent and grateful-as
Francis Deak IL. the hour of Hun
gary's deliverance-was Joseph Holt,
of Kentucky, who in his honorable
retirement enjoys the respect and
veneration Of all who love the Union
of the States.
Early in 1868, Garfield was as
signed to the highly important and
post of Chief of Staff to
General Rosecrans, then at the head
of the Army Of the Cumberland.
Perhaps in a great military cam
paign no subordinate officer requires
Judgment and quicker
knowledge of men than the chief OF
staff TO the commanding general. An
indiscreet man in such a position
can sow more discord. breed more