The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-13


Mr.. Elkins says. now four membere of the
cabinet and the president in this admins
tration who were born in Ohio. Secretary
Noble was born in Columbus, Foster came
from Fostoria, Harrison was born in North
Bend and jeremiah Rusk came from
Morgan county, Ohio. When Secretary
Elkins was quite young his parents emf
grated to Missouri and settled at West
Port near where Kansas City is now.
Kansas City was then the river landing
for Westport and the wagon trains and
pack trains started out from there to cross
the plains for Piks's peak and California.
Secretary Elkins says he can still see in
his minds eye the endless stream of white
wagons which spotted the prairies and he
talks most interestingly of the stirring
times of his life.
1--WE were," said he "on the very edge
of what was then known as the Great
American desert, and the idea that the
rich states OF Kansas and Colorado would
rise up west of us was not then thought Of
was brought up in the midst of political
struggle. I remember John Brown and
the Kansas trouble, and | was boy when
John Sherman came out West in 1855 on
the Kansas investigating committee. The
country was then full of border ruffians.
Every one carried pistol, and John Sher-
man himself walked about with a revol-
yer in his pocket, and l am told he
used to practice with it. 1t is funny
how age and experience change
our mental perspective. | remember
Sherman stopped at the chief hotel of our
town. 1t was little house of two stories,
which could not have cost more than
5000 or 5000, but it seemed palace to
me then and felt an awe upon me as l
grasped hold of the window and drew my
self up and looked at the great men who
were within. A congressman was very
big in my eyes then and l can remember
Senator Sherman as he was in 1855. He
was then 30 years old and / can't see that
he looks much different now than he did
then"
"You were in the army during the war,
Mr.. EIkins," said /.
''Yes," replied the secretary of war, ~
was only boy and l had just gotten
through school, but / was made the cap
tain of militia company, and l served
under General Tom Ewing. The fighting
about the region of my home was in many
respects as terrible as in any part of the
Union. The soldiers of both North and
South ravaged the country, and BUSH
whackers got their work in between
whites. Families were divided. My
father and mother sympaJhized with the
South, and my father and some of my
brothers were in the Southern army. I
don't know why / went with the North,
but | had an intuition that the Union
ought not be destroyed, and though the
pressure of my family was all Tor the
South, could not help it,"
'An incident occurred during my
service" continued Mr.. Elkins, "that was
rather curious in the light of my present
position. 1t was my first meeting with
General Schoield. He was at this time Z
major general and he had charge of the
department of the Missouri, with his
headquarters at st. Louis. He had come
up to West Port to see General Ewing
and consult with him. l shall never for
get the impression he made upon me. We
boys had never seen major general be-
fore, and the morning he was
to arrive we were ordered to
put on our best uniforms and
be on dress parade when he came. / re-
member him as he appeared then. He was
surrounded by orderles in gay uniforms,
brass buttons and the fine clothes of q
major general and his staff General
Schofield was then 81 years old and he was
full OF fire and life. He was as straight as
an arrow. His eyes were sharp and COM
manding, and as he sat there upon his
horse among his soldiers he seemed to me
the very incarnation of martial warfare.
As looked thought.
"'Well, this ends it'll What fools the
rebels are to think they can beat such
soldiers as thesel If they could only see
our army, they would throw up the
struggle at once
After looking at our troops, General
Schofield and General Ewing went into
the best house in the town to hold a con-
ference. We were dismissed, and as we
broke ranks one of my lieutenants said to
me: 'Steve"-he called me captain when
he was in the ranks but Steve off duty
'Steye," said he, I wish We could see
more of that great general. Can't we get
in?' Il don't know said I, let's trv,'
and with that we pushed our way in and
listened to the conference. l know | was
greatly impressed by it, and thought to
myself that this was the way history was
made.
WELL" Mr. Elkins continued, 'I did
not see General Schofeld to speak with
him from that day until / met him here as
secretary of war, when he came as general
of the army to pay his respects to me as
his superior officer. As | shook his hand
i said, General Schofeld, have met YOU
before. paid my respects to you when
you were a major general at 81 in Missouri
and | thought then that you were the
greatest general the world had ever made
] was boy captain of a militia and you
were a hero in my eyes and it seems
strange that we should meet again after
nearly thirty years and stranger that |, by
the fates, should be placed over YOU 1
then recalled the meeting and General
Schofield said he remembered the review.
He was a splendid officer. He is older
now and not so quick in his movements.
but he is great military leader, and the
country is proud to have him at the head
of the army"
How did you come to go to New Mex
leo. Mr.. Secretary" asked.
II left the army" replied Secretary
Elkins, "about eight months before the
close Of the war. | could not get sent to
the front with Grant or Sherman as [
wished, and l could not fight my friends
Rt my own home, so asked General Ew-
ing TO let me resign and he did so.
started West with the idea of going to
Arizona. That territory had Just been
laid out, and governor and other officers
had Just been appointed TO take charge of
It, Among these were Richard c. McCor-
mick, the son-in-aw of Senator Thurman,
who was to be the secretary of the new
territory. was in New York
with these men, and it was my
intention TO 90 around TO Cali
fornia by the isthmus of Panama and
from thence to work my way through to
Arizona. We would have had to pa; our
passage in gold, and gold was then at a
premium of 20, and there was danger
that our ship would he captured hv the
rebel vessel under Admiral SemmeS. In
talking over the matter with Mr. McCor-
mick, ! found they had decided TO go
West and cross the plains. They asked
me 10 20 with them, and l did so. We
We went IN wagons, and had two large
trains with military escorts to keep
of the Indians. 1t took US three
months 10 act to Albuquerque and YOU
cannot imagine the hardships of the trip.
We travelled over that Great American des-
ert day after day until our ewes We're sore
and our souls were sick with its bleakness
and barrenuCss. Everything was dry.
dusty and arid. ana when I met some
friends at AibQOUerdUe who had ro,,>a