The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-06

nbuck at this distinguished compliment
from the President to their singing. but
they came forward at once "a requested
and sang the hymn once more. And
We sang Il with IL viii, said the gener-
nj, Gang II as the boys sang March
ing Through GeorGR. and all the
great audience Joined In the chorus,and
II seems to ne,even now as recall that
day, that viii never hear such singing
again, until listen 10 the chorus OF the
redeemed In Heaven"
War AlsStlmE az WASsIinE.
A day or two after this stirring ex-
perIence at the national capital Gen.
Powell reached Wheeling. Ell route 10
his home at Iron,on and stopped over
to address a war meeting at the old
court house, the place where so many
war meetings were held, during the
great struggle. He had an ovation
from his many old time friends and ac-
duaIntnnces, as well as from the general
public. for every one was familiar With
his deeds In the field and his martyr
dom In prison. The Richmond papers
had blaEoned him TO the world As 'One-
eyed Powell" and that eye an evil eye,
and had pictured him Us a sort of one
eyed Samson, the sport OF his CHptors
cropping among the pillars OF his dun
ge0n IN quest of vengeance, all OF
which had reached the reading public
and had given him warm place in the
hearts OF all loyal people, Hence, his
rousing reception at the old court house
In February 1864, in Wheeling, on his
way home To lrontOn, to visit his fam
lily ere his thirty days OK leave should
/ might have stated further back In
this letter that Gen. Powell, while yet
young. lost one OF his eyes by molten
nash at the old Schoenherger works In
North Wheeling, and yet that accident
never destroyed his prepossesslng APP
penrance might also have mentioned
that early in his twentles he had mar
ried a daughter OF the late John Gill;
christ, OF Wheeling. the old Scotch SUR
veyor OF -bellum days, Also, that
after leaving the Top MIN OF Schoenher-
gers day he had built the mill at Ben
wood afterwards run by Kelly, Hollo-
way & Co. When he enlisted In the ser.
vice under a commission from Governor
Pierpont in August, 1861, he was running
the Lawrence works Mt Ironton. He
was nm expert In mill management and
MILL mechanism. and was really on his
road to the fortune he afterwards
achieved when he gave up business
prospects for the cause Of the Union.
AIll kMklIlk 6tINltt uluEA AllN ANHANANN
government OF Virginia" as captain
OF cavalry In the regiment he after.
wards rose to command. he was MS.
signed to duty In the Kanawha Valley
and In the Greenbrier country, and had
a memorable collision with the rebel
command OF Albert GlllAtln jenkins.
For a year or more he did this
sort OF dcsultory hEhunq under
Generals Cox and Crook and other
commanders. and in this way got
the shot IN his breast that laid
him low at Wythevllle, Va. and re-
suited In his cruel captivity at Rich
mnnd He was thus seasoned and dis
ciplIned for his subsequent conspicuous
career under the great hGhter OF the
Shenandoah Valley. the matchless
sheridan, the like Of whom Gen.
Powell thinks arose not during
the war on either side. He
was hard hitter Of the Butcher style.
HE once rode up to my command,
said Gen. Powell. land gave me some
verbal orders in person, which he wound
up by saying, Now, general, follow
them up and give them hell, damn
them"
/ ventured TO Inquire OF Gen. Powell
lust how he interpreted that peculiar
sort OF an order. well as "a that, said
he. II really don't remember that
stopped long enough to interpret II, but
l think can say that l executed II TO
SherIdan's satisfaction"
AGrAphie RSViSW Of "a,
Gen. Powell Is an interesting and
phllosophlc sort OF taIker on all subjects
with which he Processes any acQuaInt-
ance. / became particularly Interested
in hts deductions from the results ot
Sheridan's campaign In the Valley OF
Virginia. In the fall OF 1864, particu-
larry the battle Of OpeQuan Creek on
the 18th OF September, the time he sent
Early whlrllnS down the Valley"
nv the way. 1t was at that battle. II
I remember, that the gallant Gen, Du-
val. OF Wellsburg. was wounded, than
whom, as Gen. Powell heartily testified,
the war did not furnish finer soldier
He thinks that history has yet to de
the full measure Of justice to that great
campaign In the Valley. Gettysburg
and VlcksburE," said he, "nrc Justly put
down as turning points OF the war In
1863. And so they were. and no mistake,
without them the cause OF the Union
must have failed. But who shall say
that In like manner Il might not have
failed but for the deeds OF Sheridan and
his command In the Shenandoah Valley
In September and October OF the next
yeBr, An, those were crucial days" said
he, those days Of that long summer
preceding. Do you recall now the Omi-
nous outlook for the country just then?
Let me remind you OF the movement
that was on foot 10 practically depose
Abraham Lincoln. headed by Ben Wade,
Secretary Chase. Henry Winter Davis,
General Fremont and others. They re-
garded and proclaimed him failure,
and were really In conspiracy Tor MS
superEeduFe at the polio, II possible,
inter his reorganization at Baltimore In
'gt, Then, too, don't you remember the
Vaccinations OF VallAudlRhRm. Voor-
bees and the Sons Of Liberty that were
going on at the same time. and the
wretched Interference and bunglinE
mcddleSomencss OF Horace Greedy by
his proposed negotiations with rebel
refugees in Canada? OF course you re-
member how high gold went that sum
me-. when II seemed as II our green
backs were going TO lose their purchas-
ing power. and as n nobody In Europe
or America would buy any more OF our
bonds nj any price. You remember the
frlghtfuI losses and setbacks OF the
Army Of the Potomac In the Wilderness
and at Cold HHrhOr on It's way to Rich
mond and you do not forget Early's
raid and close call upon the national
capital that summer. And, last Of all,
and most imminent and threatening OF
all, you do not forgot the nomination
of Gen. Mcclellan on q platform that
proclaimed the war failure and called
for Its cessation.
Now when you think over these
phases of the situation. military and
political. at the time refer to In 1864.
you can understand the Great--lndeed,
might say the Observation-Disclosures
that attach TO the operations OF Sheri-
dan at Opeduan and Winchester, and
throughout the valley IN September and