The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-10

] the lnulhu ltfIliblg - u kecNnu-lleu'
tenant in the Sixth infantry. In lS47
he was in Mexico and was there con.
spicuous for gallantrT At the Natural
Bridge, San Antonio, Coatrela., Chu.
rubusCo, Molina del Rey and the capt
ure Of the City Of Mexico. He was
breveted for gsllariry a the bat.
ties of ContTeiaI and Churubus-
! co. In lS49-lS50 he served with
his requirement a. qlatsrmaster
and adjutant, and in the fall of 1850
was married at st. louis to Miss Al
mira Russell, the daughter OF a promi-
nsnt merchant e that city. lie took
part in several of the Indian cam
Ia'gns in the West, and in 1857 was
engaged in the Southern Florida war.
| He served in the expedition against
| Utah, and in 1859 went to California.
| When secession was fret mooted he
| took high glound in favor of the
Unioo, and did much in 1861 10 check
| The movement for disunion in Cali
fornia On the breaking out of hos.
tilities he applied t. Governor Curtin
Of Pennsylvania for commission in
the volunte ers, but the Governor
being slow in replying 10 his applica-
ton he obtained q leave Of absence
and came Est. His earnestuess inn
gressed General Mcclellan, and on
! the formal recommendation of Me
Clellan, President Lincoln, on the 23d
of September, 1861, Commiss oned
Hancock BrigadierGeneial OF vol
unteers. He was assigned TO a brigade
in the division OF General Bsldy
Smith aud reported for duty at Chain
Bridge, Virginia, in the Army of the
Potomac.
AT WARWICK CJuRT.HoUsR.
His first battle in the civil wa was
at Warwick Court House, near York
town, where be led his brigade in per-
SOD, driving the Coniederates before
him. At Williamsburg Hancock bore
a co lspicuous part. The Coufederates
having repulsed Hooker and exposed
Hancock's left flank he determined TO
retire and ordered the batteries ta,k
to the slope where bis brigade then
stood. Gen. Lee, seeing the move.
mer t, at oace advanced his troops and
they came down on HanCock's right
in two superb lines Of battle, cheering
tremendously and calling out, "Buli
Run! Bull Run That flag is ours"
Hancock sat on on his horse behind
the center of his line, waiting with
imperturbable GOODNESS the favorable
moment. Calling on the men 10 { lnsl
fast and keep their muskets loaded
Hancock waited until the Coniedera es
were within 100 YARDS, then dashinp
forward on his horse, with head barred
and swinging his hat, he shouted
Forward forward ~ The men saw
the towering form cf theii general
leading them, and springng up with
shout that made the hills ring, they
precipitated themselves upon the enc
my. The great, irregular mass Of Confed-
crates ialtered, halted for moment
wavered and then fell back slowly.
Every inch OF ground was stubborniy
contested; still, Hancock iorced them
{ fl the field, nor did they again adj
vance until the Union reinforcement,
came no and rendered the victory se-
cure. 1t was aim ost night when Han
cock repulsed the Con onfederates, and
no pursuit could be ordered in the
darkness. This action Of Hancock's
rendered Williamsburg uht ,nable, and
that night Lee abat9loned il. Han
cocks name was heralded from Maine
to California, and in few hour, from
an unknown subordinate he had
leaped into fame and ass Imed q ma
tie0al reputation. Mcclellan tele-
giaphed the President, Hancock was
superb to-day" an expression which
all who saw him towering above his
men leading them to battle knew to
be only Just.
ON THE PENINSULA.
Ga the 9th Of June, 1862, 'Hau cock,
who was then at Goluing'S farm, H.
the peninsula, received severe attack
from the ConfedeIaes. He repulsed
it, and continued the fighting far into
the night, the Contending forces firing
at each other at close quarters, in the
dark. This battle of Hancock's was
one OF the grandest spectaCles of the
war, aud will never be forgotten by
the survivors of the Army Of the
Potomac. On the 28th Of June, 1862,
Hancock was heavily engaged 81 Gar
nett's Hill, as he was AZ Savage Station
on the 29ih and at White Oak Swamp
on the 30th. Ills troops fought four
battles in as many days, and in every
one of them were led by Hancock in
person.
For his services in the peninsula
campaign, Gen. Mcclellan recon-
mended Hancock for promotion TO
the rank of Major-General of volun-
teers and the brevets Of major, lieu
tenant-colonel and colonel in the Iegu-
lar army.
AT sJUTH MOUNTAIN AND ANTIBrAM.
In September, 1865, Hancock CON. |
manded his brigade in the battle of |
South Mountain, and aiterward at An !
tietam. In this latter engagement,
when Gen. Richardson fell, Han cock
was sent to take command of that
gallant officers division. In Novem-
ber, 1852, Hancock received his COM
as msjor.general, and on the
18Th of December was engaged in the
desperate and bloody assault on
Mayre's Heights. His behavior on
this occasion was in keeping with the
high reputation be had achieved. He
was, with his division, in the thickest
OF the conflict, leading his men as far
as it was possible, under the circum-
stances, for men TO go, and only fall
ing back when attempt at further ad-
vance Yves foolhardy and use less. In
this fight, as, in fact, in almost every
one in which he was engaged, he
seemed to wear charm on his life.
He received in the slaughter pen,"
as the Iank aud file were wont to call
toe position they occupied in this
fight, a slight flesh wound, com
ing out otherwise unframed,
though with uniform perforated
with the enemy's bullets. In
this battle Hancock lost one-half of
his command, killed and wounded,
l1d all his aids were wounded. At
Chsncellorsville, in May, 1868, he
his division, and covered
The roads leading toward Fredericks-
burg, where, amid surrounding disas-
ter, although constantly attacked, his
troops maintained their position to the
ast, and formed the rear guard of the
arFnu in u,nuiuU of fha EaII IT.. |