The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-29

Gen. Averll was one OF the conspicuous cav
airy soldiers Of the war. Some of his exploits
we're romantic. all of them dashng and bril-
liant. so that Averell and his cavalry furnished
themes for dramatic writing by correspond
cnts. Twenty years after the war the writer
met Gen. Averill in Washington and was SUR
prised to find him in a somewhat respondent
mood. He said: Tho soldiers capital is OF
no account In civil life. l sometimes think
that it tells against him. When look ut tho
careers of some Of them, who fought SO nobly
that they were estcemed heroes, l some-
times think that it might have been we'll for
them had they died as Reynolds. and Mcpher-
son. and sedswick. and Lyon did. Some Of
them have succeeded fairly well in political
careers. two or thrco OF them have done we'll
in professional and business pursuits. but tho
majority OF tho Generals who retired from
army life with the, close OF the war have dis
covered that their careers were practically
Doubtless Gen: Averill had in mind his own
comparative failure as a business man he
value. only to find himself hampered by pow
crful rivals who gave him no quarter. His
tho war fortune seemed to .frown upon him.
Business enterprises into which lie went were
failures He became almost reclusc. and
people marvel el when. few years ago. a $ i'm
e COAX s%Sy soft e Int nasd down S! his
d
as the once dashng and brilliant Pleasanton.
Gen Miller t9d the writer 1 TN hiS experience
Gade commanders. and he lost an eye in the
service. Fn!l OF energy and CONFIDENCE. Miller
recitation Of making a fortune. He had some
money, His first business venture was fail
ure' and although ne bestowed the utm9re caro- are
sorbed his fortune. and he became poor man.
He was glad to receive the aEp"intment OF i9l-
made up his mind that his career ended when
he was IN ustered out OF service.
s, yata snd SnR TO-
sraat sS s"d ba S
In haphazard sort of a way Mr.. Miller and a
few OF his friends agreed to 60 into blind
ta xh the had Sd sa xs fs ssd tn
with ea1tion perhaps no eon might suS-
So to speak After several months the skipper
returned. with his vessel loaded down almost
to h WITH S ts asfa sea fn a
made Mr. Miller a millionaire He said that,
enternrisss did not receive one:tenik part 4
one could persude Gen. Miller that the clement
Of luck did not figure largely in soldiers
tho Senate from California.
Besides Miller only two other Generals who
We're very conspicuous had successful bust
ness carcers-tien. Slocum. who has large in.
terests in B.oOk iyn horse railroads. and Gen.
franklin. who has great manufacturing inter-
csts in Hartford.
Politically. the greater Generals seem to have
had more Of success than those who entered
business life. Logan served many years in the
Senate: Burnside died while q member OF tho
Senate: Mcclellan became Governor of New
Jersey: Hawley was Governor of Connecticut
and Is Senator. and u score Of brigade com
manderS have served In the lower House OF
Congress-. out of the army came every Presi-
dent who has served since the war. excepting
one. Hayes was a brigade commander: Gar
field a Major-General. who resigned his post
to enter Congress-: Arthur was. while not in
the field. a ost efficient aide to Gov Morgan.
and Gen. Harrison fought some brilliant bat
ties in the Western campaigns.
In the race for business success the sub
ordinates have gone to the front, and the
names Of them are so many that it would ro-
Quire columns to list them all. Alger. with his
millions. was only n poor Colonel when ho re-
Elkins. now Secretary OF War and tho owner OF
vast railway and mining properties was sub
diplomacy. became sheriff of New York city:
Fitzpatrick; also n diplomat. was not successful
rs II stock farmer. and there arc scores and
scores Of men who served as privates who now
possess vast wealth and influence III the great
err cities Of the land.