Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-04-11
THE LATE GEN. SCHENCK.
Anecdotes which Show His Real Char
acter.


Like all men of strong convictions, ag-
gressive personality and extreme capacity for
making warm friends or bitter foes, Gen.
Robert G. Sch.nck, who died recently at
Washington, WAS the object during lis life
time of much exaggerated praise and an
equal amount Of undue criticism. Perhaps
the greatest storm of abuse that ever poured
upon his head fell just after President Lin
coin Lad commissioned him brigadier general
of volunteers at the outbreak of the ate civil
war. Schenck was a civilian, a lawyer. "a sue
cessful politician, an exdiplomate, tut of
military affairs he knew nothing, and those
opposed to him said so in plain terms. His
appointment was denounced in one leading
newspaper as an outrage on the soldiers, and
it was suggested that he be turned over to
some orderly sergeant Of the regular army
and ''made to drill like sixty for a month";"
1t was only a little after his entering on
active military service that Schencks critics
found new occasion for reiterating their
original views. The general was engaged in
securing possession of the Loudon and Hamp-
shire railroad. At Vienna the train convey
ing his forces was fired upon, the engineer I'M
coupled the locomotive and ran away, and
| Schencks handful of men had to face q band
of very eager and active opponents. The
| truth of the matter, as afterward established,
| was that the combatants on both sides dis
played creditable courage and came out OF
| the contest with honor, but ScheIck's en-
emies declared that he had been ignominiOus-
| ly routed. and sarcastically dubbed him the
'hero of Vienna"
The probable reasons why President Lin
coin gave Schenck his commission were two
| in number. For one he knew the man to be
able, aggressive and brave. And again he
considered himself under great personal obi
CATION 1t may not be generally known, but
1t is all actual fact that Mr. Lincoln gave
Schenck the credit of first naming him for
the presidency. In September, 1859, the for
mer addressed a meeting at Dayton O., on
the politial issues of that period. Allusion
being made to the SUBJ of the next presi-
dency, Mr. Scnenck suggested that If an
honest, sensible man was wanted, it would be
well to nominate the i stinguished gentleman
from Illinois who had just addressed them"
However, if the bc' inning of Schenck's
military career was not glorious, either
through lack of experience or want of oppor
tunity, be showed consl, .cuous galantry and
ability later on. At IT, second battle of Bull
| Run. while in the tnic st of the fight and
urging his men forward, a ball struck his
right wrist and his sword dropped from his
hand. Says one of the historians of the war:
Soldiers still enjoy telling of the generals
rage and fearful imprec- .tions at the loss Of
his sword" He refused to leave the field
until he had recovered it. The wound per-
manently injured his right arm, and for the
remainder Of his iife Gen. Sche nch wrote
with his left hand.
When minister to England Gen Schenck
became the target of good deal of adverse
comment because he reported to have
published a book on poker playing for the
use of the English aristocracy Poker
! Bob As he was afterwards called by his OPP
ponents, never took the trouble to deny the
charge, but his friends claimed that he sim
ply wrote out the rules of the game in COM
pliance with the request of a lady. She had
the manuscript put in type and issued few
copies of the pamphlet for private circula
ton.
Gen Schenck spent the last years of hi:
life in absolute retirement He gathered
about him a few old friends, but cared tc
make no new ones. As one of his biographer:
says: His enemies spoke of him as selfish
his friends called him whole souled, generous
big hearted, hospitable."