New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-18
A SOLDIER.
STORIES ABOUT SHERMANS COMMISSARY.
A MAN WHO GAVE Up his AMBITIONS so AS
BEST TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY-HIs CON-
MANDER's ADMIRATION FOR HIM.

Major-General Amos Beckwith L. S. A.. died
at 81. Louis on the morning OF October q. HIS
brief obituary in the newspapers has excited
some "reminiscences in nv own memory which
may be interesting to American boys. and pos
sby 10 their fathers.
Just fifty years before August Of the present
year four well-grown boys from the farming
towns in the neighborhood met for the first time
at St. Adams. the principal town in Franklin
County, VT. If the hayseed did not still
linger in their hair ii not because they had
done mems work in the hayfelds in the sea
just passed Three Of them had studied the
law in the offices OF as many country lawyers.
and they had come TO st. Adams 10 complete
their studies under the direction Of the venerable
learned and lovable eX-Judge Bates Turner with
out whose instruction no law student OF That
time expected TO pass his examination. The
fourth. younger brother OF one Of the others.
was working like a beaver to qualify himself To
enter the Military Academy at West Point. for
that the condition upon which the cadetship
was offered him by the Congressman from that
district.
On the second Tuesday in September. 1874, the
County Court convened at st. Adams 1t was
presided by the venerable Stephen Royce,
one of the odtlme judges who preserved the
ermine without spot blemish through a long
judicial career The three law students were
declared qualified by their white-haired pre-
ceptor and We're then admitted to the bar. One
Of them John Godfrey SAKE. who not many
years afterward left the law t. become a celebrity
as humorous poet-the Hood Of American
literature Another was Corydon Beckwith. who.
following Mr. Greeey's advice. went West. He
became the leader Of the Chicago bar. position
ago. The third-well, perhaps the less / say
about him the better. I viii only mention the
fact that he bore the name Of the writer Of this
article The young brother. who was witness
to the ceremony was the Amos Beckwth whose
death has suggested this article.
We had a modest dinner at the hosiery of
Thomas Campbell. Judge Turner gave us some
excellent counsel and We set out upon our several
paths Of life. Amos Beckwith was then Yer
mont boy in cowhide boots and sheepsgray cloth
ing. spun and woven by farmers wife in Berk-
shire town.
Almost seventeen years passed before ga"
him again. 1t was during that dark week In
AprN. 1851. after the bloody day on which
the 9Th Massachusetts, fought its way through
the thugs of Baltimore to the relief OF a be-
leagured capital in which were 50 shut up
that we knew no more Of the great uprising OF
the people OF the North than II we had been ice
locked at the Arctic pole. one day three guns
were fred It was the signal OF an expected
Confederate attack. Within three minutes bat
terry Of SIX guns with their caissons rattled down
F-Iftcenth-st.. past the Treasury. the horses AZ
lively gallon. In front II them rode b'ck"ih'
nointing the way with his sword II was a fals"
alarm. but that battery was AT the head OF the
Long Bridge ready 10 receive the enemy AZ the.
Mace OF the greatest danger. within ten minutes
from the report u the signal gun. Three days
later the Eth New-York marched up PennSyi-
vania-avc 70 the music Of the welcoming cheers
Of n relieved popuace and the cloud over Wash
ington was lifted
After this | met Beckwth frequently Ma
gruder. who was In command II the battery haH
resigned and gone over 10 the enemy leaving
Reckwiin the senior officer In charge. fnt II was
soon ascertalncI that the feeding ~ great army
uas work If difficulty which required energy
and executive ability ~ the highest order colo
mel Thomas \. Scott. then Assistant Secretary of
War. was an excellent judge u men He was not
long in forming his estimate Of Bcckwith. and h.
promptly transferred him to the commsSary de-
n,rtnen, in which ~ gave him position Of
great responsibility. Bcckwith did not Ike IN"
change. for he was a fighter by nature But lac
Office once-it reminded me Of an ant-hin. for
o,.erv man I'm IL was a worker. who did his work
g., silence and without confusion The commits
gary volunteer officers were always in trouble
,,,,h tho accounting officers Beckwith's accounts
invariably passcd without much inquiry and with
no suspended items.
One dav he came into my Office. "a he said. TO
hid me goodby He was going ''out West. he
eaid Where he did not certainly know, but he
bonad and believed II was with Sherman's army.
7 asked him why he expressed so strong pref
.ronce for General Sherman. "Because ne mas
enanr' he replied. The Army Of the Potomac
will never accomplish anything until II Is com
manded by an officer with snap. ] am tired. and
am glad | am going t. an army mat VIII 3"
somewhere and do something.
I often heard from Bcckwith. but 1t was a long
time before | saw him again. The commissary-
general Of an army is Ike an army mule-abso-
Iutelv INDISPENSABLE but he never gets any credit
except by accident or mistake. Had IT not been
FOR the warrants payable to him that came to me
for signature. and his gigantic monthly account
with an armful Of vouchers which passed my
table on the way to the fles-room. should not
have been reminded OF his existence.
Slowly. resistlessy n gigantic machine-drlll
boring It's way through successive masses OF plu-
tonic rock the Western army drove It's continu-
ous way through the body 81 the Confederacy
from Nashville to Atlanta, from Atlanta to the
sea That met and shook the rough hands OF
many Of its grizzled veterans at savannah Is
one OF the grandest memories OF my life. How
came to be there Is not material here IL was In
January 1865. and ut his quarters In the city of
Savannah that I next met Beckwth. He was
then Major-General Beckwth. chief commssary
OF Shernan's army.
I entered his quarters in the house OF a citi-
zen who had gone away with General Hardee
Reckwth and his large corps Of subordnates
all had the rugged look common to Shermans
army. Their uniforms were faded. their faces
bronzed by long exposure to all kinds Of weather.
but their eyes were clear and the ring Of health