The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-29

and rendered valuable services. The imme
date cause of his death was wounds he Their
received and from which he had many year.
been sufferer. 1t is noted as q marked coin.
| cidence that at the very hour he died the
| citizens of Charleston were reproducing the
bombardment of Fort Sumter, in connection
| with which event 81 years before he won his
first military distinction. In connection with
that event he also performed his duties as Post
/ Surgeon.
| Gen. Crawford was not West Point graduate
He was graduate of the Pennsylvania Uni
versity Of Medicine. When he went out OF
Sumter he went into the army almost by a
| natural process. He had the true military
| spirit, and in military sense, it can be said
| the process of his graduation was natural and
| true. He was made Major of the 18th Inf,
of which Sherman was Colonel and Sheri.
dan senior Captain. near friend since Gen.
Crawfords death has said this of him:
+" He served with distinction in West Virginia
in 1861, and followed his army life to Apo
mattOx. The record of his military career was
made up by Gen. Grant in few words: For
faithful services in the war he was brevetted
a Major-General in the Regular Army. Another
indication is given on the records of the War
Department in these words: For conspicuous
gallantry In the battles Of the Wilderness
Spottsylvania Courthouse, Jericho Mills,
Bethesda Church, Petersburg, and Weldon Rail.
last statement is easily made: For gallant
and mertorious services during the war he was
brevetted Brigadier-General in the Regular
Army
"Then. after nearly 30 years Of continuous
service, he entered upon q career of Joy and
travelled all over the world, touching the best
elements of life in every cline, because he had
the disposition to study what there was In life
He was fond of clubs, and belonged to the best
In the world. and now that the record Of his
life is complete it may be said of him that he
not only gathered laurels in war, but flowers
in peace"
He (Gen Crawford) commanded the renowned
Pennsylvania Reserves" and on every field,
especially at Gettysburg and the Wilderness,
won fresh laurels for himself and his division
He was rewarded with successive brevets up to
that of Major General. With that rank, after
a brief command of a regiment Of Regulars and
Military District in the South, he was re-
lieved on account Of disability resulting from
wounds received in the war. To find relief as
also TO crafty natural desire. he travelled ex.
tensively abroad, and there was scarcely land
on the face of the globe he did not visit He
never wearied He was a scholar as we'll as
soldier, aud where he went he was heartily
welcomed by scholars, soldiers, and the best of
every class of intelligent men and women.
or him 1t has been aptly said: He was
conversationalist of the highest merit; he
main tanned and transmitted the traditions of o
time when good talk was one of the qualifca-
tions and passports to the best society" AS
man of unusual gifts and character, nothing
but broken health prevented him from accom-
plishing after the war much that would have
rivaled his achievements during the struggle
His was an interesting personality. Says one
who knew him intimately: with all the
tenderness of woman he had the courage of q
soldier. HI was precise. Whether in military
70 A.
attuDed to tho discipline of the hour. He en-
joyed the confidence Of the leading men Of
two continents for more than 80 years, and his
standing was of the best among them ALL"
Of Gen. Crawford Col. Burr writes as follows:
"When the conflict closed he was not the
greatest General of the war, but he had
knowledge of his own country that was in
many respects phenomenal. He knew the
frontier; he had studied carefully the Indian
question, and knew many things OF which
most Army officers are ignorant, and il is loss
to the country that he died just at the moment
when he was completing his memoirs in telling
of his wonderful experiences for the benefit of
mankind.
"Gen. s. w Crawford was more than SOL
dier. He once told me that he had lived under
every sun that Shines except Africa. He had
been to Iceland, Syria, Egypt Turkey. Pales-
tine and all the Biblical countries of which
We have read so much He was a doctor of
laws, as we'll as soldier of the Republic, snd
he had a commendabie pride in his association
with the leading men of two continents. He
was careful in his habits, and his standing was
of the best in the SWEETEST society OF the world"
Gen. Crawford was earnestly concerned in
the Gettysburg Battlefield Association, and
always had pious reverence for the spirit
with which his own name WAS so honOrably
connected. When tho war closed he visited
Charleston, where while he was before the war
a member OF the Sumter garrison, he was
popular member of society. As the author of
the volume entitled "Genesis Of the Civil
War" he made a very valuable contribution to
history, that work being an exhaustive &C.
count that left little to be added as complete
narrative of every day from the dawning of
secession as it grew in Charleston down to the
evacuation of Sumter, TO essential particulars
being omitted.
Vast numbers OF veterans, after nearly .
ing something about man like Gen. Crawford,
under whom they served, when he dies. With
view to satisfying this feeling in some meas.
ure have written this brief sketch, being con-
tent to make bare reference to his particular
services in tho war, which were distinguished
and valuable.
Only short time before Gen. Crawford died
he began preparations for writing history of
his life and times, which, had he lived to exc
cute his purpose, would no doubt have been
valuable contribution to the literature of the
civil war.