The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-23
LIFE OF GOV. MORTON
ADVANCE SHEETS FROM HON. w. ID.
FOULKE's FORTHCOMING WORK.
-A
A Biography That VIII Undoubtedly
Offer an Adequate Presentation
of a Great Personality.
HE SERVED HIS STATE WELL
HIS CAREER AN IMPORTANT PART
OF INDIANA's HISTORY.
A Number of Incidents Showing How
He Rose to Every Occasion as the
HE SERVED HIS STATE WELL
HIS CAREER AN IMPORTANT PART
OF INDIANA's HISTORY.
A Number of Incidents Showing How
War Opened and Progressed.


-e
diana's war Governor, upon which Hon.
William Dudley Foulke has been engaged
for several years, is at last completed and
will soon be offered to the public Advance
sheets received from the Bowen Merrill
Company, publishers, serve to indicate the
scope of the work and the admirable man
ner in which the subject has been handled
Friends and admirers of the great Indianian
who have lamented the lack Of an adequate
record of his life and career were gratified
on learning that the task of preparing it
had been undertaken by Mr.. Foulke, his
literary ability and grasp of public affairs
giving assurance that it would be well done
These advance chapters justify that con-
fidence and warrant the statement that the
work will take its place among the limited
number of notable biographies valued not
only for the interest of the story told. but
for the manner of the telling. 1t will be
esteemed not only as history but as litera-
ture, terms by no means synonymous in the
book world. AS showing the time and labor
expended upon it the biographers own
words may be quoted:
lit has been the result of about twelve
years of work, and the files of the daily
papers of Indianapolis, Cincinnati and New
York, as Well as the Congressional Globe
and Record and many other authorities that
can cite have been consulted, besides per-
sonal interviews with many of those who
Mortons career. l have also had access to
MOrton's private letters and papers so far
as they were preserved by the family
The life of Morton is part of the history
of Indiana and not page of the story
but is of almost personal interest to citizens
of the State who lived during the turbulent
period Of the civil war and the hardly less
exciting years Immediately succeeding it
and can hardly be less absorbing to later
generation, proud of the loyalty and patriot
ism displayed in that time of stress.
BAD FINANCIAL CONDITION.
The conditions that confronted the Gov
ernor and the patriotic element at the be-
ginning of the war are thus set forth:
AT the outbreak of the rebellion there
were, perhaps, less than tlve hundred stand
of effective small arms in the State, besides
eight pieces of weather-woFn and dis
mantled cannon and an unknown number
Morton collected and found to be useless
except for drill and guard duty. Not only
were the financial and military resources of
Indiana in the worst possible shape, but
the credit and reputation of the State were
at low ebb. Gigantic schemes for internal
Improvement in 1867 had drawn in their
train bankruptcy and the reputation of a
former state debt Indiana did not stand
well in the money market The stream of
emigration flowed past her doors into the
States beyond. Her military reputation had
been furnished by injurious reports of the
conduct of her soldiers at Buena Vista, and
there was certain evil repute which every
where hung over the name of HOosier.'
such was the condition of Indiana, her
treasury bankrupt, her credit poor, frauds
everywhere, no money, no arms, no ammu-
milton, no militia except on paper-and
even this organization in the hands of Of
ficers many Of whom were in sympathy
with rebellion-a Legislature with for
midable minority, reluctant and revolution
airy, having the power and the will to stop
even the most needful measures of public
defense-such was the condition of the State
when the most gigantic war in American
history broke out and demanded resources
and energy for which prosperous times and
undivided patriotism would seem barely suf-
ficient. But the will and intellect of the
great war Governor were equal to the
emergency"
EARLY OPPOSITION.
The first call for troops was promptly an
swered. for loyal citizens were aroused and
in the majority but opposition was strong
from the beginning and criticisms of the
Governor and his acts bitter and malignant.
In particular were his appointments of reg
mental and other officers condemned.
But says the biographer "such criti-
cisms fell for the most part upon inatten-
tive ears. There were not many complaints
at that early period of the war. AS gen.
eral thing, the people of the State were
willing to cooperate heartily with an exec
utive who in the midst of great obstacles,
was doing his best to cast the full strength
of Indiana. on the side of the Union. 1t is
always the unsatisfactory selection which
causes comment. The great mass of ex
cellent appointments, like the thousand acts
which go to make up good reputation, pass
without specific notice. While it would be
idle to say that grave mistakes were not
made, the officers chosen by Governor Nor
ton were in the main selected with skill and
Judgment, and their conduct during the war
reflected credit upon the State: The entire
number of commissions issued by Morton
was 1854. OF these less than 1.6 per cent.
were dismissed or resigned for the good of
the service.
I'm a speech made many years after
wards, he thus spoke of his experience:
When / first began to make appointments
of officers during the war, not understand
ing the business Git was all new TO me)
tried to please everybody and his friends.
but l soon found that. would not do.
found that out almost Immediately, and
then determined that / would follow the die
tates of my own Judgment without fear or
favor-that / would do the best could. /
did not know whether l would come out
of the war with a single friend or not, but
had got to the point where felt that 1t
would make no difference. / sometimes
wrong man, but congratulate myself that
the officers from Indiana as body, COM
pared favorably with the officers of any
other State, and that few of them disgraced
the State or dishonored their commits
sions.'
EQUIPPING TROOPS.
The difficulties encountered in the recent
war in equipping the volunteer army
makes the experiences OF the soldiers of
that earlier time and the efforts in their
behalf of especial interest. Mr.. Foulke
says:
s'AIorton's efforts We're not confined TO
raising troops and providing them with Of
ficers He took il upon himself to see that
the soldiers of Indiana did not suffer for
lack of clothing and other necessary ar
ticles 1t made no difference to him that
this duty belonged to the federal govern
ment These troops were Indiana men; they
had gone to the field in response to his cali.
and he did not intend that they should
suffer. One case illustrates the persistency
of his efforts in their behalf. Some Indiana
troops had been sent to West Virginia, and
were during the latter part of August un-
der the command of General Reynolds at
Cheat Mountain Pass. Although it was still
summer, the men were beginning to suffer
during the chilly nights which in that noun
famous region betokened the coming OF
autumn. Morton, on learning that these
troops were not provided with overcoats.
applied TO the United States quartermaster.