The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-23
MANNED STATESMEN.
cONGRESSMEN WHO LOST LIMBS IN
THE LATE WAR.
Other Congressional Cripples-Thaddeus
Stevens Lameness-D Darwin A. Finney
Oliver p. Morton and Alexander
II. Stephens-A Phenomenon.

Referring TO helpless people, l recall an
article in The Post Of this city of few
days ago giving a list of tho members and
senators who lost limbs in the late war (by
the way, how long is the term "the late war
10 DO usad1 and those VINO were wounded in
battle The list. ] may say in passing, is by
no means complete. For example it does
not include "Bill' Morrison, who, in a GER
tain way, is the leader of the house He
was several times wounded in battle, but.
with d modesty that well becomes him, he
keeps all mention of his service in the
Union army out of his biography in the
Congressional Directory / have not the
time nor the facts at hand to give the
na mes Of all those who were wounded in
both armies who are now in congress. One
strange fact | viii mention Both senators
from South Carolina wear each a wooden
log. Strange. isn't it! One of them
Butler lost lis leg hunting Yankees, and
Che other Hampton lost his hunting deer
On a mule
How Wen l remember what may be called
the total cripples' in congress during the
pa twenty years! All tJll, they vera four.
F.rt who gave way was grand old Thad-
dcus Stevens He was always lame from an
iil-forned foot lhave hoard he did not
waIk ct all until he was years old. lie al
ways walked with great difficulty, never
could walk far, and, during the last few
years OF bis life the died at I6l he could not
walk at all Every day he was taken from
his home near the capitol by two strong col
Ored men ia an easy chair, which they
hOisteI on their shoulders ami thus the
great COmmonsr was borne through the
streets. Crowds used to gather to see him
pass and reverentiy lift their hats lie was
put down in his place in the house and when
the session was over he was taken back to
his house and put to bed. MIR. Stevens often
as his paH-bearers.
Another helpless cripple was Darwin A
Finney member for one term from Mead
vile, Pa. He propelled himself about In q
wheel chair but his trunk and lower limbs
were helpless from paralysis, and he had tc
| be helped in and out of the house of repre-
! sentatives He died abroad, l believe, st
about the same time as Mr. Stevens died.
| Oliver 2. Morton, as l think, one Of the big.
| gest mel ever in congress, was another
| helpless paralytic He was never out of
| pain, and, although a young man the died at
the age Of 81. he was the most dependent of
mortals in his latter days He, too, had t.
| be carried into and out OF the senate cham
Der in 4 chair He was poor man, and
| could III afford the low coupe he was obliged
| to own
The other helpless statesman of the four
! alluded to was Alexander H. Stephens &c
! was truly q phenomenon Built of nothing
| but skin and bones, he never weighed while
! in congress mora than from eighty to 100
| pounds Such little bit of thin face, and
such skeleton hands you never saw. Yet
| how bright were his eyes, and what exhibi-
| tons of energy! His voice was one Of the
| strongest and cIearest | ever heard, and
| H'lon he spoke, my masters, wheeling hi,
| chair backward and forward in the space il
| front of the speakers desk, he was listened
/, to by the whole house He had to be takoy
home in his chair, too. He had for body
servant a young negro six feet four il
height, and admirably proportional Mr.
S'ephens used 10 say, chuckiing quietly tn
while that he did not know what ne woulC
do when sam" died All four of these nal
are now deal Three of them certainl,
were great, and It seems TO m3 that tn
places OF Thad Stevens and Governor Mortol
never can be filled.