The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-09-08
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
"eLAok EAGLE" OF ILLINOIS.
The Tender Nature of Gen. John A.
Logan.

The Tender Nature OF Oen' JOhh ~
Logan.
Few Chicagoans knew the "Black
Eagle" of Illinois more intimately than
did Judge Richard Tuthill and by no
one is the character of Gen. Logan more
admired than by him.
"It has always seemed to me-" said
Judge Tuthill, that there were three
or four distinct Logans, so varied and
pronounced were his characteristics.
His superior officers were unquestlon-
ably inclined to regard the Logan OF
the camp as most exacting and per-
sistent, so far as his relations with them
were concerned, for he was jealous for
his own troops, and if he felt that the
men of another brigade were'receiving
better treatment, in any respect, than
his own boys his demands for fair
division of favors would be emphatic
and insistent. The best going was not
whit too good for them, in his estima-
ton.
with his own officers and men he
was decidedly democratic, and his mess
table was one of the most jovial places
to be found anywhere within the feder-
al lines. 1t was board abounding in
good cheer of refined and entertain
ing kind. No person outside of Gen.
Logan's official family was more fire.
quently seen at his mess table than a
cultured Irishman named Tresillian-
typical soldier of fortune, who was
gifted, as are so many of his race, with
peculiar talent for contributing to the
pleasure of company. Tresillian was
an excellent singer, clever story teller
and man who had experienced all
sorts of odd adventures in the most
oytlandish sections of the globe. But
the gift which Gen. Logan most ad-
mired and enjoyed in him was his abil-
ity to improyise stirring poems, full
of sentiment and tenderness. For these
songs of the camp the Irish minstrel
composed appropriate music and then
sung them to the great delight of the
general and his staff. But not man
who listened to them was SO quickly
moved by their pathos and wit as the
swarthy and intrepid hero from Illinois.
"The exquisite tenderness of Logan's
nature was apparent to every man who
knew him. Scores of incidents illus
trating this most lovable trait have
been related of him, but like best the
one which is most frequently told-the
story of Shell-Anna. Perhaps my fond
ness for it arises from the fact that
know it to be absolutely true. 1t has
been repeated time and again, but nc
loyal Illinoisan can hear it too often.
"After the battle of Atlanta, wher
Logan had resumed command of hi'
corps and followed Hoods army tC
Flint river, a sharp skirmish took place
in the vicinity of q wretched little cabin
close by the roadside. AS Gen. E.ogar
was about to pass the log hut his quicl
eye caught sight of an aged and dis
dressed face in the doorway. He rodt
nearer and saluted the old woman witt
the utmost respect, and in kindly anc
sympathetic tone inquired the cause o
her apparent trouble. For answer TIL
aged dame beckoned him to come with
in He dismounted and entered. Their
was no lack of light in the cabin, for
shell had torn away a portion of tn,
roof. In one corner, on bedtick, re
clined q Young woman-scarcely NOR
than a girl-and beside her the bab
which had come into the world scarce
ly an hour before to the music o
whistling bullets and screaming shells