The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-23
THE LATE GENERAL GEORGE CROOK.

The Geographic announcement of the
sudden death of General George Crook
fills with sorrow the hearts of his friends
and admirers, for to know him was to
love him. Col. N. Stewart, who served
on his staff along with Major William
Mckinley and Col. Bob Kennedy. both
in the present congress, says he met
General Crook for the first time in 1862.
when he was colonel of the Thirty-siXth
Ohio, doing duty i'll the Kanawha valley.
He was then about thirty-twO years old.
tall, faii-haired and somewhat reserved
in manner. He seldom spoke above an
ordinary tone of voice. and i'll battle was
always calm and self-pOssessed. He was
fairly worshipped by the old army OF
West Virginia. and yet he was not a
dashing officer like Logan or Rousseau
there was nothing of the dramatic order
/ about him. and yet there are events in
his history which if faithfully portrayed
would be tragic in the extreme. Once in
Tennessee while riding unattended
through a neck of woods he was
entirely surrounded by party
of bushwhackers. His self-possessiOn
never fOTsook him for a moment. Sink
ing the rowels into his horses side. and
discharging his revolver in the faces Of
his adversaries. he made one leap for
liberty, amidst a shower of bullets, and
safely reached his camp.
His capture in his very headquarters
at Cumberland. whilst humiliating to
him. was no reflection on his personal
bravery or generalship. Perhaps nearly
everybody has forgotten the incident.
Told briefly it is thus: One night in
February, 1865, a party composed of
about 100 rebels rushed onto the pickets
and captured all of them without firing
a gun. Riding at midnight into the city
of Cumberland, disguised in Federal
oveTcOats. they We're not halted bv the
patrol guard, but rode direct to General
Crook headquarters. capturing the SEN
tinel in front of the door. Then a few of
them quietly entered the hotel COM
PEELED the night Waterman to show them
the generals room. He was taken out
soquietly that scarcely sound was heard.
The same act was repeated at another
hotel where General Kelly was sleeping.
Both We're taken successfully out of our
lines and conveyed to Libby prison.
Crook was exchanged i'll about one
month and returned to his-Old quarters
and assumed command Being in the
district or military division commanded
by General Hancock. the latter looked
upon Crook as an intruder and placed
him under arrest The colonel says,
he had Just at this iuncture returned
from tour Of inspection in the Kan
awha valley when general Crook sent
for him to come to his room, where he
found him in slippers and shirt-sleeves. a
veritable prisoner That night a teIe-
gram from Generel Grant at City Point
flashed over the wires. releasing him
from arrest and ordering him to report
there in person, where he was given
command of a division of cavalry. IN
the battles that finally eliminated at
AppOmattox. Crook was ever foremost.
his white hat like the plume Of Harry
Of Navarro, was the guidon of his sol
diers
George Crook was the soul of honor
he kept his word even with an Indian.
He was heroic in every act Of his life
where heroism was a virtue. His death
Is as deeply mourned a. amy officer of
the army who has died in the harness.