The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-02
GEN. HORACE CAPRON.
Further Details of His Liie.-A Rock
Island Gentleman who Served
Under Him.

nelly was a member of the 14th Illinois
cavalry, oa which the late Gen. Capron
was first colonel, our reporter called on
him to have a talk about Gen. Capron.
We asked Maj. Connolly TO give US some
incidents in Gen. CaDron's life. lie res
piled that the ARGUS had already given a
general outline of Gen. Capron's career,
| Our reporter asked him to add to this if
he could Mai. Connolly said that from
the day Gen. Capron entered the camp at
Peoria until he left the service, he was
closely associated with him in his military
operations When he organized the 18th
cavalry he was sixty years old. With an
eye like an eagle, smoothly shaven face
except his upper lip. on which he always
wore snow white moustache, an erect
form, and generally fine military bear
ing he bore himself like true SOL
dier, Once while the regiment
was at Peoria the officer of the
day reported number of old sail
ors brought into camp by some Chicago
parties, as having grand old fight
amongst themselves in their barracks and
drinking heavily. Col. Capron and Major
Connolly, who at that time was acting as
regimental adjutant. went to the barracks
and found the door barred An opening
was forced. Col. Capron sprang in the
midst Of the wild crowd, had every man
seized aud promptly put under arrest who
showed fight and stopped the tumult
quickly. After that the men of the reg
iment always respected Col. Capron and
promptly obeyed his orders A few days
after this one of these men was ordered
to do something by one of his officers. He
refused and started to walk away. His
officer said to him, halt or | will shoot
you The sailor turned to walk and re-
port to Col. Capron at his headquarters.
The officer again called to the sailor to
halt or he would shoot him. With stubs
born frmncss he continued on his way.
The officer fired, the ball passing
through the sailors right side
Again the officer called on the sailor to
halt, but he refused to obey; the officer
again fired, the ball this time passing
through his right hand. The sailor con
tinued probably two hundred feet from
there until he reached Col. Caprons
headquarters, when he fell fainting from
his wounds and loss of blood He was
taken to the hospital, did duty ia hospital
after recovering and returned to the regi- |
ment two weeks before it was mustered
out, with his right hand permanently dis>
ablcd but otherwise in good health. Gen.
Capron was twcntyeight days and
many nights in the saddle on the Morgan
raid through kentuclS, Indiana ana
Ohio. The day Morgan was captured,
Gems Shackcllord, Wolford, Capron and
Morgan, four abreast, rode into Saliuee
Vile Ohio. Morgan's adjutant by Maj.
Connelly's side, rode directly in the rear
In crossing covered bridge Morgan
turned in his saddle and addressing his
adjutant, said ''Adjutant, see that that
bridge is burned, SIR The adjutant was
not in good shape to carry out
his generals orders at that par
tIcular moment. Gen. Caprons cons
mand was the first to capture and enter
Knoxville, Tenn In all the numerous
marches and battles in East Tennessee
under Gems. Foster and Burnside, he
bore a conspicuous part. The 14th, ont
Of many regiments, was selected 20 attack
the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina
in February, 1864. At moment when
the officers and men of the regiment were
congratulating themselves on their &C.
cisive victory, squad of the Indians was
reported as having taken shelter behind
mountainous rock. Lieut.. Capron, the
generals oldest son, was ordered to dis
lodge them with his company. This he
did successfully, but received q mortal
wound in carrying out the order. Gen.
Capron never recovered from this shock.
His son had served in the Sth Illinois cav
airy with distinction before joining the
14th, lie was brave and gallant young
officer, All through the Atlanta cam
paign, on the Stoneman raid, at the cap
ture of Atlanta, on Hoods advance, in
Guiding the battle of Franklin, Gen.
Capron. with his command, did his duty
bravely. In his death the republic has