The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-12
GEN, WILLIAM B. FRANKLIN
DISTING UTSHED CAREER OF SOL
DER AND CITIZEN.

Commanded the Sixth Army Corps in the
Maryland Campaign-Story of His Cap
ture by Rebel Raiders and How lie
Made His Escape.
Few men are better known In this
city than General William B. Frank
lin. Possessing a long and distin-
guished record as a soldier identified
since the war with some of Hartford's
largest enterprises and now at the
head of well-known institution his
position In this community is large
one and his career such as to entitle
him to distinction.
William Buel Franklin was born in
York, Pa, February 81, 1928 His faith
er, Walter s. Franklin, was clerk of
the national house of representatives
at the time of his death in 1888, and his
great grandfather, Thomas Franklin,
of Philadelphia, was a commissary of
prisoners during the war of the Revo-
luton. The latter in 1877 married Mary
Rhoads, who was a member from
Pennsylvania of the First Continental
congress. The family lived in Flush
mother was a daughter of DR.. William
Buel of Litchfield descendant of Pc
ter Buell. well known in Windsor,
Conn.,, in early times.
At an early age General Franklin's
ambitions took a military turn and as
soon as he had acquired sufficient
education in the common schools he
secured an appointment as cadet at the
United States Military academy at
West Point, entering there in 1889.
General Grant was his classmate, and
although the resemblance was not
marked in later life and General
Franklin was considerably taller, the
two young men were often taken for
each other at the academy Passing
through the regular course Of instruc
ton and discipline at West Point, he
III 1910 dIlu MdS UIGNGlleu d
second lieutenant of typographical en-
| gineers.
| The next two years were spent in
| service on the western lakes and in the
| Rocky mountains, and after serving a
third year in the Typographical office
| at Washington he was appointed Sec
ond lieutenant in that service Septem-
Der II, 1s46. His first experience in ac-
| tual warfare was in the Mexican war,
and for gallant and meritorious con-
duct at Buena Vista in 1S47 he was APP
| pointed first lieutenant.
| His record in the civil war was one
of great distinction. May IA, 1851, he
| was commissioned colonel Of the
| Twelfth United States infantry and
was at once elevated to the rank of
brigadier- general United States volun-
| teers. He commanded a brigade at
Manassas and Bull Run, and was en-
gagged in the defense of the capital and
suburbs until March, 1862. In the Vir-
ginia peninsula campaign General
| Franklin took a prominent part, and
June 30, 1852 he was brevetted briga-
der general for gallant and meritori-
Gus conduct in the battle before Rich
mond, and on July he was appointed
| major general Of volunteers.
| General Franklin commanded the
Sixth army corps in the Maryland
campaign and was in charge of the left
wing of the Army Of the Potomac in
| the battle of South Mountain. Septem-
Der IA, 1852, carrying Crampton's Gap
| by assault and gaining a distinguished
victory. In the battle of Antietam he
was in command of the Sixth army
corps and was at the head of the left
wing Of the Army Of the Potomac
when it met with defeat December IL,
! 1852. In June, 1868, he was ordered to
the Department of the Gulf and served
| in Texas and Louisiana for nearly a
| year, when he received severe wound
| at the battle of Sabine Cross Roads
and was invaded home under leave of
absence till November, 1864.
In July of that year he was made a
prisoner by rebel raiders near Balti-
more, and the story Of his capture and
escape is best told in the generals own
words in letter which he wrote the
next month:
II left Portland, Me-, July 4, 1854, to
make a visit to General Grant at his
headquarters at City Point, Va. ar
rived there on the 18th, stayed with him
until the 10th, in the meantime making
a visit to General w. F. Smith before
Petersburg, and left City Point on the
10th.
II arrived at Baltimore early in the
morning on the 18th, and finding that
| there was no excitement in the city
and that the Philadelphia trains were
to run as usual, no military pass be-
| ing required ] started for Philadelphia
in the first train, which left Baltimore
at $3.50 a. m. I was suspicious of an
attack upon the road that day, and
| took the earlier train, because l gained
an hour at the dangerous end of the
road by taking it.
| II considered the Gunpowder creek
bridge, about fifteen miles from Balti-
mora, as the dangerous point. 1t, how
ever, was crossed in safety, and / inn
agined that the danger was over.
"But / was mistaken; for at Magno-
| liza station. mile further, the rebels
made their appearance just as the
| train stopped. The train was at once
| captured, and guards were placed over
every car, so that all chance of escape
was cut off. The rebels were portion
of a rebel Maryland regiment under
the command of Major Gilmor, Bal
| timore man, and they numbered about