The age-herald., 1898-05-11
MAJOR GENERAL
 JOB WHEELER

| thing that the enehanter's wand conjures l up from a whole dramatic corps of gen. | erals, dukes, congress or even bishops. I am now about to speak a little of a man of war, and thus to that extent de- scribe what war may become to individuals who engage in it and delight in 1t, as he does of whom I write especially. We can whip spain7 O. yes, but the whipping of Spain carries with it the achievement of the discovery of some new idols. and also a season of iconoclastio revenge. We have a new kind of democracy in America, democracy founded upon public education that knows but one shibboleth fin the school room, "Forward, let every word be forward!" wither 1t goeth no theory knows.
 We have mighty enthusiastic democracy. We have a bold and dashing plutocracy which, under Letter and Rockefeller and Grover Cleveland delights in the Balac- lavas and Gettysburgs and Manias of it's sphere
 These two, the new American democracy and the hitherto unheard of plutocracy that fourishes in America like green bay tree, must keep together the terms Of the oil and Aarons beard; and, if not, the last half of General Wheelers martial ca- reer must be much after the fashion of the first half, when the northern and the south ern confederacies came to the most heroic collision of all time
 There can be but small doubt of the martial figure Joseph Wheeler will display in the near future. He says he can live as sleeplessly and void of food as in past cam- paigns. That settles it. Longstreet had not captured Knoxville. He sent Wheeler from that siege back over the mountains to drive off the enemy from Kingston in his rear. The cavalry had marched forty miles with out halting over rocks and streams Cap tain of the staff had removed his saddle from taded horse and put his cof- fee on the fire. It was early in the night. A message came from headquarters mile up the road Captain reported Captain, wish you to go with me to- night to make observations about King ston," said the general "Go with you to- night fourteen miles, general" "Yes, sir; and if you find the duties of my staff im- possible, can replace you" The general went and the captain accompanied him. The cavalry corps under General w. T. Morgan came on later, reaching the place and the enemy about sunrise The general knew what to do and how to do it by per- sonal observation beforehand.
 In the winter of 1s6O-61. Alpheus Baker, a lawyer of Eufaula. carried company or Alabama volunteers from that town to Pen- sacola to assist in the capture of Fort Pick ems and Barrancas. James l.. Pugh, D. c. Bullock, Reuben F. Kolb and others of that class of intelligence were high privates in Bakers company. There came to Bakers company asdminutiye, young lieutenant, west Pointer, fresh from the United States army in the far west. The task for the day for the Eufaula lawyers and planters was to place some siege guns in position. They did not know how; they labored, bungled and failed. The little Georgia lieu tenant took charge of the work and it was promptly and well done. Pugh, Bullock and others requested the nervous little offi- cer to make out for their indorsement his application to Pope Walker, secretary of war, for promotion. They could get it through Forsyth's paper, the Register, gave it as follows:
 ''ro the Honorable Secretary of War:
 q have the honor to apply for increased rank in the army.
 JOSEPH WHEELER.'
 Colonel Joseph Wheeler was promptly put in command of the Nineteenth Alabama Infantry, a regiment clad in butter-nut jeans, woven by the wives and daughters of the soldiers on their farms in Biount, Morgan and other adjacent counties Every man was a. good marksman. The first battle was Shiloh, and in that part of the line held by Gladden's brigade, With ers' division, Braggs corps Braggs' high head bay horse fell dead with a bullet in his forehead; Gladden. fell mortally wound- ed; Dear took command of the brigade. was wounded and his horse killed under him. Robert Armistead took Dear's place and was killed After the day was done an officer of Withers staff remarked: 'I went to Colonel Wheeler several times. when, if had held out a bushel basket 1t would have caught full of bullets. He is the most punctiliously polite man ever met. He replied to every order, Yes cap- tain, with pleasure.'"
 At dinner soon after the war, given by Justice Byrd, of the supreme court, at his home in Selma, to Generals J. E. Johnston and Hardee the remark was made that Wheeler, who was then in some kind of mercantile business in New Orleans, had acquired a military reputation hard to ac- count for. General Johnston spoke quickly and emphatically, saying he ''could not have commanded the Army of Tennessee with out Wheeler" Hardee joined, saying Wheeler had been directly under his com- mand in the Georgia campaign. and that he was indispensable to the army. E Sherman. 1t Is now said, highly appreciat- ed Wheeler. He had good reason. Stuart rode around Mcclellan on the Chickahom- iny and around Meade on the other side of the Potomac; Sheridan rode around Lee on the Rappahannock: Wheeler rode around Rosecranes at Chickamauga, broke up all his posts and captured the garrisons as far as Nashville, destroyed his train of 1l.- 900 mules and several thousand wagons, , with millions of army supplies, resulting in