The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
GEN. WADE HAMPTON
INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER IN THE
ARMY OF THE CONFEDERACY.
Three Short Stories Which Serve to
illustrate the South CarOIinian's
Generosity and Devotion.

General James IongStreet, OF Georgia,
among the many stories related of United
States Railroad Commissioner. Wade
Hampton, formerly Governor and United
States senator from South Carolina, there
are three stories in connection with his war
history that richly deserve preservation,
the first two affording rare examples of
devotion to duty ard the last as an instance
Of astonishing yet heroic generosity.
AT the battle of Stevensburg a cavalry
affair in which Gen. NJ c. Butler after
ward General Hampton's colleague in the
United States Senate, lost a leg. General
Hampton's young brother, Lieut. Col.
Frank Hampton, mortally wounded
while attempting to hold an important
position with a mere handful of men.
1t was early in the afternoon and friends
| seeing the gallant young officer drop from
the saddle procured litter and carried him
to a farmhouse out of reach of danger.
Surgeons were summoned, and a courier
dispatched to warn the general Of the ca
lamity that was about to befall his family,
for, shot through and through an inch be-
low the breast bone, it was only matter
of a few hours when death would triumph
in the struggle.
The evening wore one and the general
did not arrive. His son, young Lieut.. Pres
ton Hampton, had hurried to his uncle's
bedside, and knelt motionless on the floor
all the evening with his hand clutched
tightly in the dying mans. Every few min
utes the latter would call for his brother.
He knew that there was no hope of life
and longed to clasp once more before he
died the hand of his elder brother-his hero.
Late in the evening Captain Bachman of
the Washington Artillery nephew of the
great naturalist, the associate of Audubon,
found time to visit bis dying friend.
y will never forget he said speaking of
it, the gentle smile with which he greeted
me- or the pleasure with which his beauti
ful, big blue eyes lighted up when l told
him that another messenger had been dis
patched for his brother, who would doubt
less arrive shortly. He seemed quite cheer
full, and assured that the general would
come when duty permitted"
TOO LATE.
But still the general did not come and
about the time when it becomes necessary
to light the candles the gallant soul de-
parted. Too full for utterance, Captain
Bachman left the house to rejoin his COM
mand. When he reached the gate in front
of the farmhouse the elatter of a horse
urged to its utmost speed attracted his at
tention and instant later Gen. Hampton
dashed up, his horse covered with foam
His first question was: Am in timer"
NO general" replied Captain Bachman,
you are too late''
For an instant the bronzed face twitched
with emotion Then, in d voice choked and
husky, the general said: "Bachman YOU
know that nothing but the sternest duty
could have detained me. Our position is so
CRITICAL that / felt called upon to see per-
Sonally to the posting of every picket. The
saIety OF my entire command depended
upon my vigilance"
With head bowed and unwonted tears
streaming down the weather-beat cheeks,
he then entered the room where the wound
ed man had waited patiently for him
throughout the long evening.
few months later a bloody battle was
fought near Petersburg, on Oct. o. 1864
and Hampton was everywhere, with his
gallant SON and aid, Lieutenant Preston
by his side. An important message had to
be sent; message which the bearer must
view of the enemy to deliver. Preston
Hampton insisted on taking it, and with
reluctance the general handed it to him
and saw him disappear in the smoke. sit
ting his horse calamity, and looking neither
TO one side nor the other, as became the
descendant of a race of soldiers.
The age was never delivered and it
became necessary for the general to visit
that part of the field himself. Accompanied
out at a gallop. But before they had gone
200 yards exclamation from his son
stopped him, and there, almost at his feet
lay Preston. With bound, young Wade
was on the ground bending over his broth
err whose heart had ceased to beat.
The general followed. but before he
reached his side a bullet laid Wade across
his brother, whether dead or wounded the
general could not tell But the moment
was a fearful one, and as he bent over his
sons bathed in each others blood, the
voice of duty urged him on. With a groan
Of anguish, he pressed kiss upon the
brow of each, and hastily mounting dashed
on to the point Of danger, without looking
back, while some of his staff who had fol-
lowed, bore the two brothers to the rear
one to a soldiers grave and the other to
a hospital, from which he was many
months in returning.
HAMPTON'S GENEROSITY.
The third anecdote-one of the many
given to illustrate General Hampton's gen
erosity-is related of an occurrence that
antedated the death of either Frank or
Preston Hampton. General Hampton then
had infantry and artillery, as well as cav
airy, under him. and among other com
mands an exclusive artillery company from
Charleston S. c., called the Washington
Artillery, one of the oldest military organi-
cations in America. This command had
just arrived in Virginia under Captain
Bachman. with the Rev. A. Toomer Porter.
now of Charleston, as captain
1t was, as has been said an exclusive or
ganization, the men priding themselves on
the fact that it was made up of young gen
tlemen OF good family, and that no one but
a gentleman could belong to it. On their
way to Virginia, however, a stranger 2
foreigner, a Dutchman, had been permit
ted to take the place of a member who
had received an injury that untitled him
for service: He was apparently a harmless
man. with placid red features and express
sionfeSS blue eyes, but, while they could
urge no objection to him, the men received
him coldly as an unWelcome intruder
One morning the camp was electrified
The valise of Chaplain a. Toomer Porter.
containing not only his clothing but some
money, had been stolen from his tent
search was instantly commenced and un-
der the bed of the Dutch recruit the first
place searched the missing articles were
found. 1t is impossible to depict the morti-
hcation of the Washington Artillery New
er before had member Of that historic
command committed dishonorable act
and every member felt disgraced and one
and all demanded the punishment of the
offender.
A court-martiaI was ordered and after
much elaboration d novel and unprece-
dented sentence imposed. The culprit was
found guilty and ordered TO be drummed
out of the service. Two days later there
was to be a general inspection ana dress
parade, and at that time the sentence was
to be executed. In the meantime Cen
Stephen D. Lee volunteered to whistle
The Rogue's March to the band until it
learned that fortuna tely unfamiliar tune.
The hour for the drumming OUT ar
rived and in the presence of the entire
command. infantry, cavalry, and artillery,
the unfortunate Dutchman, followed by
the band and keeping time to The Rogue's
disgrace, his buttons cut from his coat and
tIa f~or h nd