The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-01-18

denly beheaded hen, " and everybody blam-
ing Governor Dennson, who frankly con-
fessed that he did not know field officer
from grand marshal" and handed over
al! his military power to the suddenly Gre
ated major general, George B. Mcclellan.
Suffice it that Major Hayes regiment got
into West Virginia in July and did splen-
did service there.
He was judge advocate for n short time,
was commissioned lieutenant colonel Oct.
"a, 1861, and greatly distinguished himself
at the battle of South Mountain, Oct. IA,
1862, where he was severely wounded Soon
after he became colonel of the regiment,
and us such particularly distinguished
himself in many movements and battles.
He led desperate charge on Cloyd noun
tain, and at the first battle of Winchester
won the applause of the whole army. But
1t was at the second battle of Winchester,
Sept. 10, 1854 that he won immortal honors.
There he led an assault across morass,
and his horse having mired he charged on
foot, and though but forty or fifty men fol-
lowed so close as to keep up with him this
squad captured battery which had been
deemed perfectly secure. Again at Fish
er's Hill and Cedar Greek he performed
prodigies of yalor. His commission as
brigadier general soon arrived, and on
March 13, 1865, he was made brevet briga-
dier general for gallant and distinguished
services In the meantime he had been
elected to congress from Cincinnati dis
trict.
1t was on this occasion that he made his
famous retort. A friend having written to
him to come home in the fall of 1864 and
canvass the district, he answered with u
rather sharp reproof, ending with this SEN
tence IAN officer fit for duty who at this
crisis would abandon his post to eleciioneer
for Il seat in congress ought to he scalped.
He was reelected in 1855, but his two terms
In congress- We're uneyentful. He voted
with his party throughout, except on
some minor resolutions on finance. In
view of his subsequent prominence as a
prompt resumptionist,' It is rather sin
guiar that these votes indicated an oppo-
sitlon to strong measures leading toward
resumption.
In 1851 he was nominated by the Repub-
licans for governor OF Ohioand was elected.
No election of that era excited more aston
ishnent. The state had long been over
whelmingly Republican, the maiorites
ranging above 10000 for some years, yet at
the first election after the soldiers came
home, with phenomenally large vote the
highly honored general had less than 5000
majority over Allen e. Thurman. and the
Legislature was carried by the Democrats.
That body chose Judge Thurman for tho
United States senate.
Governor Hayes was reelected In 1852
this time by over 1000 majority, He had
now become the exponent of advanced
"hard money" views, and on the platform
OF prompt resumption he made his third
campaign for governor In 1875, receiving
about $500 majority after campaign Of
| almost unprecedented YigOr on both Sides
| In the meantime he had run for congress
! in 1872 and been defeated by some l. 500 ma
| jority, and had in 1873 retired from public
life and settled at Fremont, o. Soon after
| he came into possession of the large estate
of his uncle, Sins Birchard which further
confirmed him in his resolution to lead Il
private life. and he only yielded in 1870 to
! the most earnest solicitations of the Re
| publioans.
OF his presidential campaign in 1876 little
need be said His usual ''luck of getting
| there by very narrow margins followed
him
In financial affairs his administration
was unqualified success. II was his
! good fortune to become president Just at
| the time when panic and depression were
/
! OF uneaampled deficit in the crops of west
ern Europe aud equally uuexampled good
crops In the United States made the re-
sumption of specie payments possible The
exports Of grain in one year of his admins
tration exceeded the ten year average before
the war and one years import OF gold
wore greater chan all the previous gold inn
ports since the administration of James X
Polk,
The exports of wheat alone for the ten
years terminating with June, lsSi tonly
four months after President Hayes re,
tired, exceeded all preceding wheat ex-
ports since the country WI. settled Pfori
dcnee had indeed come to the aid Of the
country, and President Hayes and his able
finance minister, John Sherman, had the
/, nerve to seize the opportunity.
Mrs. Hayes died in Fremont in 1880 On
the day of her funeral thousands OF per.
sons many of them in the humber walks
OF life, came from the surrounding country
to pay the last tribute Of respect to her
who had been SO universally beloved From
eealy morning until tho hour set for the
obsequies an uuendiGs stream of visitors
poured in through the front door Of the
hameste cad to take a farewell look at the
face of the benevolent but decided woman
who had passed away.
This death OF Mrs Hayes was sad blow
to the ex-president. He, more than the
average man, valued the advice and re
spected the Judgment of his wife, but he
accepted the blow without murmuring and
resisnedly resumed the even tenor Of his
life.
Mr. Hayes was a man of great behevo
ltuce, but Ie was so unostehtatious in dis,
peHsing charity that few persons, except
the benelicialies. ever knew of his good
deeds. His home on the outskirts of Ere
mont is known Spieeel Grove, and here
for many years there has been dispensed a
hospitality which, while almost prodigal il
its generosity, was never ohtrusiye OF
snowy The ex presidents daughter, Miss
Fanny Hayes, presided over the affairs oi
the household after tho death OF Lcl
mother,
a Noted Artist Dead.
pTEHTO Colo Jan lathe witlely