St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-11-15

term of service he was commissioned
Lieutenant-Colonel, 149th Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, February IL,
1865, and mustered out with the
same rank January ~, 1866.
Colonel Halves served in the Army
of the Tennessee under Grant at Fort
Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth. He
was wounded at Shiloh and again
wounded at the second battle of
Corinth. During the Atlanta cam
paign he also served in the Army OF
the Tennessee under Sherman and
Mcpherson, and his regiment was in
advance of the column in General
McPherson's march through Snake
Greek Gap in May, 1864. This was
the first decisive advance of the
great campaign in Georgia, and the
initial movement compelled the Con
federate General Joseph E. Johnson
to abandon his chosen position of
great natural strength and extern
sive fertilization. General Sherman
always held to the opinion that ow-
ing to General McPherson's caution,
the fullest possible advantage of this
first great flank movement of the
campaign was not secured, but on
this point military men differ. John
son, by a mastery retreat from Dali
ton and Resaca, saved his army
when Sherman hoped to destroy the
better part of it. The campaign re-
sulting in the capture of Atlanta and
eliminating in the "March to the
Sea-" was, however, victorious in
the highest degree to the Union
cause.
In the field of life insurance Col.
Halves is widely known. Since the
war he has been continuously con-
nected with the New York Life,
which is universally regarded as one
of the great leading insurance cor
porations of the country, and by
many pronounced the leader of all
the companies. AS manager of the
Pacific Coast agencies of this organi
cation, he is best known to the pub
lie. 1t is true that our colleges do
not confer insurance degrees as in
law, medicine and music, but the in
surance talent, or genius perhaps, is
so rare that it commands the
highest compensation. The talent
may be in the special aptness Of the
individual to organize, manage and
direct, or it may come mainly from
patient study, incessant industry
and close application. Perhaps it is
second sight or sense, but whatever
it is insurance men recognize its val
ue, and pay tribute to its merit it
is the tradition, if not the ethics Of
insurance, to exalt the system, COM
- he
individual, so it is just possible that
we might have angels soliciting life
insurance unawares. To Colonel
HAYES angelic qualities are not
ascribed as dormant characteristics,
yet when discOrd comes to the Bo-
hemian Club or the Art Association,
he is an angel of peace aud good will.
In the available space of this jour
nal it is not possible to describe or
mention all the literary, patriotic
and social organizations Of Califor
MIA and other states to which Col.
Halves belongs. He has given more
time to the Bohemian Club, the San
Francisco Art Association and the
Califo rnia Commanderv of the 10y
al Legion than to other societies,
having served as commander of the
Legion and President of each of the
other organizations. He belongs to
the Pacific Union Club, George H.
Thomas Post, G. A. R., the Society
of the Army of the Tennessee, the
Vermont Society, and is an honorary
or auxiliary member of half dozen
patriotic organizations managed by
ladies. He is a republican, and will
probably remain so as long as he
lives The exalted ideals Of the par
tv formed in his youth are still re-
tanned, and years will increase rather
than diminish his regard for the
principles of human liberty. He has
successfully resisted every movement
to bring him into prominence as a
politician. He would not allow his
name to be presented to the repub
lican convention for governor when
many of the leading men who direct
the affairsl ofthe party gave him every
assurance of a nomination. He pre-
fers rest and quiet for his leisure
hours. His last vacation of three
months afforded him an opportuni
tv to visit Hawaii and enjoy the So
lace of life in a cottage by the sea.
With books and pictures, and the talk
of agreeable, companions, he gets as
much enjoyment out of life as any
one man is entitled to according to
just distribution of awards in this
world. On his return from Homo
lulu recently dinner in his compli
ment was given at the Bohemian
Club.