The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-02-18

than In Minnesota.
EARLY DAYS
Winfield Scott Hancock was born near Mont.
Romery Square. Pa, Feb IA, 1924. He was
educated at the village academy in Norristown
nance appointed nam in $40. u g. Grant was
one OF his classmates. He graduated In 1874,
ana WAS assigned to duty with the sixth regi-
ment infantry, with the rank Of second lteuben-
ant. He served In the Southwest, on ard near
the Red river till the breaking out of the Mexi-
can can war when his regments was ordered to JOIN
engaged In no actual fighting till near the close
OF the struggle. when he participated in the
DatIies OF Contreras Cheruhnsco Moiino aei icy
he was stationed near Prairie du Chen
In lS40 he married Almira. daughter OF
samuel Russell . merchant mt OF 81 Louis.
brief term Of service In Florida, the SIKH reg1-
ment was ordered first to Kansas and then to
California. The march was made across the
continent and this Is probably the longest con-
tinuous march ever made by a body of troops.
In 1861 the war OF secession broke out. At his
urgent request Hancock was transferred TO the
East though not without delay: and in Sep
TENDER Of the year named he landed in New
York. Without pausing to visit his parents he
FASTENED to WASHINGTON and reported for duty
He was at first ordered into the conmissary,
but Gen. Mcclellan recommended him for q
brigade. and after delay Of a few days he re-
ceived the commission OF brigadier general
and was assigned to duty in the division OF Gen.
Smith. His command comprised the Forty
ninth Pennsylvania, the Forty-third New York.
the Fifth Wisconsin. and the Ninth Maine His
commission bore date Sept. %, S6l. Through
out the earlier movements OF the war and the
Pennsylvania campaign Gen. Hancock bore a
prominent part. At the battle OF Cold oh mar,
the night At Antietam Gen. Hancock
was sent to the command OF the First division
In place OF Gen. Richardson, who fell there. At
Fredericksburg his division sustained the brunt
of the attack and OF the terrible mortality OF
that days fight. Al Chancellorsviile he n q a
was promoted to command Of the Second corps.
AT GETTYSBURG
Gen. Hancock WAS SELL ny Gen. Meade
then in command of the army, to examine the
field and il was upon his report that that be-
came the decisive battle which thwarted Lees
attempt to get by the Union lines and flank our
armies from the North. Hancock placed the
armies as they came up and when daylight OF
the I'd OF July broke, Lee was confronted by
10000 veterans At noon, when Hancocks di-
vision was resting on captured ground. the en-
cmy's batteries were concentrated upon him.
Here occurred the grandest charge i'll the battle.
The rebels sent their finest brigades dawn
upon Hancock and met with q repuise that lett
1000 dead and wounded and cost 5000 pris-
oners Hancock was wounded AT the close OF
this battle. shell from the enemy had struck
n fence and sent big rusty nail into his thigh,
splintering the bone and making an ugly flesh
wound. Meade thanked him on the field OF bat
tie and the congress Of the United States re-
turned him the thanks OF the country. His
wound was found to be severe, and he went to
his parents home at Norristown to recover. He
paid a hasty visit TO West Point and retired to
his own home at LongwOod, near ST. Louis. 1t
was winter before lie joined his command: and
even then, his wound continued to give him
much trouble The thigh bone was shattered,
and pieces would work out and reopen the
wound Ia the winter he was ordered North on
recruiting duty. In Philadelphia he was ten
dered a public reception in lndeDendence hail.
In New York magnificent reception was
rendered him in the governors room at the city
hall. At Albany the legislature paid him b nor;
and in Boston the general court invited him to a
sea- on the floor OF the house: AT later date a
magniflcently- mounted sword was voted to him
at the Mississippi Sanitary fair; and at the Cen
trail Sanitary fair in Philadelphia costly and
him as the most popular soldier of the war. Be-
fore spring he resumed his command, Grant
had come East to assume personal direction OF
divided into three grand divisions, the
placed under the command OF Hancock;
battle of the Wilderness Hancocks division did
the hardest fighting. Gen. Grant placed the
firmest confidence in Gen Hancock throughout.
Almost from the BEGINNING OF the campaign the
wound he received at Gettysburg gave Hancock
great trouble. He was finally compelled to re-
sign his command for time. He soon returned,
and in time to be in the battle of Malvern Hill,
where he lost 5000 men. On Nov. &c, 1864, he
was recalled to Washington, with orders to re-
cruit veteran corps for service on other fields.
While there tho war was ended, Gen. Hancock
was mode major general in the regular army. and
first given command ever the Central military
department: then over that OF Louisiana and
Texas where the utmost frmness and prudence
were required. From 1870 to 1872 he COM
manded the deparL ment OF Dakota, having his
headquarters at st. Paul, where he and his fam
lily made large circle OF friends. On the death
of Gen. Meade, in 1872, he was removed TO the
department. of the East, with headquarters at
New rE, where he remained until his death.
At the Pennsylvania state convention OF 1869
he was rendered by his numerous FRIENDS the
Democratic nomination for governor of his
native staie-an honor which he then and has
since declined.
AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
In the Democratic national convention held
in New York in 1868, Hancock was urged for the
presidential nomination. On the eighteenth
ballot he received 144lo votes, the largest num-
Der given any candidate except Pendleton, who,
on the twelfth ballot, had received 145 Z votes
But on the twenty-Sec nd h 1ratlo Seymour was
nominated by the unanimJ us vote of the con-
vention. In 1872 his name was prominently
mentioned before the Liberal Republican con-
vention at Cincinnati. At the Democrat ic con-
ven, ion at Cincinnati in 1880 his name was uut
in nomination by Daniel Dougherty of Phila-
delphia. The break" for Hancock occurred on
the second ballot, which, when revised" gave
the general 7O5 Of the 73e votes cast. In the
electoral college Gen. Hancock had 155 votes
carrying the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Flor
i'd, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Marylaud
Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada. New Jersey, North
Carolina, South Carolina. Tennessee. Texas, Vir-
ginia and West Virginia. Gen. Garfield had 2l4
votes and was elected. Since 1880 Gen. Han
cock has lived quietly at his home on Gov
ernors island in New York harbor.