Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-11-12

ulllltN ny ulliIE bUl cN ICuilltuN vi Il Cbll-
pany or squadron supplying dozen
small outlying posts; making long
marches with Il column that would scarce
ly have served, II few years later, for his
headquarters escort and conducting the
business OF a quartcrmaster' depot on the
plains or on the Pacific coast. To man
who is willing to do things Just so well
that they will pass without censure from
his superiors, caring himself only for pay
day and poker, such scale of operations
is crampinG and dwarfng. TO a man
who is trying to do everything at its best,
who is studying his business and accum-
INITIATING experience against the day of
larger things, there is no practice more
Instructive, enlarging and strengthening,
If not pursued too long.
1t followed that the outbreak of the war
found Hancock singularly well endowed
and equipped for the responsibilities and
duties that were to devolve upon HIM.
What he knew of infantry, and could do
with infantry let Williamsburg and Fred
ericksburg and Gettysburg and the Sal
lent at SpOttsylVania, testify. While he
was not master of the science of Logistics,
Like Heade and Humphreys he could
conduct a long march over bad roads, with
artillery and trains, better, in my humble
Judgment than any other officer of the
war, federal or confederate. In some
what protracted experience | never but
once knew the second corps, while under
his command, no matter how extreme the
distance or severe the conditions, by day
or by night, arrive at its destination in
bad form struggled and broken and its
marches were often very long and trying,
rs on the 29th of July 1862 when the
corps made 80 miles on single road, W tn
artillery and trains. That one exception
was on the eve of Cold Harbor when, af
ter night of intense stiffness and fear
fully oppressive heat, with dust that
stood in column, which had it
been day, could have been seen for
miles, an engineer officer of General
Meade's staff, undertaking to conduct our
movement by Il short cut led us into a
wood-road, which narrowed as we went
on until finally the cannon were fairly
wedged between the trees, and in the
darkness great confusion ensued ; cOnfu
sion which only grew greater as we "back-
ed out" of the woods and made our way
again to the point of our false departure,
and then on to Cold Harbor, to join the
sixth corps. On the other hand, | have
stood for hours by the road on which a
gallant and devoted corps was just setting
out for night march to an anticipated
battle in the morning and seen column
which, from the lack of proper oversight
and energetic control by commanders and
staff. was only fit to be compared to the
end of political t)rchlight procession, at
one O'Clock of the night before election.
In the supply of troops, Hancock, as the
result of thorough training and down
right hard work, and with the aid of one
of the most capable quartermtsters of the
volunteer service, Col. Richard y. Batch
elder, achieved almost the highest posi-.
bic success. y distinguished soldier of
the war, General and Judge Devens, has
Justly said that no army was ever so well
fed and well clothed as the army Of the
Potomac and | venture to add that of
all the nt that NOT "A :
well fed or clothed as the second nor do
| fear that any old soldier here present
will dissent from the opinion that regular
rations, well shaped shoes and warm
blankets bear very positive relation to
good marching and hard lighting.
OF the uses of cavalry and artillery Han
cock knew enough, first, not to think, like
many high commanding officers, that he
knew everything or to lead him to inter
tere in the conduct of those charged with
these highly specialized services, and,
secondly, to recognize good work when
ever and by WhOmeVer done It was only
two weeks ago that that admirable caval-
ry officer, Gen. David VI. Gregg, of Penn
sylVania, said to me that he had never
known another Infantry commander wien
whom he found ii equally satisfactory to
serve in the field.
Finally, Hancock : experience before the
war had made INN perfect master of the
every ,lannrtment If he army and t6 eva1v
nccaSin,, of the service and If The farms
of military cnrresnnndauCe and record 4
mastrr cav NOT y slave for whIie M
man understnnd bettnr tho henrfrinl uens
of rrd-tnne no one knew heller now to
,.ut rcd lane when the orcasinn ran,Iirod
An essHyiit Lord Nacarlev | think i'm
Sati,.iZintr thn ndontinn in fine 'L,n0Ii.h lan-
image Of rertain Latin terms aStsus to
Imagine n P0lnnJI CnuSLI i'm Ills rank and
pomp and warlike hnbilimeut. scared in
a hack office i'm Bord4nnv q Goose nuiiI
over his ear, mikinp ouf invoices far thn
skinner. nf merchant vesseIsi Bnt Ia
union of martial and civil fnnctinrs need
NOT he ludicrnus II wonid Inc harJ f. Ls'
lieve that Scipio at Zamn looked one inch
more thp commander Than Hancoct ar
shnrU or Gpttvshnr~ or hnra
himself more 1,ni,rhtlv And haroicnllv in
danner nud bardshin il, ,,aar,,,nss 9,n,i
wounds 'Nvet IJanrhrk was thn I,,5,t ',I,
hnnd nj ,r,,,er. . ~ Inv, ara cilaG ~ ~
urr,,, ,vbicL mo nrn,v 'ayar Lna,,. NJ
ha,,i ,chhu no,, fran; ,ha Iir,",i,,i,t ~, ny
lis WIEN aftar ean,n Iv.',yr7 n,5,cb -,
fi%, ,bt ,,' ''IoJ f' ,'r a. W
ana rat,,,u. ,,,,d disc,tioG ,Hin,,ta
If mo ai,nI,rin,' :, ',,n,,. ~ t p",.,,o
nnnde,lc a,,rt,,,iI ~ '',V on r',i
'Id ~ ~ VI ." ~