Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1898-09-22
GENERAL WHEELER.

A correspondent of the Washington
Capital writes: General Wheeler Is
one of the few men who have come out
Of this war without anything but
glory In their records. His life has
been a somewhat curious mixture of
the most dashing and picturesque ad.
venture and the most embarrassing OF
drudgery. A West Point lieutenant
just entering upon his military career
ut the beginning of the civil war, he
unhesitatingly devoted his heart and
his hand to the fortunes of the Con
federacy and became the most daring
and successful cavalry leader OF the
South, possibly OF the whole country.
Wheeler's exploits during those four
years were told with glee by the Con.
federates and with n miNtue of adnii-
ration and gnashing of teeth by the
Union officers whom he circumvented.
When Lee surrendered and jefferson
Davis was n prisoner, Wheeler, loyal
rs ever to the cause for which he had
fought for four long years, risked his
life and freedom In an attempt to res.
cue Davis. 1t failed, and when the
turmoil OF war had a little subsidized
and the knights of the Lost Cause
gathered themselves together to face
the future. Wheeler, practical, plucky,
and accomplishing as ever, was to be
found grubbIns n living out of his farm
In Alabama. They wanted him to he
professor of philosophy In the Louis
--c--.e Seminary, but he declined
that offer and kept on practicing law
and agriculture with eQuanlmity and
success.
The Forty-sevcnth Congress saw
him in the House, and after that moth
ing except Il war would have dislodged
him from his seat. Whenever .Aere
has been any development which look.
cd like war he has always been tho
first to tender his services to the gov.
eminent. For the last thirty years he
nas had what one might call stand.
ng determination to continue his mill
Jay career when he had chance. II
is my belief that II we had an admin.
istration foolish and obstinate enough
to refuse him commission he would
have shouldered n rifle and gone 10
the front as n private, and he would
wearing shoulder straps. He ID moi
the kind of man to be ignored.
The stories which have clustered
about Whceler's career in this wal
would make an interesting book al
by themselves. He not only climbed q
tree to reconnoiter the enemy's CAM
and 1t wasn't n cactus or n cocoanut
palm. rs some of the entcrprising art.
lists tried to make us bclieve-but 1t Is
reported that he climbed the tree I'M
Ter which the capitulatlon was signed
at Santiago, and sent n leaf thereof tC
each of his constituents. l am inclin
ed to doubt this yarn. OF course 1t Is
n picturesque thing to think of-the
slender, active little general sitting in
the crotch of n limb busily picking
leaves enough to fill barrels. and leav
ing the tree as bare rs Il BARRIERS pole,
but it Is my belief that II there really
was Il barrelful of leaves picked off
that tree. Wheeler sent some small Gu
ban boy up to do 1t. He never does
an odd thing for the sake of being
odd. 1t is certain. however, that he
did send Il good many of his friends
leaves from that there tree" and that
they prize them most highly.
Wheeler's behavior at Santiago has
furnished the subject for almost the
only real war poem which has appear.
ed during the war. You have all read
1t. 1t is called wheeler Mt Santiago"
and is by James Lindsay Gordon. TEl
poem has been copied all over the Uni.
ted States, and the story of that day
has been told everywhere, but 1 am
going to tell it over again. Wheeler,
not being any more acclimated than
the rest of the army. was. like his
men. attacked by the fever of the coun.
try, and was not able to lift his head
for several days. He was carried here
and there and directed operations from
his cot, but when the time came to at.
tack Santiago he was SO Ill that II
was not thought best to inform him
just when the attack would take place.
But he heard the roar of guns from
afar and he was not to be let or him
dered. He told them to put him into
al ambulance and take him to the
front. and there is more power in thu.
little major generals say so, even
when he is helpless with fever. than
there is in the blatant roaring of a big
slx-foot bully. They put him into that
and started for the front.
On the way they met the filters with
the wounded. and the newspaper cor.
respondents bear witness as to the mis-
cradle inadequacy with which these
were provided for.
Wheeler was out of that ambulance
and in the saddle in about minute
and n half, and though almost any man
in his army could have picked him up
and carried him. nobody ventured to
oppose his determination to go to the
front. And then ne rode to the front
and the sight of him put new life into
the whole army Gordnn +au. L.