The Penn's Grove record., 1895-12-06
Henry A. Dupont.

The fact that Col. Henry A. DUPONT
de Nemours, the head OF the famous
powder manufacturing firm in Della
waIe, and the controlling owner of the
Delaware River Railroad, will he
brought more prominently before the
country by his contrasting for a seat In
the u. S. Senate, to which he was not
clearly elected by the Delaware Legis-
lature, will make a sketch Of his life
very interesting at the present time.
The Washington Post gives the follow
ing thrilling account of his career as a
soldier.
In 1861 two classes were graduated
from the United States Military Acad-
envy at West Point. At the head Of
the first stood Henry Algernon Dupont,
of Delaware. Graduating, as he did,
first in his class, Henry DUPONT could
have gone into the Corps of Engineers,
but he could not sit in al easy chair and
well carpeted office with a var going
on at the very city's gates. so DUPONT
| declined The commission in the swell
Corps of Engineers and chose the artil-
lery instead.
lie gave up his graduating leave Of
three months and joined his battery.
His commanding officer was a fine old
time soldier, whose zeal had been nea
ly dry.rotted in the long, dull wait for
promotion of twenty years. DUPONT
wanted a command of his own. In the
early autumn of 1861 he attained the
height of his ambition, the command
OF a light battery. He was scarcely
more than 81 then, but lie had the en-
est SIX gun battery of twelve. FOUNDERS
IN McClellan'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 Un-
ion above party then. So when old
General DUPONT, a veteran OF 1917,
came into the Secretary's office with a
slender, well'set-up, b!ack'eyed youth
one day in September, 1861, and said,
cameron, I've a favor TO ask OF you,''.
The Secretary answered, Its granted
in advance" The favor wanted was
permission Tor 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
lie wanted it. And as, two months
later, That battery went by the general
commanding, at the trot, In double col
umn OF sections. every n OF its l56
horses a blooded bay, the handsome boy
heading 1t was called up I receive the
compliments OF General Mcclellan n
OF The venerable General scott himself.
lie bowed low, with grained pride,
wheh 9eherai McCieiiaii alu houf
Is the Dandsomest battery, Tue pest
horssd ana equipped, that l nave aver
seen, Mr.. DuPont. L know II VIII give
a good account OF itself IN action"
Wen, II did. DuPonts meh knew
that whatever money Wouia pny ior
their comiort they were sure or, Dnt
they also were aware nat In action
they would have The post OF honor
that oil the greatest oahger.
Within the year the two most fam
GUS s'eunnersu in Americans the light
ar,;,Isrv 10 c.,led ware Con.
80,
TAN iieh'y A'geihol Duroht, VI inc
Union regular artillery, and Major
John Pelham, his old-time classmate.
If stuar,,s Horse Artillery. Dupont
- nsuaw es.~,. 49,. -.
auu ie'iah ioueh' 'hei Buns ahAe'
they both pushed them right u on II
skirmish line. At all the'great battles
in which The ARMY nj the potomac
were engaged the ring of DuPont's