The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-18

GENERALS WHO wERs FARMERS "
--'- boYhooo DAYS


Roth Miles sAd sAastsr-Grsnt, to-, Hsssl
tiss Tannsrp Trade anA Loved Fsrming-
Other Generals Of tie Army who Were
City nar..
Many Of Americas most famous
generals were born and raised On q
farm. They started on their career Of
fame when they Quit the country.
This probably was because no gen.
eral can become well-known by stay.
Ing on farm. Nelson A. Miles
realized this when he left the farm
on which he was born, in Westmin.
ster, Worcester county, Massachus.
etts, and went to Boston to clerk III 4
grocery store, at the age Of 10. He
saw the war a-coming, and prepared
for 1t by joining the military and read.
Ing up on tactics. When the time and
opportunity came, he was ready.
Grant. too, was o farmer. He Was
born Mt Point Pleasant, Clermont
county, Ohio, but while yearling. his
father, who was a tanner, removed to
Georgetown. Grant detested tanning,
but he liked agriculture, and any
thing that had to do with horses. lie
worked on farm until he was ap-
pointed to West Point
Sherman, on the contrary, though
born in the country town of Lancas-
ter, Ohio, was the son Of lawyer.
When his father died he was taken
into the Ewing family--Thomas Ew-
ing being United States Senator-and
prepared for the Military Academy.
Garfield, however, was a farmers
boy Of Ohio, and he graduated from
the farm to the towpnth. When the
war came he was in Congress. hut
unlike good many political generals,
he proved equal to the commission he
held.
Ormsby Mitchell, the astronolnic
general, was born on his fathers farm
In Union County, Kentucky, his faith
err having moved into that state from
Virginia.
Sheridan's birthplace is In doubt.
Some authorities say that he was born
In Albany, and others that he was an
Ohioan by birth. Whatever his birth
place, he was appointed to West FONT
from Ohio, and he made himself what
he was.
Custer was born on farm ut New
Rumley, Ohio, and did the work Of
farmer until he was old enough to
60 to the military academy.
Schofeld's birthplace was Gerry,
Chautauqua County, New York. His
father, pastor moved In 1913 to ILL
nos. and there the son worked on n
farm until he reached the age for a
military education.
Burnside was born in log cabin at
Liberty, No., and as boy was far
mer until he learned the trade of a
tailor.
IIalleck was born in Watervillc,
Oneida county, New York; Thomas in
Southampton, Va: Hancock In Mont.
gomery county, Pa; Butler in Deer
field. N. H.; RosecraDs at Kingston,
Ohio; Pope at Kaskaskia, ILL.,; Logan
in Jackson county, ILL.,, where his
father was doctor; Crook near Day
ton, Ohio; Fitzpatrick near Decker
town, n. j.; Lew Wallace at Brook
vile. Ind; Hooker at IIadlcy, Mass;
Franklin Mt York, Ia; Slocum at
Delphi, Onondaga county, n. Y; the
fighting McCooks on an Ohio farm;
Stoneman in Chnutauqua county, N.
Y: and Howard at Leeds, Me.
OF the city born generals Merritt
and rhil Kearney are products of New
adelpha; Fremont In Savannah, Ca;
Mcdowell in Columbus. Ohio: Alfred
Plcasanton in Washington; Terry in
Hartford. Conn; while Meade was
born in Cadiz. Spain, where his father
was a representative of the United
States.
Shafter was born on Michigan
farm. Oates, one of the new brigad-
iers. was born on his fathers farm In
Bullock county, Ala. and Harrison
Gray Otis, of California, another new
hrisadier, was born on his fathers
farm near Marietta. Ohio.
OF the new major generals. Cop
plnser and ScwelI are the only foreign |
born. they having come from Ireland. |
Graham, the senior major general, |
was born in Washington, and BreCk- |
enridge's parents. at the time Of his |
birth. lived IN Baltimore.
Turning to the navy the most con-
slicuous figure Of the day, Acting !
Rear Admiral Sampson, was born on
a farm near Palmyra, N. Y, aud |
worked hard all of his boyhood days.
Sigsbee was born. too. on farm in
Albany county, this State Dewey, on
the contrary, though born in small
his father being doctor, and fairly
uou off