Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-12-17

IN f1GGSDuFS. lAo City was oAAASe'oAo
with an invasion by the rebels from
West Virginia, and reports that they
were going to sack the Allegheny
arsenal in Lawrenceville were rife.
Judge Shannon and his companions had
been busying themselves with the
of the Home Safety AS
sociation Companies, then regiments
and brigades, were formed. The war
department was communicated with
on the I'd and request made that the
government supply the Home Guards"
with arms and ammunition. They had
secured uniforms. The order
came back to Judge Shannon to call
upon the commandant at the arsenal
and get everything that was needed.
A committee of citizens proceeded to
the arsenal and presented the order to
the officer in charge. He was fine
specimen of the American soldier, and
although somewhat astonished at the
extraol binary order, interpreted it as
giving the citizens carte blanche to
everything in the arsenal. Guns,
swords, cannon and ammunition were
hauled away from the arsenal all day
and all night. 1t was known that
rebel spies were lurking about the city
and the shcw OF strength was intended
to let them know that Pittsburg was
prepared to protect herself. The fol
lowing day. the Fourth OF July, the
Guards paradei the streets. There
were seven thousand men, all uni
formed and armed, in the procession
They made most imposing spectacle
a d aroused the patriotic fever to
white heat. OF the men who were in
line that day, it is estimated that fully
two thirds afterward went to the front.
One day during the war Captain
Gallagher, from Philadelphia, came to
Pi,tsburg with letter of introduction
from Governor Curtin to Judge Shan
non In the letter the governor stated
that Captain Gallagher had been en-.
deavoring to raise regiment in Phila-
delphia, but had only succeeded in
mastering a single company. The
governor felt that If regiment could
be raised anywhere in the state, Pitts
burg was the place and Judge Shannon
the man who could raise it. He was
pretty accurate in his judgment was
Governor Curtin, for the Thirteenth
Pennsylvania volunteer cavalry, thir-
teen companies strong, was the fruit OF
his message to Judge Shannon. An
election of officers was held. The
major general selected was General
Wilkins, Ex-Governor Johnston, briga-
der general, George w. Cass, brigadier
general, Judge Shannon was elected
lieutenant colonel, and the regiment
was mustered in at Baltimore, where it
was to do guard duty. AS soon as
Judge Shannon left town with his
Governor Curtin entered a
protest. The campaign for the COVER
norship was approaching, and Judge
Shannon was needed on the stump. On
the other hand, Secretary Stanton in
sisted that he remain with his regiment
The pressure from Harrisburg and
Pittsburg was so great, however, that
Judge Shannon was ultimately re-
leased from his regiment and came
home in response to the invitation from
the Union League, the state executive
committee and Governor Curtin.
After the war Judge Shannon contin-
ued the practice Of his profession, and
when Grant went into the White house
for the first time he rendered the judge
a mission abroad in the second class
with salary of 81 500. This was de-
clined, owing to important business mat
ters at home. but in March, 1878. during
Grants second term, he was offered the
commission of chief justice of the
supreme court of Dakota, which he
accepted. He was reappointed by Pre-
eident Hayes and served continuously
for nearly nine years, at the end of
which time he was compelled to resign
on account of failing health, due to
overwork A few months after his
retirementsfrom the bench President
Arthur appointed him member of the
Sioux Indian commission. This was an
important post, as the commission was
delegated to negotiate for the purchase
of all the lands of the Sioux Indians
lying between the White and Cheyenne
rivers For three or four years the
judge participated in the negotiations,
and many time he has laid down to
rest surrounded by om.1O, 900 to IL, 900
savages. They all knew him, however.
and he had so won their confidence and
they his that never a fear was felt for
his safety.
The magnitude of Judge Shannon's
labors while chief justice Of Dakota
may be imagined from the statement
that the territory over which his juris-
diction extended was 100000 square
miles, or about 80, 600 square miles lar
ger than England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales cornbined In addition tc