Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-02-18

large, and occupied much Of his time.
Circulars. business csrds-everything
had to be acknowledge. and often in his
own hand. The last letter to which be
affixed his signature was q note to Mr..
August Belmont. declining an invitation
to dinner on account of his illness.
He was g member of the principal
New York clubs, and ameng the many
other New Workers who were his inti'
mate friends may be enumerated Messrs
Travers, Lorlllard, Cyrus W. Field,
Drexel, Morgan, and D. o. Mills.
HANCoCK's AGED sCHooLNAsTER GIVES
SOME INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 9-There was
one very old gentleman in this city
in whose heart the news sank
like lead. He was the lamented Gener-
ais seboolmastdr. Eliphat Roberts. He
is very feeble now, and be totters when
he walks. His head is covered with
thick white hair, his sight is dim, and
his hearing is bad. He is ninety years
old to-day, and it will be the saddest
birthday, perhaps, he has ever known.
"A gentleman wants to see you, uncle,
said bright little woman at Mr.. Rob
erts' home this evening. 'Ysu were
Gen Hancock's schoolmaster queried
the stranger, then the dim eyes bright
sned and he answered earnestly. Yes,
indeed l was, and tell you sir here
the bright little woman interrupted him
with oh, that is uncleis great subject.
He's just in ecstacy if he can get snybo-
dy to talk about his General
Does he know of his death ? whisper
cd the stranger.
Four faces blanched, four voices
hoarsely said No. and the old man look
ed and wondered, and arose from his
big arm chair. Then the bright little
woman-sad little woman now-put her
face tenderly to his and said pathetical-
IL, Uncle, your brave pupil is dead
Dead T said the cid man Ia strange
voice. 'DeadP and he dropped like log
into the big chair and buried bis face in
his hands. 1t was a crushing blow to
him. The old schoolmaster was the
first to break the silence. Winfield came
to my school in Norristown when he was
only seven years DID, he said, and l
taught him for seven years. L won't
aatter him. He was just like other boys
about studying his lessons, but L always
liked the little fellow as a schoolboy, and
you know him as q man. That boy was
born commander. He hadn't been at
school six weeks before be had organiz-
ed a company and was captain, and he
had them in good drill, too. These
schoolboy soldiers never thought of hav>
ing any other commander. l remember
funny story about him. One time the
proud boy captain was reviewing his
troops when order came from headquar-
ters that he would have to come in and
wipe the dishes because his mother was
sick. The little fellow sheathed the
wooden sword bravely for the apron and
dish towel, but his troops stood at the
kitchen window and taunted him SO that
finally, exasperated, he chased the whole
lot of them several blocks with the
towel. Then again picked him bodily
out of q fight and carried him into the
school house. When he left my school
he went to West Point and 1 didn't see
him again for 25 years. l heard he had
been brought here from Gettysburg
wounded, and with some trepidation as
to how the great General would receive
me, l went to the hotel to see him. I'll
never forget bis welcome in my life. He
grssped both nay hands and said, My old
friend, could never forget you Then
one time after the war when he was re-
viewing the troops he was coming out
of the Lspier House, where the Lafay
cite now stands, accompanied by his
staff, and edged through the crowd
just to get glimpse Of him. The color
ed porter was very oficious and was or
dering me and others nff the steps when
Hancock caught sight of nae. Hesprang
between the porter and me, and taking
me by the hands brought me upon the
steps and introduced me to all the Off,
GERS as his school master who had once
saved him from being whipped in fight
by carrying him of. One day last March
| was sitting in the parlor here when
the door bell rang. | opened the door,
and fine locking MAN entered. He
said: Don't you know meF Ny sight
was bad then, and didn't. Then he
said: L am Hancock 1t was happy
meeting. He learned about my daugh
ter Clara, and went from here to Wash
ington, and by his influence got her in
the mint, where she now is. He once
acted as pall-bearer when a member of
my family died, and he always has been
more than kind to me-
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 The following
general order was issued to day:
WAR DEPARTMENT.,
Washington, February 9.
With profound sorrow the Secretary
of War announces to the army that Ma
jor General Winfield Scott Hancock died
to-day at Governors Island, in the har-
Dor of New York.
He was a soldier without fear, citi- |
zen without reproach. patriot without