The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-03
GEN. JOHN POPE.
A Comrade Thinks His Name Should be
Written Among Our Great Leaders.

A tomrade Thinks His Name Should be
Written Among Our Great Leaders.
HAVE waited in vain to hear from some
\ comrade who would be better able to do
l. justice to the memory of one among the
grand old heroes of the war who has re-
Gently passed away, with but little said of his
great services to the country in its hour OF
need one of the old Regulars. as the Can
| noneer would say. refer to Mai. Gen. John
Pope. think he deserves tribute of respect
that q great many who were higher in rank
failed to deserve. l believe there is not the
shadow of doubt but had Gen. Pope been sup
ported RS he Ind right to expect he would
war at Second Bull Run. But it is notorious
fact that Jealousy and pickering among great
many OF our officers caused the sacrifice OF
thousands upon thousands of as brave men as
the world ever saw and prolonged the war Tor
more than two years.
Gen. Pope, whose achievements had been so
brilliant in the West, was allowed, for want OF
that support which should have been his, to be
laid on the shelf, which soured his disposition
and made him feel. as he undoubtedly did, the
blighting of a worthy ambition and the sorrow
OF knowing that the war was purposeiy and
wickedly prolonged; for Gen. Pope was one OF
the truest patriots this war produced, and be-
lieved in hitting hard blows and ending tho
war in the shortest time possible After the
shameful manner in which he had been treated,
he accepted service under the old commander,
and did not sulk in his tent a. did some who were
higher in grade than the noble old commander
of the Army of the Mississippi, the hero of
Island No. 10 and New Madrid. During the
siege of Corintb Halleck always had to watch
to keep him from getting too close to the
enemy. He (Haileck) thought it was better
not to bring on an engagement with the chances
all in Pope's favor, as it would never do to de-
4ncf f1I Ia aHlx nyI
have done had he been allowed to do so. But
to whip the rebels, or hurt them much, at that
stage OF the game, seems to have been what
some of our leaders were afraid Of and until
the old commander was called to take supreme
command, one pulled one way and another the
other way. But from that time on until Apo
mattox the bell of destiny hung in the blue
dome of heaven. and never ceased to toll the
doom of rebellion.
With grand old Uncle Billy Sherman in the
West and gallant Little Phil. Sheridan in the
Valley the fate of the Confederacy was sealed,
and side by side with the immortal four, Lin
coin, Grant Sherman and Sheridan, should be
written the name of Maj. Gen. John Pope. He
it was who escorted the martyred Lincoln to
Washington in those dark hours of February,
1861. Baker the great detective and trusted
friend of the immortal Lincoln, Joined them
in Philadelphia. They were the only two who
really knew of the safe arrival In the Nations
Capital of the man of fate who under God, was
to guide the Ship of State safely into the harbor
of peace. The assassin had sworn that Abra-
ham Lincoln should never reach Washington
alive, but when it was known all over the
grand old Loyal North that he was safe at the
Nations Capital, it was felt that the Nation
was safe. and the man who was plain Capt
John Pope, who went with him from Spring
field, ILL.,, went quietly back to his duties
The old boys of 6l cannot fail to remember the
dashng, gallant Gen. Pope; peace to his ashes
He deserves to 60 down in history as one of the
great leaders of the great war of 81 and $50. l
never served under Gen. Pope, but was always
one of his admirers, and as no one has tried to
honor the memory of one of our very truest
and best old Generals, / have tried to do him
simple justice Our old Generals will soon all
be gone.-MILAN BRowNsoN, Private, Co. K,
Sth Iowa, Columbus Junction, Iowa.