Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-30
Logan in the Field.
HIS PERSONAL HIRoIsM.

It was General Grant who described hi
friend Logan with the paradox: Logan i
never at peace except in war" This was on
of the characteristics of the dead soldier an'
statesman He was prominent as fighter
He was good hater, but he had also all thu
generosity of soldisti In the food OF rem
Unseen noes which his death calls up. the Incl
dents connected with his military career, to
which he owed his success in politics after
ward, are recalled by his armv friends. MsJol
J. w. Powell, who was Chief of Artillery o
the Seventeenth Army Corps, and afterwarc
Of the Army of the Tennessee, in speaking o.
General Logan said:
II think that one of the most brilliant per
sonal successes won by anv man during the
war was the rallying of the old Seventeenth
Army Corps by Logan on the day that NC
Phersou was killed in front of Atlanta You
will remember that Hood moved out of hi.
work. and struck the extreme left OF our line,
ouifaDking it completely and coming up IN
our rear. remember that brigade OF ours
i think an Iowa brigade in Dodges DIVISION
was attacked in front and rear on the left
flank Simultaneously and nearly wiped OUT
nearly every man being killed, wounded or
captured. Ny old battery was attached to
that brigade, although | was not in command
of it on that day. When our flank was thus
Alta ked and enveloped bv an immensely su-
p-rior force the entire left of our line was
thrown into great confusion, and although
there was NJ panic our troops were hghtlng
at 8 terrible disadvantage and getting much
the worst Of it. Logan, vino had heard of
McPhersops death and assumed command OF
the Army Of the Tennessee, now arrived on
the ground and set to work to rally our shat
tered forces and restore the line. With
barred head he rode up and down in front of
our men, between two fires, cheering them on
by his word and example. and what might
easily have been disaster was averted 1t
WAS the most gallant and brilliant achieve
ment that I ever saw on the battlefield, and
if any equalled certainly none surpassed 1t
during the war"
1t is less than two weeks ago that G neral
Logan, seated in an armchair before baz-
ing fire, told group of his friends. in his
modest way, of similar incident which
happened in front Of Vicksburg. Said one
of the group:
"We used to think you exposed yourself
when there wasn't need of it sometimes,
especially at Vicksburg, when we saw you
get out from cover and look through your
glasses at the works
THAT was a mistake" replied General
Logan. II never did anything of that kind
unless felt there was occasion for it Some
times it is necessary for a commanding Off
Ger to go into danger to inspire the right kind
of feeling among his men. Then there are
acts which look foolhardv but which are
nothing more than ordinary common sense.
| remember while were in front of Vicksburg
was out on the line one day. The Rebels
began shooting at me and as soon AZ | dis
covered what they were doing, and had got
the range, galloped right along down the
line. They nus have fred hundred shots
before got out of the way. One bullet
slightly wounded the horse and another
Clipped the saddle. suppose that looked to
some people like courage. 1t wasn't; it was
horse sense. If had turned and rode down
the hill right away from the front they would
probably have bored me through the back
half 4 dozen times BY riding as | did l
made it next to impossible for them to hit
me. 1t is greatly matter of chance in war.
after all. A little more or little less ex-
posure doesn't make much difference. There
10 this that is in favor of the officer: Marks
men on the other side are 80 anxious to hit
him that they shoot too quick, or get ex-
cited and aim badly"
"During the siege of Vicksburg," said
man who served under Mcpherson. Logan
division of McPherson's corps,
which formed the right centre of the Union
line Logans division occupied the Jackson
road The Rebel line of entertainments
crossed this road at an elevated point which
was strongly fortified and knowa as Fort
Hill. Here mine had been run under the
Rebel works. whose attempts to countermine
were unsuccesstu. On the afternoon of
June 25 the mine was exploded. blowing the
top of the hill completely off and leaving a
crater where it had stood Another effect
was to toss into the air party of men who
were at work in the Rebel countermine.
Some of them came down, still alive, inside
the Union lines. Among them was a negro
who was more badly scared than hurt. He
was brought to Logans headquarters, wher
somebody asked him how high he went.
"'Dun no, Massa, but l specks bout tree
mile
This cable hero remained At headquarters
until the end of the siege, and proudly
marched into Vicksburg in the wake OF Lo'
gan's division when it occupied the captured
Rebel stronghold on july 4, 1868 Tnere
was no prouder man in the Western Arm,
on that day than Logan His division was
gwen the post of honor and he received Z
full measure of praise from Grant. In biz
Memoirs" the great Captain wrote: 10
gan and Crocker ended the campaign; tttet