The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-18

PSSR'S'
HAVE you noticed that President
Harrison is hard at work saving wood?
The little green apple is the laughing
philosopher Of his time.
THE LATE GENERAL KELLEY.
A Tribute from on6 who Know him Well.
The writer of these lines enjoyed a
longand intimate personal acquaintance
with the late Gen. B. F. Kelley, extend
ing back to the days before the war
when, after removal from this city, he
held responsible position in the SCR
vice of the Baltimore & Ohio road In
Philadelphia. Soon after assuming cdi-
torial control OF the INrELLrGENcER l
carried with me to the East o letter of
introduction to the General from the
late Isaiah Cooper, of this city, who,
like himself, had recently come over to
the Republican party. The INrELLIaEN-
GER, as the representative Of proposed
new departure in Virginia politics, had
an uncertain future beforeit, and / shall
never forget the special and painstak-
ing interest of General Kelley on its
behalf among the Philadelphia mer-
chants. From that day on, all through
the war and ever since, he was my
valued personal friend.
Wheeling was the centre Of General
Kelley's strongest personal affections.
Hehad grown up here, married here, land
here his children were, born. He al
ways spoke of it as "the good old solid
town." and took pride in all that related
to- its prosperity. He had left New Eng
land early in life, and all his feelings
and personal identiications we're with
this State and its people. There never
was a more thoroGgh-going and loyal
West Nirginian.
Although one Of the most amicable OF
men, Gen. Kelley had marked militia
ry instinct. This was always feature
Of his character here in early militia
times, and he got his original title of Col
onel under the old State government.
He always delighted in everything of a
martial character and frequently ex-
pressed regret that he had been de-
barred from taking part in the Mexican
war. He was a soldier in his make up
and felt that he should have been in
the army as his congenial sphere.
Feeling thus it was not strange that
he left Philadelphia aud came to Wheel
ing at the sound of sumpter's guns.
He could have got responsible COM
mand in Pennsylvania, but he wanted
to go into the war by the side of the
mon of his old town, and to do this he
surrendered good position, broke up
his home, where he was the only head
of his family, and took service us the
colonel OF the First regiment. All his
old friends here recognized that he was
the man to lead the movement, and the
late General James S. Wheat was special
ly active in having the command ten
dered to him.
The history of his expedition into
the interior and his rout OF Porter
fields forces at Philippi is familiar to
our people and need not be repeated
here. Philippi was not much of q
battle, but it dissipated, like red hot
needle in boil, an ugly and threaten
ing secession nucleus that was gather
ing Roadway around Grafton. To Gen
ernl Kelley it was indeed real battle
by reason Of the frightful wound that
he received. That wound revealed to
me the sterling stuff that was in his
heroic nature. l sat up with him the
night following the rout. He had been
carried into an empty house and laid on
IN old bed tick on bare, and dirty
floor, and was still lying there when l
first saw him. l happened to be
Mt Grafton the night he moved on
Philippi and SO saw him soon after he
fell. Colonel Thoburn, as the surgeon
Of tho regiment, was doing oil he could
for him, but the general belief was that
he had been MORALLY wounded. The
doctor could put his thumb in the hole
in his breast and he had bled so much
that he was pale as death. 1 sat all
night with him and gave him stimu-
lants as he needed them. 1t was a
weird room, a Pickering light and a
Pickering life on either side OF me. At
times he was very restless but l never
heard complaint from him. Once in
the after part OF the night, he turned
his wan face to me with nm aroused
expression on it and said in tho most
deliberate way, ~ would like to have
lived long enough to have been OF some
service to the government in putting
down this rebellion" He expressed no
other regret over his prospective end.
Hc shortly afterward gave me message
10 carry 10 General Morris. telling him