News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-09-10
What Young Men Did.

Nearly all our leading generals in
the Civil War were young men-much
younger than most people suppose
who have not taken pains to ascer-
tain.
George B. Mcclellan was q major
general and general-in-chief of all the
armies of the country when only thir-
ty-fOur. Even Grant was but thirty
eight when he won the victories of
DOnelsOn and Shiloh, and thirty-nine
when made acknowledgement and
commander of the army. Phil Sheri-
dan, born in 1881, was thirty when
the war broke out, won his major
generals stars at thirty-one, and at
thirty-three gained imperishable re-
nown by sending Early "whirling
down the valley" of the Shenandoah.
Schofield, now geEeral-in-chief of the
army, was thirty when the rebellion
began, thirty-two when made major
general and thirty-four when he
fought his good fight at Franklin,
Tenn. Oliver 0. Howard, the one
armed Christian soldier, at present a
major-general in the regular army,
entered active service at Bull Run at
at the age of thirty-one and had val
iantly won the stars of a major-gen-
eral of volunteers at thirty-two. He
was only thirty-three when he COM
manded the Army of the Tennessee
on Sherman's great march to the sea.
Alfred H. Terry, the other major
general of our army at the present
time, was thirty-two when war began
and thirty-five when he received a
major-generaTs commission. The
heroic Mcpherson was but thirty-five
when, as a major-general command
ing an army, he yielded up his young
life in the fight before Atlanta. Slo-
cum was a major-general command
ing an army corps when only thirty
two. Fiery Fitzpatrick wore a bri-
gadier's star at twenty-siX, and ad
ded the second one for major-gener-
alship at twenty-eight.
James \. Garfield, the tow-bOat
boy entered the army at the age of
thirty, and was n maj Or-general at
thirty-twO. He was elected to Con-
gress at thirty, occupied his seat a
short time. and then returned to the
army. A. d. McCook wore the single
star before thirty one and within
another year was a major general.
Burnside commanded the Army of
the Potomac at thirty-siX. John g.
Parke and John A. Logan were ma
jor-generals at thirty-fve. Franz
Siegel commanded a corps at thirty
five, and John NJ Corse, late post
master of Boston, had the side of his
face shot away while defending the
pass of Altoona at the age oftwenty-
nine, and before he was thirty was a
ma ajor-general. Grenville NJ. Dodge
wore the two stars at thirty1three,
and had done heroic service. Joshua
l.. Chamberlain won " undying fame" !"
defending Little Round Top on the
bloody field of Gettysburg at thirty
four, when he was shot through the
body.
Nelson A. Miles, while clerk in a
Boston store at the age of twenty
one, enlisted as a private. In two
years he was a bridagier-general. He
is now a brigadier in the regular
army and has won fresh laurels fight
ing Indians. He will soon be a ma
jor-general in the regular service,
and in all probability general-in-chief.
David Hunter was the only general
of prominence who had reached forty
six when the war began, and the only
one who had passed fifty when it
closed.
This record shows not merely the
opportunities the war offered for the
rise of young men, but also how
promptly they accepted the response
bilities and performed the duties.