The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-27

fantry, and Logan was commissioned its colonel.
1t was ordered TO join brigade under command
numb ered 1.l32 men, and it's first duty was in
the attack on Belmont, Mo-, where the young
colonel had horse shot under him.
member of ths old Thirty-first tells little
story of that Belmont attack and victory, which
illustrates Logans dash ard energy. Said he
1--WE embarked at Cairo on transports and land
ed secretly few miles above Belmont The
rebels were IN force at Columbus and at Bel
mont. nearly opposite Columbus. We swooped
down on the Belmont outfit, and, after sharp
fight cleaned out the town. In those days, the
early part of the war whenever hody of Union
troops had fight and won it, it was thought to
be the thing to have great blowout celebrat
ing the event with speeches, and bonfres, and
music and all that The Belmont victory was
no exception. We had great time that night.
General McClernand made a roaring speech and
so did Logan, believe. We had great bonhres
and an extra supper and all the bands out, and
kept it up till pretty near daylight Then 1t
was found that during the night while we were
celebrating, the rebels had landed pig force
from Columbus TO our side of the river, and cut
us off completely from our transports. We were
dazed at this, and In mighty tight place. Lo-
gan was the first to realize 1t, and, after some
discussion, he got permission from McClernand
to try to cut his way through the rebel Gordon
and open the road to the transports This was
done in a bayonet charge, and was one OF the
most gallant feats of the war.
CARRIED OFF THE FIELD FOR DEAD.
Logan next appeared with his regiment in the
army in the attack on Forts Henry and Donel
son. In assaultng the latter stronghold the
Thirty first was literally cut to pieces, the loss
being something like 800. The lieutenant-col-
onel was killed. and Logan himself was shot in
the left breast and was carried off the field for
dead. It was gallantry in this action that won
him the single stsr, and in March, 1862. he re-
ported to Grant at Pittsburg Landing, brigadier
general.
While lying wounded at Fort Donelson his de-
voted wife literally forced her way to his bed
side and nursed him through it all. Or the cot
adjoining his, with their toes almost touching.
lay Col. William r. Morrison, present Congress
man, who. while leading the Forty ninth Illinois
In the same battle, got an ugly wound. Mrs.
Logan divided her attentions between the two
men, and her nursing soon put them both In the
saddle To the last Morrison and Logan were
bosom friends, and both enthusiastic admirers
of the lady who forced her wav through barri-
cade of red tape to their cots at Fort Donelson
On his promotion Logan was assigned to the
command of the Third Division of the Seven
teenth Army Corps. under command of General
Mcpherson. With that command he partlci-
pated in Grants northern Mississippi campaign,
went on the expedition to Lake Providence. was
having in the meantime been promoted to ma
jor general, one of the chief commanders in
the siege of Vicksburg Logan's division was
the first to enter the city at the surrender, and
he was made military governor of the place.
By this time Logan had become the idol of his
troops. and the Seventeenth Corps honored him
by the presentation OF a gold medal, with the
names of nine of his battles inscribed thereon.
Among the soldiers General Logan was be-
loved In all legislation affecting their interests
he was at the front 1t was Logan whose efforts
passed, in 1876, the bill to eQualze the bountes
of the soldiers who served in the war, which
President Grant defeated with pocket veto.
He was some years ago the grand commander
of the Grand Army of the Republic, and he re-
tanned his membership until his death
HIS RAPID PROMOTION.
In November 1863. Grant was detached from
the command of the army of the Tennessee and
Sherman succeeded him. Sherman's old corps
the Fifteenth was at assigned to Logan
and he held command of it until the close of the
war. With this corps he led the advance of the
army of the Tennessee in the mos ement at
Resaca, and was in the battle witty ood's d.
vision. At Dallas, on May 3d. 1864, he met and
repulsed Hardee's veterans, and the next day.
while pointing out to Generals Sherman and Nc
Pherson the position of the enemy, he was
again wounded by shot in the left arm; never
theless. he continued in the field. carrying his
arm in a sling. At Kenesaw Mountain he drove
the enemy from his line of works. and on the
9th of June he made desperate assault
against the face of Little Kenesaw.
But it was on the 22d of July. in the
great battle in front of Atlanta, that Logan
most distinguished himself. He was second in
command of the Army of the Tennessee in that
desperate fight When Mcpherson. his chief,
was shot down at his SIDE Logan at once as
sumed command. and, riding furously up and
down the lines, reused the troops to such deeds
of vaor fairly carried everything before
them. General Sherman warmly praised Logan
for his part in this conflict, and especially com
mended the skill and energy with which he had
handled great army under most trying cir
cumstances Though his rank entitled him to
r ain the command, the 'exigencies of the
service" which was polite way OF saying that
Logan was not West Pointer, required him to
relinquish it in favor of Howard, and Logan
went back to his old Fifteenth corps without
murmur
This was about the end of Logan's work, though
he accom- panied the famous March to the Sea-"
and took part in the movements which attended
the investment of Joe Johnston's army in North
Carolina Soon after the grand review in Wash
ington, at which Logan again commanded the
Army of the Tennessee, he resigned his commits
sion, saying that as the war was over, his duties
were ended He went back to Illinois, was
elected to the Fortieth Congress a member at
large and then began political career which
stamped him as one of the leading men of the
times.
HIS FIRST MILITARY SERVICE.
Talking to a correspondent of the ST. Louis
Globe Democrat, but few days ago, General
Logan spoke of the bitter feeling there was in
the South and along the border growing out of
the slavery question. He said
81 remember my first active service and the
row it created in nv part of the State-south-
ern Illinois. was ordered to take my command
ND the river from Cairo and run jeff Thompson,
the swamp fox, out of the way jefferson had
Charleston. Mo-, back twelve or fourteen
miles from the river, as his headquarters,
and he would come down place
near Commerce and fire on the boats We were
to go up, capture him run him off, load up a
lot of corn piled on the bank, and come back
hadn't any time to drill the men. and it wasn't
much we knew about war. We steamed up the