The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-03-02

tween the advance of the two forces
was then going on vigorously, and L
had uismounted and was walking
along near the rifie-pits, watching the
skirmish line and the preparations for
the attack,
Suddenly 1 dropped and found one
OF my legs at right angles with me.
1t was nay right leg, and i at once
knew 1t was gone. Hardly. had l
fallen when the attack was
made. and in an instant, as /
looked. the cavalry-having finished
its work-came pouring back straight
down to where 1 lay. Seizing my hat
L waived it above my head to attract
their attention and prevent myself
from being trampled under the horses'
feet. They caught the signal, pulled
up, and some of them dismounted and
carried me back to where stretcher
could be procured, and / was removed
to the rear. The whole line was at
this time engaged, and while 1 was
being carried back / met General
Hartranft coming up with his divis-
ion to reinforce General Hancock,
whose lines had been broken in the
centre after q desperate contest, in
which these two divisions of the old
Second Corps had withstood the stub
born attack of two of the best corps of
the confederate army.
'Dr. Mcdonald, our division sur
geon, when / reached secure place,
examined my leg and said cheerily :
oh! We'll save that for you.' If
you'll make a good stump of it shall
be thankful I replied. oh! We'll
do that; never fear he answered. He
did his best, but the shot was too high
up, and the leg had to be amputed at
the hip, and it was done the next
day.
ut was bitter fight, indeed, this
battle of 'Ream's Station / have
often wondered how our force got of
as well as they did. 1 doubt if there
had not been some raw troops in the
centre of the line, where the break
was made, whether our lines could
have been broken at all by the super.
ior attacking force.
After this battle and with three
severe wounds beside the one which
tore away his leg General Beaver was
forced to retire from active military
service and after four years of army
life, characterized by quiet bravery
and an Intelligent performance o
duty that had gained the admiration
and respect of all men, he was mus
tered out of the army in 1865.
GENERAL BEAVER IN PRIVATE LIFE.
AS soon as he again became privat,
citizen he resumed his place in til,
legal firm of McCallstcr & Beaver, a
Bcllefonte, and turned his attention IL.
actively and earnestly to civil pursuit,
as he had to military life during tn,
war. On the 26th of December, 1865
he married Miss Mary McCallistcr, tn,
daughter of his partner and preceptor
Three boys are the living issue of tn,
marriage, the eldest thirteen and tn,
youngest seven. His talents, intcg
rity and his brilliant military RECORD
gave him high position in his owl
community, and indeed, Throughout
the State. Since the war he has takel
all active part in politics, being al
outspoken and progressive Republican
Living in a strong Democratic count,
he has had no chance for political pre-
ferment ut the hands of his immediat,
constituents. He has. however, takel
prominent part in the affairs of tin
State and Nation.
He is fine speaker and his service
have been In command upon til,
stump in nearly all the Northern
States in every National campaign
since the war. In 1865 he was can
didate for Legislature in Centr
County, which usually give 800 or 30
Democratic majority. Without max
ing an effort to he elected, so great wa
his personal popularity that he wa
defeated by only 14l votes. He wa
one of the commission which super
vised the building of the Insane Hos
pital at Warren, Pa. He is a mcmbe
of the Board of Trustees of the Penn
sylvania State College in Ccntr
County, formearly the State Agricul
tural College. He is also member @
the Board Of Trustees of Washington
and Jefferson College at Washington
Pa, the institution from which il
was graduate. He is a member of tn
Board of Trustees of Lincoln Univel
sity, at Oxford, Pa, where colore
young men are educated. He la
ever taken a great interest in tn
State militia, and was cOmmissiOne
by Governor Geary as IL Major. Genera
in the National Guard. He now CON
nands the Second Brigade, whic
comprises all the troops in the wester
section of the State. He was "A dele
gate to the last National Conventio
at Chicago. and was unanimOusl
chosen chairman of the Pennsylvani
delegation, and in the exciting cor
troversy which arose in that delegf
ton oyer the unit rule conducted him
self with an impartiality when wo
the respect of all.
He was the unanimous choice of tn
delegation from his'native State as tn
candidate for the Vice-Presidency, q
he. was of the Ohio, Tennessee an
several other State delegations. III
could have been nominated upo
the ticket with General CARTEL
had he not peremptOrily dt
clined to be a candidate. In the e,
citing Senatorial contest of la,
winter he was made candidate fC
the United States Senate after Nj
Oliver Withdrew. The temper whic
the independents displayed prevente
his election, although but for the fee
ings engendered by the acrinoniou
contest he would have been the unar
inous choice of the Republica
party.
TO this brilliant military and civ
record he adds powers of mind an
expression second to few men in til
State, His social life and person,
character is without a flaw. No frien
OF foe has ever questioned his valo
integrity, purity of character or brOa
intelligence. What more need |
said of man?
FRANK A. BURR.