National Republican., 1888-02-12

TO pierce that cake of soap. The travellers
Jaw fell, and the officers knife blade met an
obstruction at about the same time. There
were just $1,000 worth of rubles and dia-
mond9 inside of that partly-used cake.
A Hero Rewarded with Ingratitudc.
| linois staats zetung, Monday, january 80, is ss
great many members of Congress have
been making great efforts, in the preceding
Congress as well as in the present Congress,
to reward man, general, who passed
through our late unpeasantness; man who
was treated with ingratitude, and who de-
serves the sympathy of all.
Although the preceding Congress retired a
man against whom to-day suspicion is
still lurking that he did feloniously and DISC
bedicntly destroy the trust placed in him,
there awaits another man patiently day after
day who saved the entire army from de-
struction at Chanccllorsville; q man waits
for the same honor and the same justice.
Fitz John Porter receives n pension; Alfred
Pleasanton receives nothing.
General Pleasanton has just passed his
sixty-fourth year and deserves Il pension so
as to be protected, because he is just on the
verge of lifes evening.
why it should be that Congress should
grant him pension where he should receive
as much as any other officer in the same ca
pacity from the sixty-second year on, and
why he deserves the noble recognition of
Congress is laid down here in u few words:
The breaking out of the late war found
him young man of 81 years of age, an Off
Ger of the regular army, who smelled more
powder than either of his comrades at West
Point.
Not alone did he serve in the Mexican war
in the most important battles, and also cap
turing the cnemy's batteries mt Resaca de Ia
Palma by storm, but also served in the Flor
ida wars against the Indians, also in the
West as far as Oregon and Washington Ter
ritory.
In the late war he soon won for himself
the name of the greatest cavalry officer.
After many glorious deeds as leader of the
cavalry of the Potomac Army, he showed in
the bloody battle of charlottesville, on the
third day of May, 1868, that he was more
than a cavalry officer, How he saved, by
his heroism and military talent the entire
army of General Hooker from destruction,
can be found in the reports of the Congress
sional Committee at that time, as also in the
histories of the war;
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
Although cavalry officer he controlled
the artillery with great care and astonishing
results. His energy, bravery and tact averted
the destruction of many demoralized army.
He showed by his record and standing that
he is one of the best generals, who cannot be
praised enough but yet how shamefully
ignored.
As General Pleasanton saved the demoral-
lied Potomac Army at charlottesville, so
did he, two months afterwards, give the
final blow for the great victory at Gettys-
burg.
But there he became involved in a quarrel
with General Meade, General Hookers sue
cessor, because Pleasanton insisted on the
advantage of following the enemy and de-
stroying them completely; but Meade would
not move, and Lees army made good their
escape over the Potomac.
After this followed great many petty in
trigucs against Pleasanton which to-day is
not fully explained, and the result was that
f Peasanton was sent to the West. All this
happened several months before General
, Grants promotion to General l-in-Chief OF
the Army.
Pleasanton, nothing daunted. showed him
self there, as well us before, the hero that he
is. As General Sterling Price, of Arkansas
in September. 1864, invaded Missouri with q
, rebel horde il was General Pleasanton who
saved Missouri. AT that time Price had
taken Jefferson City, and was threatening ST
n Louis General Rosecrans could accomplish
nothing, but General Pleasanton, with, his
5000 cavalrymen, pressed the force three
westward, took in u few more troops from
Kansas, followed Price, who was going
southwark; came up with him after two
; days hard marching, and fought with him
a the glorious victory which ended in the de-
strucion of Prices horde.
a The Congressional Committee sdid of him
! : at that time: "This victory of General
,, Pleasanton's cannot be overshadowed by the
= renowned 'Shcridan's Ride, through which
q Sheridan obtained the promotion to Major
= General of the United States Army"
y 4 ,But how was General Peasanton rewarded
I after the war for his great deeds?
= Although Ord and Others received brigadiei
:, gencralship in the regular army their services
when compared with Pleasanton's We're very
a meager, and Pope also had previously re-
y ceived the same honor but they Offered
! under President Johnsons administration
: a mun of his (Pleasanton) standing lieu
y tenant colonelcy in the regular army of in
y fantry, II mere pittance of one grade after
y four years of hard service, while Others, who
- were not half as far advanced, were hOnored
: with several grades. This happened, al
a though the Congressional committee recon-
. mcndcd that Pleasanton should reCeiy,
the major generalship in the United State
y army.
!, After this shameful treatment there wa'
:, nothing left for this hero but to take hi
II leave of the United States army
- He went into business enterprises, but
:, lacking capacity, was forced to give II up en-
= tirely. President Grant then helped him
/, and made him revenue collector in 1869
a But, although honestly conducted, Pleasan
i, ton lost the place.
!, He has been for several years in very press
a ing circumstances, In view Of his great sery
u ice and the unjust ingmtitude, il shoult
y have been the duty of Congress to make som'
q effort to induce the President to put him OF
y the retired list of the army with the rank o
!, maior-general or at least brigadier-general
i Influential men, such as Senator ingalls,
"a have been making efforts in this direction
=, since 1882 But Others tried to reduce thu
" rank us far down as Il majorship. Yet Their
are friends working diligently for Pleasantoi
to secure for him pension, let alone th
honor of putting him on the retired list, II
whose head General Sherman stands.
,r And yet the preceding case OF Grant
showed that il would also be proper to plac
Pleasanton on the same footing of cours
this happened with Grant as he lay at death
10 door.
May they now give this hero, Pleasanton
n at least II well-deseWed pension to the end q
his days
I Devotion to Charitable Work.
San Francisco Chronicle.