Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-18
Alisfsllameol,s 8eaaing,
GRAY HEADS IN BATTLE.
GALLANT DEEDS OF AMERICAN OFF,
GERS ALONG IN YEARS.

The Case of the Late General George 5.
Greene One of Many-Generals of Three
score Years In the Mexican and Civil
wars-Instances From the Recent War
With Spain.
From the New York Sun.
General George Sears Greene, who
died at Morristown, N. j., recently, in
his 9Sth year, belonged distinctly to a
bygone era. While many of his con-
temporaries on the Virginia and Ten
nessee battlefelds have been actively
campaigning from 1865 up to the pres.
ent day, this representative of the old
army and of the armies of 1861 was
compelled by age to put away the
sword more than generation ago.
When he waved it in front of his thin
but intrepid line on Culp's Hill, Gettys.
burg, in 1868, he was 62 years old, or
within two years of the retiring age
for army officers.
Strange as it may seem to readers
unfamiliar with the subject, the case
of General Greene is but one of many
in the annals of the American soldier.
The present commanding general OF
the United States army, General Mel
son A. Miles, fought his first battle
3S years ago; but he is today the
youngest of the most distinguished sur
vivors of the Civil war now in harness.
Brooke, Merritt, Shafter, Merriam,
Otis and Henry will reach the age
limit ahead of Miles. Lee and Wilson
are his seniors, and so is Wheeler, who
is a marvel of activity at 81. When
the army was marshalled for the war
against Spain, all the major generals
of the line, except Wade, apd not few
er than hundred subordinate officers
were older than Miles.
Threescore years or an age approach
ing it is a common one for American
leaders. When Winfield Scott stood
upon the dome of the castle of Cha
pultepec, directing his battalions in the
attack on the City of Mexico, he could
look back "a years to the day of bis
first battle wound. And General Zach
ary Taylor, who initiated the Mexican
war with all the fiery ardor of youth,
was 81 when he crossed the Rio Grande
at the head of the American army,
marching to Buena Vista and Monte
rev. And it was only last year that
ali the world applauded the spectacle
of Dewey, in his 61st year, smashing
Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines,
but he was simply bringing to fruit,
late in life, lessons that he himself
learned back in the COS, sailing under
Farragut, then veteran OF more than
threescore, having record of almost
so years of active warfare behind him.
Readers of history know that these
martial veterans have not played the
role of conservative counsellors mere
ly while young men bore the brunt OF
battle. Farragut was 63 when he was
lashed to the shrouds at the battle OF
Mobile Bay. Juniors about him shout
ed warnings that the flagship was lead,
ing the line of vessels into a nest OF
submarine torpedoes, but with an ex-
cusable oath, considering what it has
done for the American navy, the gray
headed admiral cried out: damn
the torpedoes! Go ahead |" And the
old hero didn't stop with mere words ;
but Immediately drove bis wooden
flagship upon the low forward deck OF
the ram Tennessee in an effort to sink
her with superior weight, although he
knew that his own vessel must 60
down in the general wreck.
In the same spirit General Zachary
Taylor acted when his juniors appeal
ed to him to fall back at Buena Vista,
for the safety of his army. "No," said
be firmly, 'T'll never pass my wound
ed alive" He stayed on the hard,
fought field and was rewarded the
next morning by seeing that the Mexi-
cans had retreated in a rout, although
they outnumbered his troops four to
one.
Scott displayed equally aggressive
vigor when the American army lay in
front of the forbidding heights of Cha
pultapec. After meeting with a. bloody
reception at Molinos del Rey he asked
the younger generals about him to
suggest a plan for the capture of the
City of Mexico, which lay beyond the
heights. All of them said that the
army should 60 around Chapultepec-
"avoid" it, was the military term-and
approach the city from the west side.
After each had spoken and given his
reasons Scott ended the council by
saying. "Gentlemen we will first
storm Chapultepec, then look to the
city gates on the west side" Chapul'
tepec was stormed and won and the
city fell without any defence of its
gates worthy the name.
Confederate veterans are familiar
with the episode in the Wilderness
when Robert E. Lee, then approach
ing threescore, wished to lead charge
of the Texan brigade. Albert Sidney
Johnston, the brilliant soldier upon
whom the south rested her high hopes
at the beginning, wss SO when killed
at Shiloh in the heat of a charge. This
Johnston, had he lived, might have be-
come the general.in-chief of the Con-
federate army, and at the close of the
war would have been 62 years old.
Joseph E. Johnston was So when he
fought the last battle in the Carolinas,
and Lee was the same age at Apo
mattox.
1t is interesting to contrast the ages
of the distinguished leaders in the
Civil war. Gray hairs were on the
side of the Confederates in those com.