Middletown transcript., 1895-05-25
COL. DUPONT IN THE WAR.

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Delaware's new Senator-elect took il
the war of the rebellion:
Henry Algernon Dupont, the new
Senator from Delaware, was at the
head of the first of the two classes
which graduated from the United
States Military Academy in 1861
Graduating as he did. the first of the
class. he could have gone into the
corps of engineers, but he declined the
commission and chose the artillery.
He gave up his graduating leave of
three months and joined his battery.
His commanding officer was fine old
| time soldier, whose zeal had been
nearly dry-rotted in the long, dull
wait for promotion of twenty years.
Dupont wanted command of his
own. In the early autumn of 1861 he
attained the height of his ambition,
the command of light battery. He
was scarcely more than twenty-one
then, but he had the finest six-gun
battery of twelve-pounders in McCIel-
lan's army. And such horses! The
government needed both zeal and
friends, but friends particularly. Della
ware marked the southeast border
line of slavery.
Simon Cameron Was secretary of war.
The Duponts had been Democrats
for three generations, but they
put the union above party then.
So, when old Gen. Dupont came into
the secretary's Office with slender,
wellset-up, black-eyed youth, one day
in September, 1861, and said "Camer.
on, Pve favor to ask OF you," the
secretary answered, "It's granted in
advance" The favor wanted was per-
mission for the young gunner to add
S25 or $50 out Of his own pocket to the
sum allowed for artillery horses, in Or
der that his battery might be horsed as
he wanted it. And as, two months
later. the battery went by the general
at trot in double column Of sections
the handsome. boy heading it was called
up to receive the compliments of Gen.
Mcclellan and of the venerable Gen.
Scott himself. He bowed low with
gratilied pride when Gen. Mcclellan
said: "Yours is the handsomest bat
terry, the best horsed and equipped that
1 have ever seen, Mr.. Dupont. know
it will give a good account of itself in
action"
Well, it did, Dupont's men know
that whatever money would buy for
their comfort they were sure of, but
they were also aware that in action
they would have the post of honor
that of the greatest danger.
Within the year the two most. fa-
nous 'gunners" in America-as the
light artillery is called abroad-wele
Captain Henry Algernon Dupont, of
the union regular artillery, and Major
John Pelham, his old time classmate,
of Stuart's horse artillery. Dupont
and Pelham fought their guns alike,
they both pushed them right out on
the skirmish line. AT all the great
battles in which the Army of the Po-
tomac was engaged the ring of Du-
Points brass twelve-pounders was heard
He was breveted four times for "dis-
tinguished service and galantry in
action" When the war closed he wa
a brevet colonel and brigadier general.
He could have had the actual rank
three times, but he would not leave
his guns-the guns he had made famous
on twenty stricken fields. Just after
Characteristic, when Merritt and
Custer we're jumped, one from first
lieutenant, the other Il captain, to the
rank of brigadirr generals, Dupont
was offared the same grade. NO." he
said, "I'll stick to what | understand
best" When the var clnsed and peace
was made, Henry Algernnn Dupont
hung up his sword and took up the
the business of the great powder fac
tory at Dupont de Nemours, over a
century old. Al his princely home on
the Brandy wine he dispensts the most
charming hospitality 20 old comrades
who were in fror t of his guns and
those who suppoi ted them.