The National tribune., 1896-02-06


saws Memoir, p. 159): AT NJ. middle
burg) proposed to Gen. -- to take
some men and operate on the rebel rear
He. then anxious about the movement:
of the army, did not give the matter
much attention. Then applied to Gen
p, who ordered Sergeant and 10 men
to report. Only 10 came. With these
and four scouts, under Sergt Cline, we
started out"
In his note book is penciled (Memoir,
p 162):
"Thursday, July 2.-Captured dis
patches in Greencastle. Reached the
battlefield near Gettysburg at night.
Hard fighting"
A hard ride for life of 80 miles over
rough mountain roads, and at midnight
be handed Gen. Meade the famous
dispatch that Mr.. Royal says turned
the battles tide the next day.
This success had the effect of procur-
ing for him a larger force, as his note
book chronicles:
"Friday, July 3.-Started out early
for Greencastle. Got 100 men at
Emmitsburg from Gen. Merritt"
WOUNDED AT HAGERsTowN.
Saturday, July 4.-Started at 2
am. Attacked Jenkins's cavalry in
Greencastle, and Sunday, July 5, at
tackled and destroyed 176 wagons,
Captured 200 prisoners and 800 horses,
and one piece of artillery, which was
retaken. Made our way to near Boons-
boro."
July 6, Capt. Dahlgren rode with
squadron of 18th Pa. Cav, under Capt.
Lindsay, who were among the foremost
to enter Hagerstown.
In the midst of hand-to-hand fight
as they charged into the town Capt.
Lindsay was killed and Capt. Dahlgren
wounded.
Feeling that be was hurt he rode for
life until he fell from his saddle, ex-
hausted by loss of blood. But friendly
hands received him as he fell, and he
was CARED in an ambulance to his home
at Washington.
Amputation became necessary, and
succeeding the loss Of leg, while he
lay at deaths door, and too mortally
i'll TO be told the good news, he was
promoted to a Colonelcy. His commits
sion dates July 20, 1863. Col. Dahl
gren was killed March 2, 1864, at
midnight, from an ambuscade, as he was
retreating from Richmond, where he,
with chosen band, had made a mar
vellous but unsuccessful attempt TO
rescue from captivity worse than
death the Union prisoners held at
Richmond.
/ trust that it will readily be seen from
shis oursory record of Uric Dahlgren's
service, that Mr.. Royal is quite mis-
taken in his supposition that the affec-
tionate interest of the President and the
Administration, as TO the welfare of this
boy hero, as well as his promotion, was
due to that one captured dispatch, how
ever important in It's results.
That one act may have been of tran
scendent importance, but it was but one
of series of brilliant achievements
Uric Dablgren had
GENIUS FOR WAR
and the heart of patriot. He fills
certain niche in the history of his
country, from which neither the negIi-
gence of official mismanagement, nor the
Vaccinations of the disloyal can ever
dispiace him.
Criminal as ia carelessness as regards
bis record, or the record of any soldier,
it cannot obliterate that page of history
which recounts Uric Dahlgren's deeds,
for it is written as a part Of the Nations
record. 1t belongs TO the country.
Yes. j agree with Mr.. Royal when
he says that the most curious and aston
ishing thing in connection with this in
teresting story is the fact that the War |
Department and the War Records Office
both deny, in letters to me, that Dahl
gren was ever promoted"
Yes. while Rip Van Winkle shakes
himself We shake hands over the chasm.
as to that ugly fact
And when Mr.. Royal attempts to ex-
plain "why the Federal Government
undertakes TO suppress his promotion"
/ quite agree with him in bis assertion,
:" that it looks suspicious, to say the
least, SO far as this Administration is
concerned. But ] deny that "the Fed
eral Government" as he is pleased TO
call the Union, did until now undertake
TO suppress his promotion.
/ hold many official letters Of con-
graduation, addressed TO Admiral Dahl
Ten, from Cabinet officers and other
nigh fuDctionaries in which Uric is
spoken Of as Colonel Dahlgren. Was
be not, after bis body was rescued from
the shameful hiding place TO which
rebel government had consigned it, till
the close Of the war, given by the Ad-
ministration the funeral obsequies due TO
a Colonel in rank, and did not the city
Ct Philadelphia grant his remains her
highest honors2
In place of the Government at that
time attempting to "suppress this
heroic record, they gloried in it.
4 have paper addressed 10 me. dated