The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-15
THE FIGHT FOR CONGRESS.
Review of the Situation of Affairs in the
Fourth and Fifth Districts.
Great Dissatisfaction with Director Holman
Inspiring Military Record of Gen. Lucas
Private Soldier Chase Winning Votes.
THE FOURTH DISTRICT.

did Military Career OF Gen. Lucas.
Stan Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
AURORA, Ind, Oct r. Il have spent several
days in the Fourth congressional district, and
have talked with intelligent and observing men
Of both parties in Decatur, Ripley and Dearborn
counties When / say there is widespread
disaffection toward William S. Holman | am
but mildly expressing truth that might with
due propriety be set forth in much stronger and
more emphatic terms The people of this dis
trict are thoroughly tired of Holman, and when
say people mean Democrats as well as Re-
publcans. So far as Decatur county is con-
cerned, it has never been in an amiable mood in
being attached to the river counties which has
always been CALLING misft. The fact that Col
lector Of Internal Revenue Hunter has been
chosen by Holman to step into his congressional
shoes-Mr. Holman well knowing that if elected
this time he will have stretched the indulgence
Of his party to its utmost tenson-is nause-
ating dose to Democrats of all degrees all over the
district. The appointment of Hunter as collector
was made necessity to Holman who felt Dear
born county, with it's large Democratic majority,
to be getting away from him. Hunters appoint
ment was conditional upon his doing as much as
possible TO keep Dearborn county solid by draw
ing to that disahected spot in the Democratic
vineyard as much federal patronage as possible.
Mr Hunter had the further assurance of being
Mr. Homan's successor in Congress, and has
worked so Loyalty to that individuals interest
that his partisanshp has become offensive even
TO the nossiest backed Democrats of the district.
In Lawrencehurg almost every citizen, regard
less of party affiliation. showers imprecations
the Great Director. They say that the legisa
tive conduct that earned MIN his title has
been at the sacrifice of the commercial well
fare of that city. and that had his
record as an economist been of a broader and
more discriminating character, when he came to
ask protection from the destructive floods for
that much suffering city, his fellow members
would have acceded to a reasonable appropria
zion instead OF grudgngly yielding the miserable
pittance they finally did, and which is so insig-
nifcant az to be absolutely worthless. Law
renceburgers say that Holman never tried to do
what he might have done towards obtaining an
appropriation for building protecting earth
works, and say that his inactivity is due to the
3 fact that he is citizen of Aurora, and shares
the jealousy of that place toward Lawrenceburg;
that he, in common with the residents of Auro-
"a. look upon the obliteraton OF Lawrenceburg
as desirable event, as it would build up Auro-
IA, and increase her trade There may be
D some truth in this, bnt Aurora herself although
possessing MIR. Holman as her chief citizen. has
not been altogether prosperous. There is not a
place Of its size in the West can exhibit Sc many
broken down and abandoned industries, so many
ffeless furnaces, smokelesschimneys and dlapi
dated factories. The Great Director is looked
upon even in Aurora as an exceedingly expens-
i've ornament
lin Ripley county the Republicans confidently
expect great gains as many Democrats say that
IL is their purpose not to come 10 the polls at all
on election day. eve are tired of Holman
ssaid, l., one s.. Of these, leading man
land are ready to raise the cry, on him as we
did on the Republican party-'We want a
change" Dearborn and Ripley counties fur
nlshsd many soldiers to the Union army These
nxr,an fn<n kbao
Che great majority of them, after they returned
to ti1oir homes, their families and associates be-
ting Democrats, remained 80. They are not so
utterly Democratic, however. as to forgive Mr..
Oleveand's vetoes OF honest pension bills, nor do
they forget an old comrade when he comes be-
fore them for their suffrages. The nomination
of Gen. Thomas j. Lucas, of Lawrenceburg, to
oppose Holman in the congressional race pleases
the old soldiers all over the district They are
for him regardless of party, and this enthusiasm
is felt all over the district. General
Lucas is sixty years old, though not
appearing to be more than ffty-four or fifty
FIVE. He wears a full beard, neatly trimmed
which like his hair is we'll sprinkled with gray
and he looks a great deal like DR.. l.. D. Water
man, of Indianapolis. He is plain, quiet, ut
terly without ostentation and SO modest that
he had been brigadier general for year or
more before his intimate friends found it
out He is Grant-like in his taciturnty, and
when he speaks it is always to purpose. He
was born at Lawrenceburg, and, with the ex-
his life To say that the boys there who wore
the blue are for him is putting it very mild.
He is the hero of two wars He went into
the Mexican war, entering the Fourth Indiana
Regiment as drummer, being too young for a
commission, this entry into the service being
6ubtertuge, as he was at once commissioned lieu
tenant of Company c. He entered the service in
the last war as captain Of Company G., IN the
Sixteenth Indiana, the lamented Hacklemans
regiment and was promoted to be lieutenant
colonel. When the regiment had been nine
months in the field he made colonel. Upon
the regiment being mustered out, he reorganized
it, In 1862 and went TO the front as its colonel
The service of this gallant regiment and its colo
mel in the numerous fights about Vcksburg, as
yell az elsewhere, are matters OF history. At
Arkansas Post Colonel Lucas went over the
Notifications on horseback, and was the first
man inside the works Fifty rebels leveed their
guns at him, and that he escaped with his life
IL one of the miracles of the war. He is said to
have raised his hand as he looked along the line
of glinting steel leveled at him. and remarked
IF you fire gun you will be hanged high as
Haman"
'But we haven't surrendered" was the re-
ply.
We'll, you'd better, said Lucas quietly, ''all
the others have'
The Sixteenth Indiana, with their colonel,
fought in every battle in the rear of Vicksburg.
up to the driving of the rebels into the fortifca-
lions On the 18TH of April it was the nearest
regiment TO rebels east of the jackson road Its
rifle pits were the first built in the rear of Vicks-
burg and accepted by the engineer of the Thir-
teenth Corps as correct and that corps made its
lines to connect Herewith. In the charge on the
22d of May Colonel Lucas was wounded twice
but never left the field. He had been wounded
IN the leg in an earlier fight
After the fall of Vicksburg he was transferred
TO the First Cavalry Brigade, cavalry division.
Department of the Gulf. AT the defeat at Sa-
bine Cross Roads, Colonel Lucass brigade was
the last to leave the field. His command was
composed of the Fourth Louisiana Mounted In
Gantry, Seventh New York Cavalry, Sixth Mis-
souri, Cavalry, Sixteenth Indiana Mounted In
fantry and two batteries At Alexandria the
cavalry fought the entire rebel army that had
driven Banks's army inside the Notifications
there. His promotion to brgadier was made
upon the recommendations of regular army of
Anarc nm