The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-31
Blow. blow thou Winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
AS mans ingratitude.

There probably was no one who hat
oftener proved this; for no man in public
life was so frequently appealed to for hell
and influence. His friendship was the
stepping stone to higher possibilities Il
many of his fellow men; his kindly hano
was ever held out to help those who came
to him. but so many times they proved t.
be those who had fawned at fortune e
dawn while the breezes and the tide waited
steadily on; but let the tide in the affairs
OF men and politics change, then what
! They would leave him to sink or to struggle
alone. This the General felt most keenly
and it had a greater influence over him in
shaking his confidence in mankind than
all things else combined.
There was a silent sarcasm in an invita-
! ton he gave to one OF these Summer
friends The time had been when this
man was omnipreSent in the General S
house; he held lucrative place under the
Government and the Generals influence
had put him there.
But there came a day when a new king
reigned in Israel, not Of the house of Jacob.
and days and months passed ere this
quondam friend dare make his appearance
at Calumet Place At last he ventured;
when he arose to take his leave the Gen
eral quietly remarked "Mr. Blank, call
again some dark night
Yet the General was the most unSuS-
piciouS of men. He would never believe
in the treachery of a friend until unms-
taxable evidence was in his hand; his
fidelity to his friends, his attachment to-
his old associations has made us marvel
that anyone could play him false. If he
made friend, il was for all time, If he
proved himself worthy. His local attach
mentS were as strong as his nature.
The day he was taken i'll he made call
at his old home A peculiar sadness had
settled upon him. At last he said; Il be
gin to feel with President Arthur, that if
this is all there is TO live for il there is no
living" The General was rich in friends,
those who liked him for what he was.
Those who knew him best respected him
most. Those who had no favorS to ask,
liked him for his integrity, his loyalty, his
nobleness of soul. There is not Il soldier
who was ever in his command but learned
to love his commander.
More than friends, or home, or life, did he
love his country. He was brave, daring
courageous. He did not know the word
fear, yet he was tender and considerate of
his men. We heard him say he never
knew what fear was when the battle
ragged; but with quivering lips he added:
81 never saw man dead on the battlefield
friend or foe when the conflict was over.
that tears did not run down my cheeks"
He was charming in conversation, full of
anecdOte and story and interesting remin-
iscences of the war.
The country will not forget in the morn
ing Of the war, when the General was a
Colonel and was stationed at Cairo with
his regiment, many Of his soldiers were
sick. Six hundred of them lay i'll at one
time with the measles and eight had
already died. The General in his dire
distress tho ght of the wife he had left,
and, as was his habit in moments of great
est perplexity, turned to her: Mary, my
boys are sick and dying for want of care;
what can you dor"
She took the first train, and found them
Quartered in an old inn, stretched on the
floor, without pillow for their heads, or a
blanket to cover them. She returned and
visited every home that had sent boy to
the front, and on her way back she had a