The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-10
A HOME PICTURE.
A Domestic Sketch Of "Hancock, the Su-
perb,' by One Who Knew Him.

perb,' by One Who Knew Him.
Walking up from the little dock at
Governors island, past the blue-coated
sentry pacing up and down in front of
the pay department offices, down the
clean asphalt walk shaded by many
trees, one comes to a row of comforta-
BILE, old-fashioned frame houses-ofi-
GERS quarters. The first of this-a big
double house with a broad gallery in
front like a Southern house-is the
commanding officers quarters, and in
this house General Hancock lived for
fifteen years and died. Enter. Plenty
of space for light and air. A wide hall
runs from end to end, and turning to
the right there are two big old-fash-
Toned drawing-rooms. Opposite the
entrance to the first hangs on the wall
a beautiful full-length portrait of a
young girl of fourteen or fifteen. Be-
fore itstands always vase of flowers.
This is the portrait of "Ada. sole
daughter of his house and heart the
daughter forever loved and lamented,
who died in 1875. How strange must
look that house without General Han
cocks soldierly figure moving about
always meeting guests at the door and
escorting them with old-time courtesy
to his own gate-for General Hancock
was the soul of hospitality. Did you
ever see him salute private soldier?
Then you have missed seeing the finest
act of courtesy man could perform
for he returned the salute of drum
mer-boy as punctiliously as he did that
of General of the army.
That hospitable door will open for
him no more-his place is henceforth
on "Fame's eternal camping ground"
Let those who knew him tell of him in
his daily walk, his everyday life.
All things small and weak loved Gen.
eral Hancock. The children on Gov
ernor's island adored him. They
swarmed over his house, and when
Mrs. Hancock protested mildly against
their being admitted to romp in the
drawing rooms General Hancock took
it so much to heart that she yielded. 1t
was in vain that the officers wives on
the island forbade their children to 20
so often to the Hancock house, think
ing they might be troublesome They
would 90 and stand before the gate,
pressing their little wistful faces against
the iron railing until they caught sight
of General Hancock. He would have
the whole gang inside the gate in a
minute. IF your mothers say any
thing to you," he would say, ''just tell
them that am Major General Han
cock, and won't allow my authority
to be disputed here" Of course the
youngsters were only too delighted to
take this view of the matter. As a
batch of the urchins under ten years
old agreed once respecting some new
domestic ordinance: "Our mammas
better not try that. We're solid with
General Hancock and he won't let
en-" General Hancock's idols were
his three grandchildren, George,
Myra and Ada, and when he was pre-
pared for burial some of their tops
and playthings were found upon his
bed of death. where they had left them.
They were the children of his son, Rus
sell Hancock, now dead, and their
home was ostcnsiblyin Mississippi, but
General and Mrs. Hancock would send
for them early in May and keep. them
until after Christmas every year. Gen
eral Hancock's grandson, who was his
namcsake, died the very day he was
nominated for president in 1880. Ada
is a gentle ''mothcr-child' very like
Mrs. Hancock in her quiet, sensible
| ways. Myra. named after Mrs. Han.
cock, is General Hancock all over, and
was the dearest to her grandfather S
heart. She is a delicate, spirituelle
child, with beautiful features and the
softest manner-but regular Trojan.
She is not afraid of any thing on the
face of the earth. and could stand ar
entilading fire as well as General Han
cock himself. The General delighted
in her proves and her reputation as {
a warrior. She could vanquish boy
twice her size in single combat, anc
had terrorized every youngster on thu
island into state of abject submission
The fact is, General Hancock had es
tablished a unique state of thing
among his little friends on the island
The boys had their orders never to dis
pute with the girls about any thing, anG
the slightest infring ment of this brough
out terrible threat of the guard hous,
for the offender, so the boys We're com
pletely cowed by the girls.
General Hancock. was man o
strong domestic affections, and he
never got over his daughters death
A singular circumstance occurred a
| the time he lost his son, Russell Han
cock. On the 10Th of December, 1884
| his daughter-in-law and her thre
children started to meet Russell Han
cock, who was at that moment dyin
in St. Louis, although neither they no
General Hancock knew any thing of hi
illness. After putting his daughter-in
law on the train a. New York he re
turned to Governors island an
seemed depressed all day. That nigh
he went to his room, but his gloom
feelings prevented him from sleeping
He told Mrs. Hancock that he felt as
some calamity were hanging over hin
She told him it was the going away {
the children that made him so unha1
py. He insisted it was not As tn
night wore on he became so uneas
that he arose, dressed himself an
went down stairs, prepared, as he af
erward said. to hear terrible news.
six o'clock in the morning he saw
messenger coming up the path to h
house, and opening the door receive
the dispatch telling him of his son
| 2udden death