The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01
BOY SOLDIER OF MAINE.
General Hyde's Experiences in the
Great War.

Experience in the Peninsular and at
Antietam--A Work of Great Interest
General Connor's Stories.
Few of the volunteer soldiers whom Maine
sent to the civil war had better opportunl-
ties for observing thu operations ana KEow-
ing the great leaders than Gen.
Thomas W. Hyde. A fortunate incident
of Lis youth gave him a familiar aoquain-
lance with Abraham Lincoln in the DAYS
between his election and inauguration
and later. as a staff and brigade omcer IN
the Army of the Potomac. he saw much OF
Meade, Grant, Sheridan, Sedgewlck, ana
other distinguished leaders. In little
book, entitled Following the Greek Cross
(nublished by the Riverside Press; Portland.
Loring, Short & HARMONY General Hyde
has given TO the public fascinating recital
of his personal experiences. 1t in no way
detracts from the interest and value OF the
book for the older generation. to say that it
is the ideal book for the Maine buy. 1t IS
the story of the adventures OF very sue
cessful boy soldier of Maine. who distin-
guished himself among comrades whose
names are household words in Maine, and
in events which will be blazoned in the
history of all times. In the fall OF 1851 the
author left Bowdoin college to spend
year at Chicago University. But in so q O.
ing ne did not cut loose from Maine asso-
Citations. The presidential campaign was
at It's height. and one of the mosI popular
orators was a brilliant son of Maine. porn
in Albion, by the beautiful pond winch
bears to this day the name of his family.
Il remember best the powerful speeches.
of Owen Loyejoy'' writes General hyde,
''the greatest stump orator | ever hearu.
He would hold spell-bound for two hours
at time nine thousand people in the Wig
vans, tearing his coat off and then ms
vest and crayat in the excitement OF MS
inyectives against slavery, though never
abiding to the fact that but snort 'line
before his brother had been shot by a pro
slavery mob'' 1t was in Chicago that ueh-
eral Hdye first saw Mr.. Lincoln, whom ne
speaks of as follows:
1.-The first time l had the pleasure OF see
ing him was at party given at Inc RESI-
dence of Hon. N B. Judd on Michigan
Avenue. lately saw this saline house sun
standing. The great fire almost reacheu IT,
AS went upstairs, Mr.. Lincoln was leaning
against door in the gentlemen DRESSING
room, with his hands crossed oehlnd MS
back, holding up the long tails Ct very
long dress-coat. and telling stories to sever
al gen tlemen who were gathered sarouhu.
All who came in joined the party. anu IL
was with diffic ulty that their ladies' couiu
eea them 10 go down stairs. trleaIo Ie-
member some of these sotries, which seemed
inimita bly, funny at the time, but was uh-i
liable to- catch hem OF carry themAa way
VI AZ have always thought since that MT.
q Lincoln possessed tho power OF lnveantlhg
stories as he went along. which we've intend
ed to illustrate whatever thought he WISH
ed TO convey, and did SO in the most viva
way nossible. During that winter saw
Mr.. Lincoln many times, as he often stopped
at Mr.. Scammon's, where I lived, when L
came to Chicago.
MR.. LINCOLN AND MR.. HAMLlN'
The yice-president elect, met each other
for the first time at Mr.. Scammon's house.
! saw them introduced, and it was with
deep look of interest that each regafaeu
the other. Then they retired Tor long
personal consultation. When Mr.. Haniih
went away, Mr.. Lincoln remarked wen
Hamljn isn't half so black as ne is panied
IS he Scammon??'' At that time the story
was current in the South that our Maine
statesmen was a nulatto, on account OF
his rich, dark complexion.
.sRecomine acquainted with Ellsworth,
afterwards colonel of the Fire Iouaves ana
ki11ed AT Alexandria: Mr.. Hay and Mr.
Nicolay who were law students IN MT. LII
coins office, / often went there In the al
ternoon and assisted them in looking over
his mail which at that time hlled seve1al
large baskets. Many packages would come
with A,letters, some. containing negro doll
Snafyfes. some. dead rattle snakes, and va
"a rio,ls tokens of that description from an
CIV sont hern ers.g Whenever a boxalooked
"a ttic ulariys suspicious, we used to SOAK 1t
In water. fearing some internal machine.
MrsI.incoln received daily in his office many
,,eorJe from all parts of the country and it
was very, entertaining to me to hear the
bright way in which he would receive then'
and the skillful way he met the once seek
ers. OF all the witty things then hearo MIN
say, only one remains in my memory to-uay.
DR.. small, the leading homeopathic ply
stefan of Chicago who weighed nearly
three hundred pounds, was presented TO
him. I remember Mr.. Lincoln's taking him
BY the hand, turning him round, looking
him over, and saying, 'Sman. Small We
have man down il old Virginia that they
call Wise. referring to Governor Wise. VINO
had for some time been acting in an entire
lv different manner from what his name in
dicated".
Like all bright boys the author was
little bumptious, and could not allow even
DISTINGUISHED men to err when he knew the
eesor.
about this time at a dinner party at
Mr.. Scammon's several Illinois statesmen,
among them Hon. Lyman Trumbull. being
present all exp pressed the opinion that the
seyenty.five thousand men raised by Mr..
Lincoln would march through to the Gulf
of Mexico with little difficulty. 1 modestly
SAID that when child l had seen five thou
sand splendid militia under arms at
Charleston, S. c., receive Generals Quitman
and Shields on their return from the Mex
icanrwar, and that the Militia of the South
would alone require more than seventy-fiv
thousand men TO overcome them. The dis
tlnguished statesmen deigned no reply. but
looked at me as if I was very impertinent,
and perhaps / was.
General Hyde came home soon after.
in time to be carried away in the outbu1st