Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-03-26
Sudden Death of Gen. George Crook.

Gen. George Crook, aged 81 years, COM
mander of the Department Of the Missouri,
United States army, died suddenly Friday
morning, in his room in the Grand Pacific
Hotel at Chicago. His remains were in
tered at Frostburg, Nd, the home of his
wife's family.
The Baltimore San says -
"By the sudden death in Chicago, Fri
day, of Gen. George Crook, the country
loses a patriotic citizen and the army the
services of a faithful and efficient soldier
A naive OF Ohio and graduate of West
Point, Gen. Crooks services were given to
the Union cause during the late war, when
he won rapid promotion by the display of
soldierly qualities. After the war he per-
formed hard service On the frontier, and
developed knowledge of the Indian
character which made him almost invalu-
able. He believed in treating the Indians
honestly and squarely, and N this way
prevented many outbreaks which would
have been costly and bloody. But when
pacific measures failed he pursued the hos
tiles with vigor, and generally with sue
cess. Gen. Crook married Miss Daily, of
Western Maryland, and the sympathies OF
hundreds of friends, including many ex-
Confederates, whom she succored whilst
languishing in federal prisons, will 60 out
to her in .tc::s nour or severe trial.
We were at Lewisburg, w. Va, when
the Confederate forces under the command
of Gen. Harry Heth were defeated by the
federal troops under the command of Gen.
Crook, after which Gen. Crook summoned
us to meet him at his headquarters.
We were totally at a loss to know what
he wanted with US. Whilst on the way
thither we met citizen who asked us ii
we knew that Gen. Crook had submitted
the oath to two of the citizens, and had
given them till o'clock the next morning
to determine what they would do. We
replied that We had not heard it-that Gen
Crook had sent for us, for what purpose
we did not know, but if it was to take the
oath, we would not need to wait till the
next morning to determine what we would
do, az it was not question for delibera
ton, but simply question of conscience,
and that we would go at once to Camp
Chase.
When we arrived in his presence, Gen.
Crook INTERCEPTED us very closely, saying
that we had been charged with holding
intercourse with the Confederate forces and
knew that they were to attack him at that
place on that occasion by a forced march
from Dublin, but it was as much surprise
to us and to the citizens of that place gen
orally as it was to him, and, as he said
nothing about the oath of allegiance to the
United States Government, the result was
that we did not make the trip to Camp
Chase as we had expected. The remainder
of that day was spent in seeing the citizens
and urging upon them to refuse, under any
and all circumstances, to take the oath OF
allegiance to the United States Government,
as their allegiance at that time was due to
the Confederate Government, and, to their
honor, none took it.
The same fidelity to principle which
made them true to their allegiance to the
Confederacy at that time makes them now
equally true and faithful to their allegiance
to the United States Government-and this
is true of the South generally. Those who
were true to the allegiance then due, are
now equally true to the allegiance now
duet was then due to the Confederate
Government, but it is now due to tie
United States Government.