The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-15

was given a furlough from the Naval
Academy until October, and the first
thing he did was to write to the Sec
rotary of the nav Offering his serv-
ices. So successful was he that he is
now serving on the Columbia as a mid
shlpman. Thus the army, the navy
and the Red Cross society are all rep
resented by the Wheeler family.
When the war of the rebellion broke
out General Wheeler was "a years old
and a lieutenant in the Third cavalry
of Alabama. He resigned and was ap-
pointed a lieutenant of artillery in the
confederate army. During the summer
of 1861 he was additionally honored by
being appointed a colonel of infantry
and commanded an infantry brigade
at the battle of Shiloh, in which en-
gagement he distinguished himself, re-
celVlng the cognomen of "Fighting joe"
He was then assigned to the cavalry,
became a brigadier general, and in less
than three months major general and
cavalry corps commander, continuing
that command during the entire war.
When the war closed he turned his at
tention to law and crop raising. In
1880 he was elected to congress and
has been reelected nine times-a rec
ord in itself most extraordinary When
it is considered that the south has in
many instances forgotten her heroes.
The files of the war department in
the executive mansion show that every
time during the last thirty years that
there has been the slightest indica-
ton of war, General Wheeler filed a
tender of his services to the govern
ment. This was done even at a time
when the law prohibited his being com
m~issiOned, which would have COM
PEELED him to serve as a private.
On May 4 President Mckinley ap-
pointed General Wheeler a major gen.
eral, and assigned him to the COM
mand of the cavalry division now en-
route to Cuba. Since General Wheel
er's arrival at Tampa he has been
constantly with his command in camp
everything pertaining to his duties and
the condition Of his command.
General Miles since his arrival has
shown General Wheeler many social
attentions, and seems to be confident
that General Wheeler will represent
the United States as nObly as he did
when he wore the gray years ago. In
fact, it must be said that General
Wheeler has shared In part the ova-
ton showered upon General Lee.
Many instances of General Wheel
er's bravery are related by army vet
Grams of both the north and the SOUTH.
AASNoH S"ANSAy lo SAAo1l q ~ a.
the outbreak Of the rebellion, only a
short time served to display his pc
culiar worth. At Shiloh he won more
distinction than any other officer of his
rank. He was then placed in command
of cavalry, which he soon elevated to
make h a position second only in i'm
portance to that of the army COM
mander He commanded the van
guard of the army in advance and the
rear guard in retreat during the en-
tire war, and was distinguished in all
the battles of the western army, and
commanded in more han two hundred
cavalry engagements. He enjoyed the
confidence and esteem of his comman-
ders not alone for his skilful and hard
fighting, but also for his good judy
ment in all matters pertaining to cam
paign and army movements, and few
generals have ever possessed such ar
dent and unstinted devotion as was
shown toward him by his officers and
men.