The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-04
FIGHTING GENERAL.
JOE WHEELER

west and southwest during the war. There
by hangs q tale.
IF any testimony is required of Joe
Wheeler's grit 1 can furnish 1t. During
the civil war he chased me through
about seven states
That is what Senator Cushman x
Davis, of Minnesota. said to President Nc
Kinley regarding the proposed appoint
ment of Fighting Joe as a major general
of cavalry.
Wheeler is one of the best liked men in
congress. He has served eight terms as a
representative from Alabama
He is eccentric. He sends out more
matter through the mails than any other
three members. He buys government seeds
from congressman who represent city con-
stituencies In the same way he invests
money in public documents from the de-
partment of agriculture. These he distrib-
utes with liberalty, so that no constituent
may grieye.
Once General Wheeler was travelling in
buggy along a. country road in Alabama.
He overlook mail carrier sroaning under
the weight of an enormous sack of stuff.
and invited the man to take a seat beside
him.
why don't you have horse?' said the
general.
II have had three at different times" re-
piled the carrier. but they died The work
was too heavy"
you mean hiatt the burden of the mails
was too create"
Yes that's just it. There's a d--n fool
representative from this district who sends
out such lot of truck that the mails are
loaded all the time. This bag is full of
such stuff; books and SUCH
i-How much money would buy you a
! horse?" asked the general, feeling in his
pocket
Horses are high now" answered the car
rier ST couldn't get good one for less
than $780,"
Fighting Joe counted out $50.
''Thatll buy your horse" he said.
The man gazed upon the money in
constituent and could not find a word to
say before the general drove off.
He served in New Mexico as lieutenant
of cavalry, but resigned in 1861 to enter
the Confederate service.
He was promoted to the command of a
regiment brigade, division and army
corps.
In May, 1864, he became senior cavalry
general OF the confederate armies. He re-
ceived the thanks of the confederate con-
gress, and for the defense of Aiken the
thanks of the state of South Carolina.
In 1866 he was appointed professor of phil
osophy in the Louisiana State Seminary,
but declined the place. Until elected to
the Forty-seventh congress he was a law
yer and planter.
The sobriquet of Fighting Joe" was be-
slowed on Wheeler by reason of his inces-
SAINT activity in war. He never was much
of disciplinaran. The warfare he pre-
ferred was of the guerilla sort The men
who served under him were necessarily on
the march, and constantly exposed to dan
ger. The best horse would never last him
more than week.
While marching he was continually gall
looping up and Down from the advance guard
of his command to the rear and back again.
He was indefatigable in cutting railway
communications and capturing trains.
Fighting Joe never gave his troops an
order to go forward. His command was
always Come on!' He was born sol
der. Tough and wiry, his health is robust.
though his stature is under the average and
his muscular strength by no means for
midable.
He eats little and sleeps little.
His troops never lost a fight when he
commanded Twenty years ago, when
war with Spain was threatened. General
Sherman said to General Miles that Joe
Wheeler ought to receive high command.
inasrnuch as he was one of the greatest
cavalry commanders that the world had
produced.
After the war General Wheeler married
a southern lady of wealth, who bore him
five children. She is dead. One of his
two boys, young Joe, is a lieutenant OF
light artillery. Two of his three daughters
have enlisted as nurses on the hospital ship
which will accompany the North Atlantic
squadron.
In the house Fighting Joe is one Of the
best known figures He is homely, griz-
zled and a poor speaker. He does a good
| deal of talking, and what he cannot get
| a chance to say he prints in the Record.
| In a recent congress there was row
| on account of his running whole volume
of matter into the daily newspaper of the
house. and the committee printing ia
| obliged to keep sharp eye on him.
| He takes part in every debate, and is
vehement in argument.
| Anything that has to do with military
| legislation or with matters relating in any
| way to war excites his keen interest.
In the Fifty-first congress he climbed
on top of his desk one day to insist upon
being recognized by Speaker Reed. He
keeps half a dozen stenographers. hired at
/ his own expense, busy all the time.
He pays a good deal of his own money
| for extra printing of speeches in addition
| to what he can get from the public print
! ing Office. ~9H
| The troops that serve under Fighting Joe
will see hard service, but discipline will
| never be too strict for endurance.
| They win win battles. They will never
| lose them. 81
| In 0piR Eroxr AN a m h.rf