The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-11-01

I day, aud hundreds Of families, prefeTring the
/ society Of relatives and friends to that of
strangers and new diversions, have remained
al home, much TO the regret of keepers Of fash
! ionabe obstetrics at seaside and other Summer
resorts. Few watering places were as gay last
I Sumner IS onr Washington. The wheelmen
and wheelwOmen especially have had a good
time, and the broad avenues were frequently
enllyened with the passage Of parties Of young
men and women vigorously prOpelling the silent
wheel. This Of an cities, Is considered the
wheelist's paradise. Lawn tennis, boating,
walking ana equestrian parties have also had
their share in keeping cur young people de-
lightfully occupied.
There Ii at present much enthusiasm among
residents as well as visitors-bgidal parties are
always with us-OveT The TeOpenlng of the
Washington Monument, Congress having made
an appropriation to meet the expense of ran
ming the elevator. TweBty-three hundred per-
sons reached the top last week, and II IS e5tl-
mated that hereafter 3GGQ can be thus highly
/ eleYated-555 feet-cyery week.
GEN RUFUS sAXTON.
Brevet Mai.-Gen. Rufus Saxt0n, who was
placed on the Army retired list last Friday,
+ Oct. Is as Colonel and Assistant Quartcrmastcr-
General 0u reaching "a years Of age, played
most important part in the early days of the
war Of the rebellion, ana his work then bad
much to DO with the action taken in 1863 by
the Government IN armiug tie freedmen that
aid such good service wherever they were
used
After the reduction ard capture by Admiral
Dupont Of the rebel forts as Port Royal, Hilton
Head, S. c., late in 1851, snd the landing there
OF sinai! army OF occupation under Gen.
David Hunter, Gen. SaEt0n, then Captain aud
Assistant QHarternastcr was sent there as
chief QuarteTmastcr. / think the force was
known as the Department Of the South.
The troops were constantly engaged in
patroing Ia boat parties through the intricate
channels Of the network o. bay0us tAat form
the Sea Islands, as they are called, and there
was more constant work aud actual Sighting
there than troops would ordinarily see in
sharp campaign. Oar men were at great dis
advantage for the rebels knew every yard of
water and every turn IN each bayou and the
depth Of water in each at each turn OF tHe tide
IN this dilemma the services Of the negroes
who bad liouAei TO our lines from the neigh
borhood We're utilized as pilots, and they proved
competent, faithful and courageous and these
by Gen. Hunters orders were placed on the
Quartermastgrs rolls for pay,
Bat the few who could he thus employed
were but a small fraction of the multituGes Of
negroes that fOcked to the protection of the
United Sta IS flag and TO freedom and the
. refugee camp ct Hilton Head soon held many
thousands Of these trusting people. TO feed
and clotle this host was mighty drain, and
mauy lastidi0us COBstitUtionalists III the North
were Mgrmuring loudly that the United States
had no right to thus eZpend money.
Gen. Hunter would not send the peer people
back across the lines into bondage again and
he found an earnest sympathizer and ally in
his Chief QGartermaster. Capt. Saxton solved
the problem one day by suggesting that he be
+ allowed % employ such of the men as might be
I needed for various duties in the QuaTtcrmas-
ter Department and thus relieve like num-
ber OF troops detailed for the service, who could
be relieved and returned to military duty with
their several regiments The plan was ap-
proved, and very soon several hundred Of the
refugees were so employed at rates of Compcn-
sation at made q decided saving TO the Gov
eminent IN tue comparative cost of the soldiers
/ detailed hal0re.
With the troops distributed in long and ir-
regular lire. often with wide intervals between
the detaCamcuts, Capt. SaytOn argued that
there might be danger that the rebels might
make raid in boats IN strong force and capture
ana destroy the huge accumulation Of stores at
Hilton Head, SO he issued arms ammunition
and 2cC0utcrmcnts 10 his paid employees for de-
tense of the great depot. Gen. Hunter also
approved this action. and further, on Capt. Sax
tons recommendation, detailed officers and
Ser-eauts to drill the employees. 50 as to mobiI-
izo them sufficiently to know how to handle
Themselves and their arms intGlligcLtly in case
any attack should be made.
Lord bless me What a howl went up here
in The North. and how Indignantly outraged
the rebels were The latter ferceiy claimed
tia. 1t was move TO turn the escaped slaves
loose upon their old masters 10 burn, murder
ana piunder; and vivid pictures were drawn
OF the success Of the black rebellion IN Hayti
In the North, good UuioEists loudly opposed
the action as vel, and from ali points came
loud demands for the immediate removal and
punishment of Gen. Hunter and Capt Saxton
Fortunately. by this time, Mr. Stanton had
fsr1a 60 4g.fN 4
with Hunter aud saXton so strongly that he
brought Dir. Lincoln also 10 his views, and the
seal OF approval was set by the Government
itself
Moreover, as the additional regiments of the
army IN South Carolina had increased the
number Of these sa5Ie-armed and drilled labor
eTs 10 several thousand, Capt. Saxt0n was made
BrigadierGeneral of Volunteers April ID. 1862
and sent back in triumph. 1t is a m0Hrnful
coincidence that the death of President Lin
coin should have been the third anniversary Of
this OiHclal action Of his approval of armin2
the ex-slayes. Al the close Of the war he was
breretted Major General, both III the Regular
and volunteer service.
he was born in Massachusetts, from which
State he entered at Vest Point in 1915 gradua-
. ting IN 1919 Is Brevet Second Lieutenant III
the Sd Art. IN 1850 he WAS commissioned In
the 4th Art and appointed in the 0uartermas-
ter Department Nay b. 1861. lie was pro-
! hoteA 10 MAJOR III icOb, Lieutenant Colonel
. and Deputy QHaTteTmaster-Gener in 1872.
and Colonel and Assistant QgartermasGer-C Gen
eTal March 10, 1852
/ For the past few years he was in command
/ Of the great depot at Jacksonville, Ind.
/ where most Of the clothing and all of the equip
ment for the army IS manufactured, and the
operations there are Of such magnitude that he
4 was relieved at his own request last January
so that be might be enabled 20 settle all of his
accounts so that upon being placed upon the
( retired list be would be enabled to take the
full rest to which mis- 40 years Of service emit
tied him, although he Is still we'll fitted for
active service.
/ lie now resides at No 1923 K street north
west, near Senator John Sherman, and proposes
TO make Washington his future home.
! AN EQUESTRIAN STATUE TO GEN. SHERIDAN.
The Commissioners of the District OF Columbia
have decided to honor the memory Of Gen Sheri-
! dan by naming the circle at the intersection of
Massachusetts, avenue extended aud Twenty
/ third street, Sheridan Circle. This is one Of
the handsomest localities in the city, being out
! in the new northwest section aud surrounded
+ by fine residences. The Loyal Legion, of which
Order Gen. Sheridan was President, viii erect
an equestrian statue of the General in the cen
( ter Of the circle. The Legion was very de-