New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1882-03-08
all I know of this primitive family

Wnefe common sympathy ana hearty
cooperation tighten the burdens of each,
is very different poverty-different in
kind, different in influence and effect
from the conscious and humiliating indi-
gence which is every day forced to con-
trast itself with neighboring wealth, on
which it feels sense of grinding de-
is indeed no poverty. It is but the be-
ginning of wealth, and has the bound
less possibilities of the future always
opening before it. No man ever grew
up in the agricultural regions Of the
West, where hOuse-raising or even
a corn-husking is matter of common in
terest and helpfulness, with another
feeling than that of
BROAD-NI1NDED, GENEROUS INDEPEND-
ENCE.
This honorable independence marked
the youth of Garfield as it marks the
youth of millions of the best blood and
brain now training for the future citi-
Zenship and future government of the
Republic. Garfield was born heir to
land, to the title of freeholder, which
has been the patent and passport of
self-respect with the Anglo-Saxon race
ever since Hengist and uorsa landed on
the shores Of England. His adventure
on the canal, an alternative between
that and the deck of Lake Erie schOOn-
er, was
FARMER Boys DEVICE
for earning money, just as the New
England lad begins a possibly great ca
reer by sailing before the mast on a
coasting vessel or on a merchant-man
bound to the farther India or to China
seas. No manly man feels anything 3
shame in looking back to struggles with
adverse circumstances, and no man feels
a wOrthier pride than when he has con-
quered the obstacles to his progress.
But no one of noble mold desires to be
looked upon as having occupied meni-
al position, as having been repressed by
a feeling of inferiority or as having suf-
Tered the evils of poverty until relief
was found at the hand of charity. Gen.
Garfield'S youth presented no hardShips
which family love and family energy did
not overcome, subjected him to no pri-
vatiOns which he did not cheerfully &C.
cept, and left no memories save those
which were recalled with delight and
transmitted with profit and with pride.
GARFIELD'S EARLY OPPORTUNITIES
for securing an education were extreme
ly limited, and yet sufficient to develop
In him an intense desire to learn. He
could read at 8 years of age, and each
winter he had the advantage of the dis
trict school. He read all the books he
found within the circle of his acquaint-
ance: Some of them he got by heart.
While yet in childhood he was con-
familiar with it's literature. The dignity
and earnestness of his speech in his ma
turer life gave evidence of the early
training.
AT Is YEARS OF AGE
he was able to teach school, and thence
forward his ambition was to obtain
college education. 10 this end he bent
all his efforts, working in the harvest
field, at the carpenters bench, and in the
winter season teaching the common
schools Of the neighbOrhOOd.
While thus laboriOusly occupied he
found time to prosecute his studies, and
was so successful that at % he was able
to enter the junior class at Williams
College, then under the presidency of
the venerable and honored Mark Hop
kins, who, in the fullness of his powers,
survived the eminent pupil to whom he
was of inestimable service.
The history of Garfield's life to this
period presents no novel features. He
had undoubtedly shown perseverance,
self-reliance, self-sacrifce, and ambition
qualities which, be it said for the hon
or OF our country, are everywhere to be
found among the young men of Ameri-
ca. But from
HIS GRADUATION AT WILLIAMS.
onward to the hour of his tragical death,
Garfield's career was eminent and ex-
cepti0nal. Slowly working through his
educational period, receiving his diplo-
ma when "a years of age, he seemed at
one bound to spring into conspicuous
and brilliant success. Within six years
he was successfully President of a COL
lege, State Senator of Ohio, Major-Gen-
eral of the army of the United States.
and Representative to the National
Congress "a combination of honors so
varied, so elevated, within period so
brief, and to a man SO young is without
precedent or parallel in the history of
the country.
GARFIELD's ARMY LIFE
was begun with no other military knOwl-
edge than such as he had hastily gained
from books in the few months preced-
ing his march to the field. Stepping
from civil life to the head of a regiment,
the first order he received when ready
to cross the Ohio was to assume COM
mand of a brigade and to operate as an
independent force in Eastern Kentucky.
His immediate duty was to check the ad-
vance of Humphrey Marshall, who was
marching down the Big Sandy with the
intention OF occupying, in connection
with other Confederate forces, the en-
cipitating the State into secession. This
was at the close of the year 1861. Sell
dom if ever has a young college profess
sOr been thrown into more
EMBARRASSING AND DIsCOURAGING POSI-
TON.
He knew just enough of military sci
ence, as he expressed it himself, to
measure the extent of his ignorance.
and with a handful of men he was
marching in rough winter weather into
a strange country, among hostile pOpu-
!ation, to confront largely superior
force under the command of distin-
guised graduate of West Point, who had
seen active and important service in
two preceding wars. The result of the
campaign is matter of history. The
skill, the endurance, the nerve and the
extraordinary energy shown by Garfield;
the courage he impaired to his men,
raw and untried as himself; the meas
ures he adopted to increase his force and
to create in the enemy's mind exaggerat-
ed estimates of his numbers, bore per-
feet fruit in
THE ROUTING OF MARSHALL,
the capture of his camp, the disposition
OF his force, and the emancipation of an
important territory from the control of
the Rebels. Coming at the close of the
long series of disasters to the Union
arms, Garfield's victory had an unusual
and extraneous Importance, and in the
popular judgment elevated the young
commander to the rank of military
hero. With less than 1900 men in his
entire command, with a modified force
OF only LOO, without cannon, he had
defeated them, driving Marshall's forces
their own selection IMo fortied with
abundant artillery. Mai. Gen. Buell.,
commanding the Department Of the