The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-02-24
Lyon, Longstreet and "Stonewan' JACKSON

scana of the conflict and landed at Vera
Ss,,z in time TO take part in General Pierce's
advance to reinforce Scott at Puebla. LII
this campaign he was in three engagements,
and in one of them was slightly woun1eu;
For his galantry on the field at the battle OF
Molino del Rey he was breveed nrs1 LOU
tenant
On his return home after the war HanSoch
was ordered to the upper Mississippi, and re-
NAMED there until 1S49 In 1856 he was or
dered to St. Louis, where he remained tive
wears and where he married his wife,
who was Miss Russell, the
daughter of St. Louis merchant;
In 1855 Lieutenant Hancock was appointed
ouartermaster with the rank of captain, and
was sent to Florida, where the trouble with
the Seminole Indians was beginning. ne re-
mained at Fort Myers in that State until loo',
and it was in this year and at Fort Myers
that his daughter. Ada Elizabeth. who died
in 1875, was born. His son, Russell Hancock,
was born in ST. Louis in 1850.
From Florida Hancock was sent to Kansas,
where the troubles over the slavery question:
were in progress, and from Kansas ne Went
with the expedition in 1858 against the Nor
mons, who were manifesting an ambition to
throw off allegiance to the government at
Washington and set up for themselves. FROM
the latter part of 1853 until the breaking out
of the civil war; Captain Hancock was sta
toned at Los Angeles, Cal. He was still act
ing in the capacity of quartermaster, as he
had done uninterruptedly since he went to
Florida.
When the news of the really critical state
of affairs had made it's two months Journey
by way of Panama to California, Captain
Hancock at once asked to be called East
and was gratifed He landed at New
York on the 4th of September, 1861, and pro-
ceeded at once to Washington,
not even stopping 1o,+o TO see see FMS MS
whom he had been separated for many years.
General Hancock was then thirty eight years
old, and he had been so successful in his ad-
ministration of the quartermaster depart
ment that he was at first appointed q
% % General Robert Anderson's com
mand in Kentucky. But General
Mcclellan knew the young officers
fitness for duty of more active kind, and
personally urged that he be made brigadier
general, which was done by order of President
23d of September, 1861. Gen. Hancock at
once set about the task of aiding to organize
the confused masses Of volunteers
who were then the nucleus of what
was afterward the army Of the Potomac into
something like military shape. The talent he
displayed in this quickly attracted attention,
and when in the spring of 1862 his brigade
landed on the peninsula between the James
river and Chesapeake bay, which was the
scene of the first grand operations OF the
army of the Potomac, it was by far the most
complete and effective of any in the army.
The first serious struggle in which General
Hancock engaged was that of Williamsburg,
where he won distinction by his tact and per-
sonal courage By a feigned retreat he led the
enemy in pursuit, and then turned on them
with furious musketry fire. 1t was here that
he gave his oft-quoted command "We must
give them the bayonet, gentlemen" and it
was here that the first colors captured by the
army of the Potomac were taken General
McClellon personally thanked the regiments
of Hancocks brigade for their gallantry on
this occasion.
From this time on General Hancock fol-
lowed the fortunes Of the army of the Poto-
mac under Mcclellan, Burnside, Mcclellan
again, and then fighting Joe Hooker, steadily
Battle of Gettysburg, be ioomed up
as one of the most conspicuous figures
among those whose GOODNESS and cour-
age saved that great Union victory from the
disaster of being great Union defeat. Cen
eral Hancock was severely wounded in the
thigh in this conflict A musket ball passed
through his saddle, bending wrought iron
nail about it as it went, both ball and nail
penetrating General Hancock's body.
This wound was a - source of seri-
Gus trouble to General Hancock during his
campaign under General Grant, and during
the battles of the Wilderness compelled him
at one time to retire temporarily from com
mand. This was the only injury General
Hancock received during the war, though he
took part in the fercest engagements of all
the sanguinary Virginia campaign. At
Ream's station he had a horse shot under him.
The engagement at Bovdton was the last
which General Hancock fought with the Sec
ond Army Corps, of which he had long had
command. After that engagement he
received orders from Secretary Stanton
to report at Washington, where he
was assigned to the duty of organizing
of men who had served two years. He was
put in command of the army of
the Shenandoah, 100000 men, at Winchester,
in which command he remained until
the assassination of President Lincoln, in
April. 1865. On the Esd of that month
Gen. Hancock took command in Washington
and remained there during all the exciting
times that followed up to the hanging of Mrs.
Surratt. He was in command of the division
of the Atlantic in 1865. when his name was
first prominently mentioned in connection
with the presidency. The Democratic con-
vention which nominated Seymour gave on
one vote IA voices for Hancock In 1869 Gen.
Hancock was relieved of the command of
the division of the Atlantic and assigned to
the division of Dakota, where he remained
until 1872, when he was again put in COM
mand in New York. In 1878 his headquar-
ters were removed from New York to Gov
ernors Island, where he afterward resided.
In 1890 he received the Democratic nomina-
ton for the presidency against General Gar
field, and had 155 votes in the electoral col
lege, a ,ainSt Garfelds 2l4
General Hancock's last appearance in pub
lie was when under the orders of the secre-
tary of war, he directed the national cere-
monies attendant upon General Grants fll-
neral, and commanded the United States
military and naval forces taking part there
in No one figure was more striking in the
great procession that marched to Riverside
cemetery than that of the soldier who was so
soon to follow his old commander to the
grave.
General Hancock's son. Russell Hancock,
married Miss Gwynn, of Louisville, KY, and
became cotton planter. A year ago he died
most unexpectedly General and Mrs Han
cocks affections became centered in their
grandchildren. of whom there were three,
one boy and two girls. In the dead heros
home these youngsters reigned supreme, and
the boy especially, bearing his mothers
family name, was the very ''apple of his
eye"
General Hancock leaves no property, real
or personal, of any great intrinsic value, hav-
ing always lived generously and spent his
annual pay of s7,5DO as major-general 1t
is supposed indeed. that his wife's estate has
become so reduced that it will amount to
comparatively little.
PROMINENT PEOPLE.