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

special Correspondence
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo-. April 20.
Ny late letter to the lntelllgeneerclos-
Cd by informing you of visit recently
made to our old-time Wheeling friend,
General william H. Powell, at his
home in BeISvIlle Illinois. and with a
promise 10 write out some account OF 1t
for your columns, which now proceed
to do.
To begin with. let me say a word
about the town In which the general has
lived during the last ,wenty-one years,
ever since he went there from ST. Louis
10 put in successful operation his inven-
ttOn for cutting and pllInG and heating
old iron rails. and converting the nall
plate rolled therefrOm Into cut nails at
the extraordinary profit OF one dollar
per key during the flush days OF the
business.
BeIleviIle Is the town in the far west
10 which your NOW venerable citizen.
John X. BotsfOFd. came. As lad. from
Connecticut as far back as ISIS. the
year In which Illinois ceased TO be
territory and entered the union as
state, and from whence he and his faith
er's family eniErated two years later
70 the new capital Of the uew state at
tahdallR, the town that subsequently,
gave rs name to the southwestern eX-
tension OF the great Pennsylvania rail-
road system. II Is fourteen miles
southeast from ST. Louis, and IS loc1-
ted IN the centre OF the original county
that once embraced the whole OF lli-
nolR, which county. like your neighbor-
ing town Of ST. Clalrsville. was named
in honor OF the first governor OF tho
NORTHWESTERN territory out OF which
not only Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were
formed, but several other states be-
side. Imagine a single county EN-
bFaeIng 4 great state Of 5000 square
miles like Illinois, but then remember
that the county OF West Augusta once
embraced the whole Of West Virginia.
Buying q ticket for BelleVille. via the
Illinois Central railroad at the Union
depot In ST. Louis, and starting out
through that dismal tunnel that iniu-
0tes the Journey and that inaily, and
"a VOuF great relief debouches into day
light and fresh dir on the top of the
great Eads structure that spSns the
Mississippi at the Virgins Ferry
was, in an hours time. carried over the
stream and through East st, Louis aud
0CTOAA int HLltElCaN bAAANuA uNN
through the rolling country OF the
Prairie Du Pont into the south side Of
the town. and set down near the cor
ner At South High street. where lives
our old-time frIend in . spacious, and
comfortable and old.fAshloned man
sion,
This visit OF mine to General Powell,
aS / told you in my former letter, grew
out Of my meeting him at the E6oit
House, In Washington, in March last.
and out of our indulgence then and
there in \ lot Of war "reminiscences In
company with General James Cakes. OF
the regular army, at one time major
IN the service at Wheeling. ! promised
General Powell that the next time !
came west would certainly stop on
md visit him, and renew our compari-
son OF "reminiscences. So. In pursuance
OF this promise. as well as because OF
my hearty liking and admiration for
this most genuine old soldier, found
myself, Grip-sack in hand In his pres
ence. at the steps OF his piazza, out In
10 which he had come. leaning on his
cane, 10 meet and greet me on my ar
rival there on the forenoon OF April IL.
When General Powell was q pioneer
IN the iron business IN Wheeling. rs far
back as 1919, working as an employe IN
Inc old ShoenberGer works, in the north
end, where the Top NH" now stands.
ne was an athletic young fellow OF
eighteen and stood six feet two IN his
stockings. Now he Ia white-hlired
veteran Of seventy-two. somewhat lame
from his wounds received In the war
and a little stopped. but nevertheless =
most magiSterIaI appearing man. and
every inch a soldier In his bearing.
Gen. PoyyeII'S War Record - HIS HsIeh
Ancestry.
People whose names end in double !
are opt TO be OF wslch birth or Anecs-
Try, and how could man be better Mt
ted for soldiership in his career than to
be born in the country that repulsed the
eagles OF Rome during their invasion Of
Great Britain. Perhaps you remember
Garhcld's graphic alluSion to this incl
dent in WEIGH history In his memorable
speech over At Aetnavllle In September,
1879. Well. General Powell came OF that
stock, and had the iron In his blood that
distinguished It In war or peace. He
came, Immediately OF that Calvanistie
mari OF the population that marched
with oliver Cromwell, and that sang
hymns and prayed as they entered In
IA battle, and that believed, In all good
conscience. that they welded the SHord
~ me Lord and OF Gideon Just 70. this
BelleylIle representative OF WEIGH Cal
VANISH. welded his sword at the head
Of the Second regiment OF West Wiz
glnIa Cavalry. IN the great conflict OF
'6l-'65.
take. His diary OF the days when he
iay on the floor OF a dungeon at Rich
mond, a wounded prisoner, and existed
for thirty-seven days on coarse corn
bread and water, having only one buck
81 OF water per week for both drinking
and washing purposes, attests his lineal
descent from the WEIGH peasant SOL
diery OF the seventeenth century. Their
long enduring blood" their qualities
that stood four square to every wind
that blew" cropped out In him IN that
diary not less than In the sixty-odd en-.
rRRemrnts Of the war In which he In
trepidly participated. Like the prophet
Of Israel, when a captive at Babylon,
he arose each morning and kneeled with
his face toward Jerusalem. and prayed
for his people and their cause. II Is no
wonder that Sheridan kept this com
mander OF cavalry constantly at the
front. As Grant said OF sherman IN
his memoirs. he knew that be would
always meet his expectations
As to how Gen. Powell came TO be so
inhumanIy treated at Richmond In 1863,
that In an old story to those who are
familiar with the files OF the Wheeling
InteIllgencer for that year He fell
wounded In the breast IN the repulse at
wythOvllie Va. on the 18th day OF july,
90, and was left on the hcld In the re-
treat. and SO fell into The hands Of the
enemy. and on charges Of having waged
war contrary TO the usagrs 0f war was.
on reaching Richmond. thrown into n
coal hole dungeon, over which there was
only the customary iron grating for
light and air. aud without mattress
to sleep on, was LETT therein nearly six