Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-12-29
GEN. LoGAN's CAREER.

DIR. John Logan, Senator LOgan's father
emigrated from Ireland s.ld settled in Jack
son county, H., where j ohm A. Logan wa
born. His mother. who was Elizabeth
jenkins, was native of Tennessee. At thu
outbreak of thu Mexican war young Logan
volunteered, and was chosen a lieutenant
in company of the First Illinois Infantry
AS soldier he did good service, and was
for some time adjutant of his regiment. In
the fall of 1S4S, upon bis return to his home
he commenced the study of law in the of
fee of his uncle, Alexander M. Jenkins
formerly Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
In November, 1e49, he was elected clerk OF
Jackson county. In 1850 he attended &
course of law lectures at Louisville, KY,
receiving his diploma in 1851, when he
entered into practice with his uncle. Thu
following year he was elected prosecuting
attorney of the third judicial district, and
in the fall of the same year he was chosen
to the State Legislature, to which position
he was three times re- elected. In 1856 he
was presidential elector on the democratic
ticket for the ninth congressional district,
and voted for James Buchanan for Presi
dent. Two years later he was elected a
member Of Congress from the same dis
trict, receiving large democratic majority,
and at the expiration of his term he was
reelected. In the campaign of 1860 be
gave his ardent support to Stephen A.
Douglas. There have been rumoIs to the
effect that at the outbreak of the war Logan
was not the strongest kind of Union man.
1t has been asserted, indeed, that he at first
thought of casting his fortunes with the
South, and undertook to raise volunteers
for the Confederate army. But the story
has been denounced as malicious inven.
ton of his enemies, and it is certain that be
was among the first to enlist for the war of
the Union. He attended the called session
of Congress in July, 1861, and Immediately
joined the troops going to the front. He
was in the first battle of Bull Run, and
among the last to leave the field, Return.
ing to his home September 1, he assisted in
raising troops, and September IS the
Thirty first Regiment of Illinois infantry
was organized, with Logan commissioned
as colonel.
On March 8, 1862, he was made br'gader
general, and participated in the siege et
Corinth as commander of the first brigade
in General Judahs division of the right
wing of the army, and for his valiant ser.
vices was publicly thanked by Gen. Sher.
man in his official report. When the at
tempt to take Vicksburg began in the fall
of 1862, Gen. Logan was In command of the
first division of the right wing of the Tkir.
teenth Corps. On the arrival of the com.
mand at Memphis, December 81, 1862, the
Seventeenth Army Corps was organized
and on January II, 1868, Gen. Logan was
assigned to the third division, in which posi-
ton be remained until the fall of Vicks-
burg, when he was assigned to the com
mand of the Fifteenth Army Corps. In the
movements about Vicksburg from Febru-
airy, 1868, until July A, when General Penn
berton surrendered, Gen. Logan with his
command was actively engaged, and it was
through number of brilliant movements
by him that important advantages were
gained and the final result hastened. On
July ~, 1864, Logan. as commander of the
Fifteenth Army Corps, was ordered in pur-
suit OF the enemy south of Atlanta. In the
hard fought battle that followed Gen. Nc
Pherson was killed. and Gen. Logan sue
eeeded him in command of the Army of the
Tennessee. The success of the battle was
accorded to Logan by General Sherman's
ofhcial report. After the close of the war
General Logan was offered the position of
minister to Mexico, but declined. In 1865
he was elected to Congress from the State
at large in Illinois by majority of 30 9S7,
and in the Fertieth Congress was one of the
managers of the impeachment of President
johnson. In the next, the Forty-fir, Con-
gress, Logan began to make his mark. He
was then chairman of the military commit
tee, and was charged with the duty of in
vestigating the sale of cadetships to tbs,
naval and military academies. A number
of Southern carpet bag republicans, it was
thought, had swelled their exchequer in This
wise. Pursuing the investigation WITH as
siduity, Logan caught a South Carolina car
pet Dagger named Whittemore, and exposes
him in a speech in the House. To save ex-
pulsien Whittemore resigned and went back