New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-02-17
that that rep0rtswould prove untrue Con-
tlnuing Col Crooks said. I

Hancock took the First Minnesota at Gettys-
burg, and with Its depleted ranks he held
whole brigade of rebels inicheck at time when
the fate Of the battle was IN question. Ho
threw the regiment against the brigade, and
were lost But they accomplished all he aske.
OF them, and more. Gen. Hancock character
1zed the charge as tie most gallant IN the his
e eoy ea sae t and he had the high
Gen. Hancock became warmly attached
to the people Of Minnesota, and he
popular did he make himself that when he was
nominated for the presidency, he received the
strongest possible support from the Democrats
times OF late years, and he always spoke of his
friendship for Minnesota. There has been much
prevarlc nc concerning Gen Hancocks rela-
himself that it was misunderstanding and
tfat when he and Gen. Grant talked it over. he
was perfectly satisfied that Gen. Grant felt diff
ferently toward him than what he understood
From that time up to Gen. Grants death, they
were personal friends Gen. Hancock had a very
high opinion Of Gen. Grants integrity, and
when assaults were made upon him, Gen. Han
cock championed his cause. Gen. Hancock died
in the harness. He y great soldier and
great man in the highest sense of the word No
where will his loss be more sincerely mOurneQ
than in Minnesota.
EARLY DAYS.
Winfield Scott Hancock was born near Mont
gomery Square, Pa, Feb. ii, 1924. He was
educated at the village academy in Norrist0wn
nance appointed hlln in 1910. u s. Grant was
one Of his classmates He graduated in 1874,
and was assigned to duty with the Sixth regi-
ant. He served in the Southwest on and near
the Red river till the breaking out of the Mexi-
can war, when his regiment was ordered to join
the army of Gen. Winfield Scott. Hancock was
engaged in no actual fighting till near the close
Of the struggle when he participated in the
battles Of Contreras, Cherubusco, Moline del Rey
and Chapultepec On the conclusion OF peace
he was stationed near Prairie du Chen.
In 1849 he married Almira, daughter OF
Samuel RUSSELL a merchant OF ST. Louis.
and eRs After
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
Hc was at first ordered into the co1nmissary.
bAt Gen. Mcclellan recommended him for
brigade, and after delay Of a few days he re-
ceived the commission of a brigadier general
and was assigned to duty in the division of Gen.
ninth Pennsylvania, the Forty third New York,
the Fifth Wisconsin,. and The Ninth Maine. His
commission bore date Sept. %, 1861. Through
out the earlier movements OF the war and the
prominent part. 1t the battle Of Cold Har-
Dor he captured Secretary Lamar, then
s Se eht under At Hnten th Cen 'n aancoes
was sent to the command Of the First division
in place of Cen Richardson. who fell there. At
fredericksburg his division sustained the brunt
Of the attack and of the terrible mortality OF
that days fight. At Charlottesville he had
horse shot under him. Soon after this battle he
was promoted to command of the Second corps.
AT GETTYSBURG
Gen. Hancock was sent by Gen. Meade,
then in command of the army, to examine the
field and it was upon his report that that be-
attempt to get by the Union lines and flank our
armies from the North. Hancock placed the
armies they came up, and when daylight OF
the I'd OF July broke, Lee was confronted by
10000 veterans. At noon, when Hancock's di-
vision was resting on captured ground, the en-
emy's batteries were concentrated upon him.
Here occurred the grandest charge in the battle.
The rebels sent their finest brigades down
upon Hancock and met with a repulse that left
1000 dead and wounded and cost 5000 pris.
Oners. Hancock was wounded at the close OF
this battle A shell from the enemy had struck
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 hasty visit to West Point, and retired to
his own home at Longwood, near St. Louis. 1t
was winter before he joined his command: and
much trouble The thigh bone was shattered.
and pieces would work out and reopen the
wound In the winter he was ordered North Oh
recruiting duty. In Philadelphia he was ten
dercd public reception in Independence hall.
In New York a magnificent reception was
rendered him in the governors room at the city
hall. At Albany the legislature paid him honor;
and in Boston the general court invited him to
seat on the floor Of the house. At a later date
magnificently- mounted sword was voted to him
at the Mississippi Sanitary fair; and at the Cen.
g. Fnyn nroIv,
beautiful set Of horse equipments was voted
him as the most popular soldier of the war. Be-
fore spring he resumed his command. Grant
the army of the Potomac. which was
divided into three grand divisions the
right Of which, l., the Second C corps. wa.
In the operations on the Raptdan and in the
battle of the Wilderness Hancock's division die
the hardest fighting. Gen. Grant placed the
ZEN fn a tb M
wound he received at Gettysburg gave Hancock
great trouble He was finally compelled to re.
and in time to be in the battle Of Malvern Hill,
where he lost 5000 men. On Nov. 20, 1864, he
was recalled to Washington, with orders to re-
cruit veteran corps for service on other fields,
While there the war was ended. Gen. Hancock
was made major general in the regular armv. and
first given command over 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 department 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 York, where he remained until his death
At the Pennsylvania state convention of 1858
he was rendered by his numerous friends the
Democratic nomination for governor of his
native state-au honor which he then and ha:
since declined.
AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
In the Democratic national convention telf
in New York in 1868. Hancock was urged for the
presidential nomination. On the eighteenth
ballot he received 144l2 votes the largest mum.
Der given any candidate except Pendlet0n. who.
on the twelfth ballot, had received l45ls votes.
But on the twenty second HoratfO Seymour wac
nominated by the unanimous vote Of the con-
vention. In 1872 his name was prominently
mentioned before the Liberal Republican con.
vention at Cincinnati. At the Democratic con-
vention at Cincinnati in 1880 his name was put
in nomination by Daniel .DouRherty OF Phtla-
delphia The break" for Hancock occurred
the second ballot, which, when revised. gave
the general 7O5 Of the 73s votes cast. In the
electoral college Gen Hancock had 155 votes,
carrying the states of Alabama, Arkansas. Flor
ida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana MARYLAND,
Mississippi, Missouri. Nevada. New Jersey. North
Carolina. South Carolina. Tennessee. Texas, Vir.
GINA and West Virginia Gen. Garfield had 2l4
votes md was, elected. Since 1850 Gen. Han
hos Evo 1v of. f1ov