The National tribune., 1891-11-05

Other Interesting "Reminiscences.
Fx-Congressman John v Wright of Tennes-
see. who is nj present in Washington, was asked
recently, at the EbbitL House. il he was not a
Member Of Congress before the war. He an
swcred in the following words
&" was a member Of tic 3lth, 3sh and Both
Congresses. / WAS the youngest Member, until
John A. Logan entered. After him came John
Young Brown, the present Governor of Ken
lucky"
"Then you were in Congress with John A.
LoGan2"
IL was. knew Logan well we were fast
friends. Both being young aud Democrats,
We were together often. Logan was handsome
and quick as lightning, as brave rs n lion. and
as true n steel. lie was amiable. but always
ready 10 resent an injury. He was an ardent
admircT Of Stephen a. Douglas both as 4 man
and politician. j was also great admirer of
Mr.. Douglas, though | afterward supported
Brcckinrdge for President.
:" On the day of the inauguration Of Presi-
dent Lincoln. March 4, 1861, John A. Logan
and Phillip b. Fonko. OF Illinois. William T..
Avery and myself OF Tennessee, all Members of
Congress, left the Capitol together. Congress
had adjourned, and we were preparing 10 go
TO our homes. We walked down Pennsylvania
avenue until we reached the corner Of Sixth
street, when we stopped and took n parting
libation. As we came from the Capitol we dis
cusSed the situation, each giving a frank opin-
ion. We were all Democrats, and thought we
were on the verge of a great Tevulsion. Logan
remarked rs we were about to shake hands and
part: Well, boys, expect that the next timo
we meet il may DO on the battlefield
Either Avery or Fouke replied: III we
should meet thus let US agree to treat each
other WELL
This was heartily assented to by all. True
enough tho next time met Logan and Fouke
was on the battlefield Of Belmont Mo-, each Of
them commanding regiments under Gen.
Grant, and ! was commanding a regiment Of
COnfederates under Gen. Polk. Although the
numbers engaged in that battle were small,
compared with subsequent ones, yet il was a
hard fought and we'll contested battle.
" My position was on the extreme left Of the
Confederate line. and my orders were to hold
my position at all hazards. This endeavOred
10 do, and did so until was ordered to fall
back toward the Mississippi River. / had
scarcely left my position when it was soon oc-
cupied by the Union troops. as thought. under
my friend Logan. In the morning. just be-
fore the engagement reached my end OF the
line, i rode out some distance TO tho front with
Dr. Forbes, the Surgeon of my regiment. We
saw no troops and were about TO return, when
the Surgeon proposed that we should take
some brandy, TO which ! consented. We sat
on our horses and took drink.
"OR the next day Col. Logan sent me word
by one Of our men whom he met under flag Of
truce TO bury the dead, that hc saw me plainly
when the brandy was taken, and that his men
wanted 10 fire on me, but he would not allow
it-hrst, because he was not quito ready to
commence the action, and, second. that no knew
me. lie also jOcularly said that he wished that
he could have had some Of the brandy. When
Irctreated from the field was on foot, my horse
having been badly wounded and myself in
jured by the fall. Logan saw me as We re-
treated, and sent word 10 me that he was much
surprised TO see me run so we'll. was then, as
now, quite heavy, and swiftness in foot was
not one Of my fOrtes.
"My regiment moved up the river and took
part in what we called the second fight In
this part Of the fight the tables turned, and
the Union troops retreatcd toward their trans
ports and gunbOats, pursued by the COnfed-
crates.
Another singular coincident took place
which has not been published before. Ny
brother, Marcus Wright, who was also in COM
mand Of Confederate regiment, saw . Federal
officer on horseback in full retreat. The men
lcveled their guns and were about 70 shoot,
when they were ordered not 10 fire, because
the Colonel Wright did not wish TO have his
position discovered, as he would have been d.
rectly under the fire Of the Federal gunboats
when not in proper line.
This officer was Col. Fouks He safely
landed on the boat, and inquired what troops
were Immediately on the route over which lac
had passed. He was told that il was the regI-
ment Of Col Wright. He took it TO be myself,
aud Immediately attributed il to personal re-
gard for him. As has been said in another
place, If IL had been myself would have acted
in a similar way. Col. Fouke died with the
belief that il was ! who had saved his life,
though met him after the war in New Or
leans He said / saved his life i did not
tell him that il was my brother instead Of my
self who ordered the men not 10 fire."
:" Did you then think what Logan might rise
to be in the Nation as a conspicuous figure 2"
"The personal relations existing between
Gen. Logan and myself were such as TO cause
me to watch his career with much interest.
Taking his life rs n whole il was certainly one
Of unequale1 success. He rose rapidly as a
| soldier until he was n central figure in all
military circles, and believe that if his noble
life had been spared he would have been the
candidate Of his party for President of the
| United States and at time when his election
was almost a certainty. He seemed 20 be the
| idol Of his party. He was an ardent Democrat
before the war, but no more ardent than he
was as q Republican after its close. The whole
current Of his public life was changed by the
civil war, rs WAS the case with many other
public men. In the heat and passion existing
between political parties just preceding tho
war, ! remember 10 have seen him involved in
exciting controversies, almost amounting to
personal conflicts, which occurred quite FREE
quently."
"Do you remember any OF these conficts7 4"
YES, / witnessed some Of them. ] saw the
affair on the floor or tho House which took
place between Galusha A. Grow, OF Pennsyl-
| vania, and Lawrence NJ. Keitt, OF South Caro-
lima. i knew both Of these gentlemen, and
| have always believed that at the time neither
OF them expected or desired personal con-
fict. do not think that Mr.. Kett intended
to insult Mr.. Grow. but think Mr.. Grow IN
| derstoOd that Sir. Keitt did so intend, and both
being excited. the fight was the result.
This produced great excitement on the
floor Of tho House and resulted in several other
fights. Indeed, at one time it seemed that tho
| fight might become general Barksdale OF
Mississippi, aud Washburne, Of illinois, both
| men Of great physical strength aud courage,
encountered each other. The former was killed
| at Gettysburg, aud the latter died few years
ago. This Washburne family is a very re-
| markable one in our eountry's history in some
respects. At one time during my service in
Congress there were three brothers, all repre-
senting districts at the SAME time-Elihu,
| from Illinois, Israel, from Maine, aud Cadwala-
| der. from Wisconsin.
Another most exciting occurrence was the
/ fight between Burton Craig, Of North Carolina,
| aud Hinton Rowan Helper, of the same State,
the author OF the celebrated book, s. The I'm
| pending Crisis" which created such comment
at that time. Helper came into the House and
took seat by Craig, aud inquired of him as to
| certain statements alleUad 70 have been muda