The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-11
TALES OF THE TIMES.
Fresh Stories Of the Wsr-How Colonel
Hobart Dodged Promotion.


Fresh Stories of the Wsr-How Colonel
Hobart Dodged Promotion.
Harrison O. Hobart, "A Wisconsin law
yer, had enlisted as u private and been
chosen captain within q week from MAJOR
Anderson's discussion with tho south Car
olinians at Sumter. The last year OF the
war General Sherman and a corps com.
mander called him TO headquarters and
offered him a division. That would make
him az acting major general. He was TO
take General Blanks division. sherman
had blamed Blank for a shortcoming and
he sent in his resignation. Hobart left
headquarters with q general who was
Blanks friend. "Hobart, they have nagged
Blank into resigning. 1t is an outrage. l
am going 10 tell him 10 withdraw his res
ignation. Will you help me 10 show him
he should not resign Hobart has a
smile that Is unforgn:table. He INDUCED
In one of them at that request, but prom
ised 10 help, knowins that success would
remove his last chance 10 become a major
general. They succeeded; the resignation
was withdrawn. Blank did SD VOL In the
engagements which followed that Sherman
complimented him and Abraham Lincoln
sent him "a commission as major general.
The e~veni-,s after Sherman's army had
its great review in Washington, Blank,
Hobart and the friend, a ~brigadier and
two major generals, had "A social session.
Unwrittcn history was revealed. IL
bart" said the friend, II think we ought
to tell Blank how he escaped being "a back
number brigadier instead of u MAYOR gen.
eral whose division attracted much atten-
ton on Pennsylvania avenue today. 1t
was told. Blank was grateful and pro-
posed the health Of his friends. As the
glasses clinked Hobart INDUCED in anoth-
er of his grim smiles. That's the second
time I've seen that smile, " said the friend.
"You smiled that way when l asked you
to help keep Blank from going to the rear
whc..hcre was handsome lighting coming
on. Both successfully urged the Wiscon-
sin man to tell the cause OF those smiles.
Hobart, Z" said Blank after the general
had spoken, 'these two starred shoulder
straps nre yours. | would hav stood OH
our friend here, but when both of o
opened battery on me ! surrendered and
recalled tho resignation. But for your act
l should be at home despising myself for
quitting the army too soon, n you would
be wearing these stars; you would have
led the division down the avenue today;
you would be Oh the eve of returning to
Wisconsin q major general instead of a
captain, US you left IT," "We did for you
what soldiers should be ready TO do for
each other under like circumstances"
Then the astonished friend spoke: "Why
didn't you tell me they wanted you to take
the division? 1t was cruel TO ask you to
kill yourself and then take a hand In your
burial. But never mind. While you missed
that other star you did an act that will
give you a crown OF stars at the ond OF our
earthly campaigns. But I say, general,
that smile of yours is the queerest thing l
ever saw on a human face" This sally
helped them to a happy parting an hour
later.
At ~Chickamauga Hobart held his men
In limo too long. The boys who yelled in
stead of cheering slipped round both
TANKS, but most OF the regiment flew
through q gap the enomy hadn't closed.
The colonel, however, was captured. He
fell into Pat Cleburne's hands, who greet
cd him with, "Coloncl, I'm glad to meet
you" Excuse me, but I'm not glad TO
meet you" "Your sword, colonel; guests
don't wear swords at Hotel Libby"
While at Libby prison the colonel got a
UOA vi uC.lCstlltSs Inv llAsllE dDDthAo -
bite and q sip cmptied tho box and bottle
the noted Prohibitlonist, was in that mess.
He ate but declined a sip. General Dow
and myself arc the only temperance men
in this mess Turning the bottle upside
down, be added, "I'm one from force OF
circumstances"
History tells Of the Libby prison tunnel.
Hobart was active in that enterprise, ana
one of the last TO craw through. Reaching
the Union lines he called upon General
Butler with a plan 10 release Union pris-
oners by exchange. It was to tako n boat
load Of Confoderatcs To Richmond and
offer them, without previous notice, for q
like number of our mon. Butler asked
him Co lay the plan before Stanton, who
approved, and o steamer with 1000 Con-
federates appeared near Richmond. The
Richmond authorities were perplcxod. IL
was a mean Yankee trick. But IL would
not do to send their friends back TO prison.
The exchange was made, but tho Confod-
eracy sent Stanton word not TO repeat the
experiment.
In 1s49 Hobart was speaker of the as
sembly and very popular. A senator was
20 be elected. A move was made TO drop
senator 1. l.. Walker. a delegation waited
ON Hobart; they wanted him TO enter the
race. IIo objected. "Tm too young; too
recent a conner to h state" That was
another time Inc lodged promotion. At 80
he is busy, daily looking after the real es-
tate interests of Senator John j.. Mitchell,
whose father, Alexander Mitchell, was for
many years a close friend of the veteran
soldier. -. A. Watrous in Chicago Times
Herald.