The herald., 1898-05-08
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THAT WAR AND THIS WAR
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Among the men of high rank in the regu-
lar army in 1861 there was not one under
70, and most Of them were over that age.
Scott, lieutenant general, was crowding
50; Wool, Patterson and Cadwalladar were
past 70. Most of the brigader generals
and colonels were old men. General Scott
and the major generals soon fell back to
give place to young men, and little later
most of the old brigadiers and colonels
Joined them In the rear.
A couple of resigned captains, grad
yates of West Point, who had been out Of
the service for some years, were among
the first to tender their services to the
government. One of them. after almost
losing his patience waiting for recogni-
ton, was made colonel of a newly author
ized regular regiment and commanded a
brigade at the first battle of Bull Run.
When will the civilized world forget that
soldier-General w. T. Sherman?
The other was so obscure that he never
heard from that tender of his service and a
few weeks later sought and was given free
transportation from his home to SPRING
field, ILL.,, where he was glad to accept a
clerkship in the adjutant generals office.
His family needed the salary. Great
hearted, patriotic Governor Dick Yates-I
bow to his memory with grateful heart
as I write-was quick to discover merit In
the quiet, industrious clerk. A new regl-
ment, probably made up of mischievous
young fellows, was disinclined to submit
to dictaton from it's officers, was caus-
ing the governor no little trouble. When
spoken to about the mildly refractory vol
unteers,. the quiet clerk modestly ex-
pressed the belief that he could handle
the boys, and he was made their colonel.
He did handle them. They obeyed and
liked him, and he liked and made one of
the prairie states best regiments of them.
AS long as there is a world that modest,
quiet clerk of thirty-seven years ago will
be talked about
What an ending there was for these two
man. What an inspiration their begin
ming in the other war will be to men who
participate in this war.
A captain of regulars. 30 years old, was
buried in the quartermaster's department
for moro than year after the war began.
A Michigan regiment OF cavalry was in
need of a colonel. Some one called Cover
nor Blair's attention to the plodding quar-
termaster. Would he accept the command?
He slipped away from his piles of oats,
corn, hay and other goods and vaulted into
a saddle without a moments delay, and a
fe wdays later was winning victories, and
during the next three he did little else but
win victories. 1t was in Phil Sheridan to
plan and fight, as it was in Grant and
Sherman.
Who, 81 years ago, now, would have
picked out these three captains, West
Pointers, two retired and the other an is-
suer Of forage for mules, as the three men
who, four years later, would pe recognized
as the most eminent among the land
forces?
I heard Uncle Jerry Rusk tell this story
about Sheridan: When an Ohio congress-
man went to Phils father to look over q
boy for West Point he was Inclined to favor
another brother. The father said: Don't
take him. He is full of peace. Take Phil;
he Is full Of fight. He fights all of the boys
about here That settled it in the mind
Of the congressman. 1 wish they would
erect monument to John Sheridan, who
knew which boy would give the world a
Phil Sheridan to love and talk about.
BY the way, Phil's fighting and mischief
nearly cost him West Point commission.
He was sent home for a year, as IL was.
That Is why it required five years-from
1S48 to 1S53-to get him through the acad-
emy.
Glorious "Pap' Thomas, the Rock of
Chickamauga," was made major of reg
ulars in 1861. Four years later he was one of
the greatest army commanders in the field.
Gen. John f. Reynolds, who died at the
head of the First Army corps, which
opened the battle of Gettysburg, was q
captain when Sumter was fired upon.
Gen. G. K. Warren, who from 1860 until
the end of the war commanded the con-
solidated First and Fifth corps, was first
lieutenant. 1 guess no army ever had
better corps commander.
Custer, Fitzpatrick, Wilson and several
other brilliant cavalry leaders were second
leutenants, fresh from West Point. In the
four years they strode past captains, ma
jors and colonels of the old army. Shall
we see some Custers Kilpatricks and Will
sons spring forth from the class of 90 young
fellows hurriedy graduated last Tuesday?
AS likely as not.
A captain Of artillery was In Utah when
Lincoln's first call was made. He reached
Washington the fall of 1861. The following
spring he was promoted to brigadier gen.
eral of volunteers aud placed over four
western regiments, three from Wisconsin
and one from Indiana. With him to this
command went his old battery. Six months
later, after he had made name for him
self and his brigade in four great battles,
John Gibbon was made a division COM
mander-placed over 10000 men instead of