The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-03-06
Passing Of the Generals.
1t. Louis Globe-Drlnucrat.

The grim reaper has been busy the,past
few weeks with the war Generals. .G-n.
y! N. Con III, Gen. }. c. Robinson, Gen.
Aired Pleas"rton. on the Union sioe, and
Gen. Joe Shelby, Of the Confederates.
have beeu called to their rest Fate has
dent varlnn>Iy aud not always kindly
with these Veterans. Gen. Couch. being
second in I'm mud to Hooker Mt Chan.
ceIi"rsvilio, nnrr 'wly escap ped command Of
she Army of tbs Army of the Potomac on
on the field by Hooker's sudden recovery
from prostration from the effects of
wound. Subsequently he was offered the
command, but declined it.
Gen. Pleasonton, like Gen. Couch. was
once very near to attairing the comma, d
of the Army of the Potomac. He did not
have an opportunity to refuse it. as Couch
did, but he was rec ,nmended for the
place by co "mittee of C.,ngress. If
the recommendation had been acted upon
by the military Rut; tiles he ,uld have
displaced Gen. Meadt.. for it was IN the
winter of 1864 that the proposition was
made. Gen. Grant aud President Lincoln
lid not think that Meade merited remova' :.
They might not have been willing to M
point P.easorton if they hal. bit the
fact that he WAS recommended shows how
highly he was regarded at that time.
D..l :nt.tr t,eA
behind him in action. and a grateful Re-
public took munificant care of him for the
'emainder of his life.
The ,reers of these men nrove anew
hat merit does not always reach appro
pirate reward. and that favorluck. il
one will 81 regard it--has often mu:h tn
10 with shaping meas dsstines. General
Robinson was plain every day soldier
w no means great "a q commander or
leader and but for the incident of Battle
which deprived him Of limb would never
,erhap., have attracted more than the at
tention Of Brigadier. But Congress.
nearly thirty years ago. put him upon the
et,red liat ns Il Major General at $685.
.ear. Gen. Pieasonton. the dasning cav
try leader. recommended by a committee
or high command Who. had it not bc'r
or one little weakness known to Mr.. Lin,
:ol,,. would certainly have had the Oppor
unity to win thu. laures of NJ .ad~ or Sher
,lan--was gradually thurst aside, Until i'll
oigne he resigned his regular army com
mission and was ever an object of pity
.nt; commIseration PleasantOn's life in
Wash ;ng'on for ten years succeeding tn.
lose of the war was a, sad cOmmentatory
ipon the gratitude Of nations. His life
Nv" regrets. p lieving that he had been
ill-treated, believing that the po(iticaF
tates we're against him. and that the world
had misunderstood and mockel him. h
Ave way to the cynicism of his nature
aud hated hs fe.Dw man. It was with
t:,e greatest difficulty in his later years
hat i..ar"nce enough could be mustered
to get him on thu retired list as Il Mijn
Tn SIC is lesson in the careers at tive
nag be we'll for Young soldiers, and yOnng
ZEN in any walk. to take to heart Me
iiucrity. as in the case Of Robinson. con.
vel with stnriine.s of character, is pref
ty sure to win. Bvilliancy, brains anu
dash, if not attended by steadines of pur-
pose, as IN the case of P.easonton. ar
tias of successful career.
Up to the period when Pleasanson's in
tirmlty of habit and temper began IT,
make him conspiciou, there was no NOR.
promising uitic.r Of his rauk in the arm;
When Sheridan took command OF the
cavalry of the Army of the Potomac
....,,nton hal probably won more fam
<n cavalry leader than any other man
the union comm. ender. up t" the time OF
Grant and Sheridan, had MT been giving
~. cavalry an op portuuity to win the dis
tioction when the cavalry branch of the
Confedera Q service attained. Sheridan
had a bitter struggle with Meade bsfore
he was allowed to change the method OF
using cavalry, and it was only by the aid
IF Grant that he overcame Males objec
tions. So i. may not have been altoysth
ar Pieasonton's fault that h. did not, as
commander of tho cavalry of the Army
of the Potomac, win the fame whlsh alter
ward fell to Sheridan. But there can be-
no disputing that he distinguished him
self as a brave mau, quick to act. Bu'
his uncomfortable temper, his unguarded
tongue aud his reckless use aud misuse
of stimulants proved his final undoing.
Word comes via the railroad
hat dead cattle are found in
numbers on the cattle ranges
west of the Missouri, as they
we're during the winter of
S8S7-8 when whole herds per-
ished tand many men whose
wealth were in their cattle, be-
came bankrupt. This winter
winter has been much more Sc