The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-09-08
WEST POINTS OLDEST VETERAN.
General Greene's brilliant Career rs a
Soldier.

General Greene's brilliant Career rs q
Soldier.
The oldest notable man In tho
United States to-day Is the war vet
eran and famous engineer, General
George Sears Greene
George Sears Greene was born May
8, 1901, In the little town of Apponaug.
in the State Of Rhode Island. His an
cestor, John Greene, came from Sails
bury. England. TO ihls country in 1885.
and settled in ths town of Warwick,
Rhode Island. Wnen John Bull. in
1872 tried a second time to punish his
rebel!ious son, Jonathan, young Greene
then but eleven years old, wanted to
shoulder his musEat and help Jona-
than to give the tyranrical parent
another sound druLSing; but his moth
er thought him too young, and he was
forced to be content with the promise
that, when old enough, ne should enter
the United States military academy at
West Point, aud learn how to f, .ht
the enemies of his country. Accord
ingly, q few years later he became a
student at this institution; and i'm
proved his time so we'll that when he
graduated. In 1928. he stood second in
his class.
After graduation he served as an
instructor In mathematics and engi-
neering at West Point, and In various
gdrrlsons in Virginia, Rhode Island,
MaiIe and massachusetts, until 1886,
when no resigned from the army and
devoted his time to the profession OF
civil engineering. at about this period
Hecan the marvellous era of railroad
taild'ng in the United States, when
thousands of miles OF roadways were
MADE for the iron horse, running out
of all the large cities into what was
then the wilds OF the west. Ii was an
opportune time TO. civil engineer;
and Greene, who had already acquired
reputation eGualled by few in his
profession, found bis services In con-
stand demand. RE assisted in the
construction of railroads in TIE states
Of Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land, New York and Maryland. He
was busy at this wcrk until 1856, when
be was hired by the Croton agueduct
department of New York City. Whiio
in its employ he superintended the
most of the important engineering
work done In the city. designing and
building the reservoir in Central Park.
enlarging High Bridge and building
new aqueduct over 1t. During this
time his fame as an engineer grew.
until it became SO great that private
individuals ard corporations often
came to him for advice, when import
ant work was TO be undertaken by
them.
In 1861 came the war Of the rebel
lion. Engineer Greene was now
sixty years old, but strong and hearty.
The war stirred his martial blood;
and when in 1852 it became evident
that tho rebellion was not to be put
down easily. that his country had
need of the help of the arms and
brains of all of her loyal sons, he hesi-
tated no longer, but offered his SER
vices. His ability was well known,
and. despite his sixty years, he was
given an important command. NOW
began a life of hardship and PERIL,
sufficient to test severely the strength
Of a strong man full of the vitality OF
youth; but General Greene at sixty
years Of age was practically IN the
prime Of his ,ifc, and his splendid
physique carried him safely through
them all.
Gettysburg proved his courage and
generalship. Here, on the night OF
July 2, 1863, with his brigade reduced
to less than 1900 men, he held the en-
trenchments on Culp's Hill, on the
right wing of the army of the Potomac.
from until 10 o'clock at night,
against the repeated attacks ofthe Con-
federate forces. He occupied cru
cial point, and the Southerners were
determined to drihge him from 1t, IL Its
accomplishment was within the ability
Of men and courage. Again and again
did they charge the little band OF
heroes on Culp's Hill, only to be met
with a courage more stubborn than
their own and driven back. Had they
been able to force General Greene from
his position, and. though the gap
thus made, hurried strong division to
the rear of the main body of the I'm
ion army on Cemetery Ridge. Gettys-
burg, probably. would have been a
Confederate victory.
AFTER Gettysburg General Greene,
with the rest of the eleventh and
twelfth corps of the army of the Poto-
mac, went to Nashville to re-enforce
the army at Chattanooga. On October
q fnb naIr lxyt