Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-02-19

Gen. Hancock became warmly attached
made : large number q intimate intimate trends 30
popular did he make himself that when he was
nominated for the presidency, he received the
Ct State
times OF late wears, and he always spoke Of his
friendship for Minpesota. There has been much
lions With Gen. Grant. Gen. HancocF told me
himself that it WIS q misunderstanding. and
that when he and Gen. Grant talked It over, he
was perfectly satisfied that Gen. Grant felt dit
From that time up to Gen. Grants death, they
were personal friends. Cen Hancock had very
high opinion Of Gen. Grants integrity. and
when assaults were made upon him, Gen. Ham
cock chAmptoned his cause. Gen. Hancock died
In tho harness. He w&s Rrent soldier and q
great man IN the h1gaest sense of the word No
where will his loss be more sincerely mourned
than In Minnesota. + r. '.:,"S
a..yx,e = ,..r.:~ EARLY DAYS VI. -
Winfield Scott Hancock was born near Mont
gomery Square, Pa, Feb. IA. 1924 He was
educated at the village academy IN Norristown
nance appointed him In lS4O q. s. Grant was
one Of his classmates. He graduated in 1914,
aud was assigned to duty with the Sixth regi-
msnt infantry with the rank Of second lisuten-
the Red river till the breaking out Of the Mexi-
can war, when hts 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 tho
battles OF Contreras, Cherubusco, Moline del Rey
and Chapultepec. On the conclusion OF peace
he stationed near Prairie du Chen.
In 1S49 he married Almira, daughter OF
Samuel Russell. merchant OF St. Louis
son and daughter blessed the union. After q
brief term Of service in Florida, the Sixth regi-
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 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.
He was at first 'rdered into the co1nmissary,
brigade, and after q delay OF few days he re-
ceived the commission Of brigadier general
and was assigned to duty In the division OF Gen.
Smith. His command comprised the Forty
ninth Pennsylvania, the Forty third New York,
the Fifth Wisconsin. and The Ninth tn, Maine. His
commission bore date Sept. 2S 1861. Through
campaigns Gen. Hancock Hn bore
prominent part. At the battle of Cold Har-
Dor he captured Secretary Lamar, then a
Rs h under At Lee Snte.nm Sh Gen. ass
was sent to the command Of the First division
in place of Gen. 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 a
horse shot under him. Soon after this battle he
was promoted to command OF the Second corps.
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-
came the decisive battle which thwarted Lees
attempt to get by the Union lines and flank our
armies from the North. Hancock placed the
| armies as 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 OIL captured ground the Ell.
elny's batteries were concentrated upon him.
Here occurred the grandest charge in the battle.
hn
upon Hancock and met with a repulse that lett
1000 dead and wounded and cost 5000 pris-
oners. Hancock was wounded the close Of
this battle. A shell from the enemy had struck
fence and sent a big rusty nail into his thigh,
splinterinR the bone and making 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 he 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 Lonswood near St. Louis. 1t
was winter before lie joined his command: and
even then, his wound continued to give him
much trouble. The thigh bone was shattered,
| and pieces would work ont and reopen the
| wound. II the winter he was ordered North on
| recruiting duty. In Philadelphfa he was ten
dered public reception in lndependence hall.
In New York q magnificent reception was
| rendered him in the governors room at the city
hail. At Albany the legislature paid him honor;
seat on the floor Of the house: AT later date a
magniticently mounted sword was voted to him
at the Mississippi Sanitary fair; and at the Gen.
trail Sanitary fair IN Philadelphia costly ard
beautiful set of horse equipments was vo1ed
him as the most % pular 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, the Second corps, was
Rlaqea under the % OF III i
battle of the Wilderness Ilancocks division did
the hardest fighting. Gen: Grant placed the
Almost from the beginning OF the campaign the
wound he received al Gettysburg gave Hancock
great trouble. He was finally compelled to re-
sign his command for time. He soon returned
and in time to be in the battle of Malvern Hill.
where he lost 5000 men. On Nov. &c, S64, he
was recalled to WASHINGTON, with orders to re-
cruit veteran corps for service on other fields.
While there the war ended Gen. Hancock
was made major general in the regular arnv and
first given command over the Central military
department; then over that of Louisiana and
Texas, where the utmost firmuess and prudence
were required. From 1870 to 1872 he COM
manded the department OF Dakota, having he
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 1869
he was rendered by his numerous friends the
Democratic nomination for governor of his
native state-an honor which he then bid has
since declined.
AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
In the Democratic national convention ield
IN New York in 1868, Hancock was urged for the
presidential nomination. On the eighteenth
ballot he received 144la votes, the largest num-
Der given any candidate except Pendleton. who,
on the twelfth ballot. had received l45la votes.
But on the twenty-second Horatio Seymour was
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 pu:
In nomination by Daniel DouRhersy of Phila-
delphia. The break" for Hancock occurred on
the second ballot, which, when revised" gave
the general 7O5 Of the 733 votes cast. In the
electoral college Gen. Hancock had 1855 votes,
carrying the states OF Alabama, Arkansas, Flor
ida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Marylaud,
Mississippi, Missouri. Nevada. New Jersey. North
Carolina, South Caroliua, Tennessee, Texas, Vir-
GINA and West Virginia Gen. Garfield had 2lA
votes and was elected Since 1880 Gen. Han
cock has lived quietly at his home on Gov
ernor's island In New York harbor.