Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-28

| college education. To this end he bent al
his efforts, working in the harvest field, a
the carpenters bench, and in the winte
season teaching the common schools of tn
| neighborhood. While thus laboriouslY occu
pied he found time to prosecute his studie
and was SO successful that at twenty-five h
was able to enter the Junior Glass at Will
Jams College, then under the presidency o
the venerable and honored Mark Hopkins
who in the fullness of his powers survive
the eminent pupil to whom he was Of ines
timable service.
The history Of Garfeld's life to this perio;
presents no new feature. He had undoubt
/ edly shown perseverance, self-reliance, self
sacrifice and ambition; qualities which, be i
said for the honor of our country, are every
where to be found amsng the young men O
| America.
EXCEPTIONAL BRILLIANcY.
But from his graduation at Williams on
| ward to the hour of his tragicai death. Gar
fields career was eminent and exceptional
| Slowly working through his educationa
period, receiving his diploma when twenty
| four years of age, he seemed at one bound Il
spring into conspicuous and brilliant success
Within six years he was successively Presi
dent Of college, State Senator of Ohio
Maj General of the Army of the United
States and Representative to the Nationa
Congress. A combinations of honors &c
varied, SO elevated, within a period so briei
and to man so young, is without precedent
or parallel in the history of the country
Garfeld's army life was begun with no other
military knowledge than such as he had
hastily gained from books in the few month;
preceding his march to the field.
Stepping from civil life to the head of q
regiment, the first order he received when
ready to cross the Ohio was to assume com.
mand of brigade, and to operate as an indie.
pendent column in eastern Kentucky. His
immediate duty was TO check the advance OF
Humphrey Marshall, who was marching
down the Big Sandy with the intention of oc.
cupyipg, with other Confederate forces, the
entire territory of Kentucky, and of precip-
isating the State into secession. This was at
the close of the year 1861.
THE KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN.
Seldom, if ever, has a young college pro-
fessor been thrown into more embarrassing
and discoursging position. He knew just
enough of military science, as he expressed it
himself, to measure the extent of his igno-
rance, and with handful of men he was
marching in rough winter weather, in a
strange country, among q hostile population,
to confront largely superior force under
command Of a distinguished graduate Of
West Point, who had seen active and impor.
tsnt service in two preceding wars.
SUMMING UP ITS RESULTS.
The result of the campaign is matter oi
history. The skill, the endurance, the extra.
ordinary energy shown by Garfield the
courage he impaired to his men, raw and uR
| tried as himself the measures he adopted tc
increase his force and to create in the enemy.
| mind exaggerated estimate of his numbers
all bore perfect fruit in the routing of Mar
shall, the capture of his camp the dispersion
of his force and the emancipation of an i'm
portaut territory from the control of the Re
| bellion. Coming at the close OF long serie
of disasters to the Union army, Garfield
victory made on unusual and extraordinary
impression, and in the popular judgmen
elevated the young commander TO the rank o
q military hero. With less than 2,000 mel
in his entire command, with modified forc
of only l, 100 men and without cannon, b.
had met an enemy 5, 900 strong and defeata;
them, driving Ma,shall's forces successivel,
from two strongholds of their own selection
fortified with abundant artillery.
Major General Buell. commanding the De
partment Of the Ohio, an experienced anc
able soldier of the regular army, published 81
order of thanks and congratulations on th
brilliant result of the Big Sandy campaign
which would have turned the head of les
sensible man than Garfield. Buell. declared
that the services had called out, by his action
the highest qualities of soldier. Presidep
Lincoln supplemented these words of prais
| by the mora substantial reward of Brigadier
Generals commission, to bear date from tn,
day of his decisive victory over Marshall.
Tins subsequent military caceer of. Garfelt
fully sustained its brilliant beginning. Witt
his new commission hs was assigned to tn,
command of brigade in the Army Of thr
Ohio, and took part in the second and de
cisive days fight in the great battle of Shiloh
The remainder OF the year 1862 was not es
pecially eventful to Garfield, nor was it to To
armies which he was serving.
PLAIN AND PRACTICAL LwoRK-FRIENDsHIP o.
! JOSEPH HOLT.
| His practical sense was called into exercis
| in carrying out the task assigned him b,
| General Buell. of the reconstruction of bri
! gades and the re-establishing of the lines o
railway communication for the army. Hi
occupation in this useful but not brilliant fielt
was varied by other servics at the headquar
terz. He won valuable reputation, attract
ing notice and securing the approval of tn
able and eminent-Judge Advocate-Gsueral o
the army. That of itself was warrant t.
honorable fame, for among the great mel
who, in those trying days, gave themselve
with entire devotion to the service of thei
country, one of those who brought to tha
ssrvics the ripest learning, the most fervi,
eloquence, the most varied attainments, who
| in the day of triumph, sat reserved and silen
and grateful. was Joseph Holt of Kentucky
who, in his retirement, enjoys the respec
and veneration of all who love the union o
| States.
| Early 10 1868 Garfield was assigned to tn
highly important an1 responsible post o
Chief of Staff to General Rosecra1s, then a
the head of the Army of the Cumberland
Perhaps in a great military campaign n
subordinate officer requires sounder judg
ment and quicker knowledge than the Chic
of Staff of the Commanding General. Al
indiscreet man in such a position can soy
more discord, breed more jealousy and dis
seninate more rubbish than any other Office
in the entire organization.
TACT AND JUDGMENT.
When General Garfield assumed his ney
duties he found various troubles already vel
developed and seriously affecting the Arm.
of the Cumberland. The energy, the impair
TALLY and tact with which he sought to ala,
these dissensions, and to discharge the dutie