Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-11-25

summoned TO Albany BY Governor Nor
gan, and was intrusted with the snbs,st
ing, equipping and arming of Now York,
troops for the war. He opened n omar
termaster,s department In New yorh
0ity. and from that point directed the
movements Of the troops In every mart ~
D State. Barracks were built With croe,
expedition. subsistence was nrovfded
ana ciotning and arms bought for the
soldiers promptly and at low rates. The
accounts OF the State with the U. s. Gov.
eminent Tor thus arming and equiprinp
the soldiers were kept with such accura.
cy That after having been audited by the
war Department they were approved,
although mich the largest OF any Of the
states, without the deduction OF = dollar
Some OF the States had their accounts
cut down from 81, 200, 900 to $40. OOO. 600
me machinery by which New York
furnished 600. 900 men or one:afth Of he
entire number Of soldiers In the IJnion az.
my, was created by General Arthur and
o large proportion OF these soldiers were
sent forward under his direct superyis.
ion. He. was successfully Ensineer.in.
Chief. Inspector General and Quarter.
MASTER General, being transferred from
place to place by Governor Morgan. as
matters OF importance connected with
sending troops TO the front required the
attention OF some man Of vigor and ex.
ecutive ability. For two years he saw
nothing Of his law office, working eyerv
9dhy In the week. Sundays Included. In
one week five thousand men departed
from New York City alone, and by tele.
graphic dispatches General Arthur direc.
ted the departure Of as many more from
other parts Of the State. He contracted
for the subsisting Of the troops nj one.
third lower rates than those obtained by
th'i 5. Government. Making contracts
OF unexampled size for clothing and
arms, some contractors strove 10 placate
him by sending him costly presents. AN
these presents were at once returned 10
the senderss
A friend said Of him: 80 jealous was
he OF his integrity that / have known in.
stances where he could have made thou.
sands Of dollars legitimately, and vet re.
fused to do il on the ground that he was
a public officer and meant 10 be like
Caesars wife, above suspicion"
General Arthur was very ready In
meeting unexpected emergencies. The
Ellsworth Zouaves having taken steamer
for Washington. In disobedience of ord
ders from the War Department and with
out any food supplies on board the steam.
er, General Arthur In three hours OBJ.
tanned rations for them, although called
upon TO do so unexpectedly. and provis.
Toned the steamer. Again, In the latter
part OF 1862, when war seemed imminent
with England owing to the seizure of
Mason and Slidell on board the Trent. it
was decided to prepare to blockade the
approaches to the harbor Of New York
with a timber float connected by iron
cables.
fastening TO Albany to buy the i'm.
mense amount Of timber required, Gen.
eral' Arthur there found Governor MGR.
gan troubled by the fact that there was
no State appropriation for such purchase.
General Arthur took upon himself the
responsibility /. and bought the timber at
once at Albany. But the Hudson River
suddenly froze up, and the lumber was
useless. Returning to New York he oui.
city bought up all the timber there. The
surrender OF Mason and Slidell soon nut
an end to all fear Of q wal with England.
and the timber was afterward sold at n
pront to the State. One Sunday morning
In the spring Of 1862 word came to Gen.
eral Arthur from General Mcclellan, then
In command Of the Army of the Potomac.
that the rebel ram Merrimac had destroy.
ed two ships in Hampton Roads, and
would soon. perhaps enter the harbor of
New York.
General Arthur knew that the harbor
forts were only occupied by raw rec Tits.
VINO idnt know how to handle heavy
cannon, and that there was no powder
there; but before nightfall he had drafted
cannoneers from the militia regiments of
the city and sent them to the guns. and
pad a supply OF powder at the forts. AS
Engineer-in-chie he submitted soon al.
terward an elaborate report on the militia.
ry defenses OF the State, which was high.
" commended. In May, 1851, as Inspec.
tor General he inspected the New York
troops in the armies Of General Mcdowell
and General Mcclellan, In Virginia.
while with General McClcllan's army ON
tne C~hickahomipy River. an advance on
Richmond being expected, he volunteered
as an aid on the staff of Major General
Hunt, who commanded the reserve artil.
lery.
1t was frequently General Arthur's de.
SIRE during the war to have active duties
IN the armies at the front. AT Governor
Morgan's request he declined the post of
Colonel OF the Ninth Regiment, New
YORK Volunteers, 10 which he had been
elected. Afterward he was offered the
command OF the Metropolitan Brigade.
which had been raised greatly through
MS exertions. lie then formally applied
to Governor Morgan for permission to take
the command, but the Governor replied
that he couldn't be spared from the ser.
vice OF the State, and that while he nm.
preciated the strength of such a desire it
was his opinion that General Arthur
would do far more valuble service for
the country by continuing at his post Of
duty In the State.
He retired from office upon the imam.
guration Of Governor Seymour in 1858.
The new Quartermastcr General, a Dem
ocrat highly praised In his first annual
report the condition of the Quartermas-
ter's Department as he received Il from
General Arthur. Returning to his law
practice, the General soon again obtained
a large practice. He was appointed coun
sci OF the Commissioner Of Taxes and AS.
sessment, at q salary of $40, 700 yearly.
but promptly resigned the position upon
an attempt OF the Democratic Tammany
Ring to coerce Republicans employed In
the departments to aid them in conceal.
ing the robberies of the ring. In 1868
his law partner was H. D. Gardner. In
1872 was formed the firm of Arthur.
Phelps. Knevals q Tansom. He contin.
ucd his active. interest in politics. and
for several years was Chairman of The
Executive Committee Of the Republican
State Committee. In the campaings
which ended in the election and reelec.
ton Of Ulysses Grant, as President, he
took Q leading part, being President of
the Central Grant Club Of New York.
Upon the resignation of Thomas Murphy,
as Collector Of the Port of New York, on
November 90. 1871, President Grant
nominated General Arthur for the posi-.
ton.
His administration nj the Custnm.