Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-01-02
ADVANCE SHEETS FROM HON. W. u.
FoULkE'> FORTHCOMING WORK
A Biography That VIII Undoubtedly
OHer Adequate Presentation
of Great Personality.
HE SERVED HIS STATE WELL
HIS CAREER An IMPORTANT PART
OF INDIANA'> HISTORY.
A Number of Incident. showing How
He Rose to Every Occasion a the
War Opened and Progressed.

The biography Of Oliver p. Morton. In
diana's war Governor. upon which Hon.
William Dudley FolIke has been engaged
for several years, il at last completed and
viii soon be offered 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 II the great IndIauian
who have lamented the lack OF an adequate
record Of his life and career We're gratIfied
on learning that the task of preparing il
mad been undertaken by MIR Foulhe. his
literary ability and grasp of public affairs
giving assurance that il 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 bi, graphies 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 Htera-
ture, terms by no means synonymous in the
book world.S As showing the time and abor
expended upon il the biographers
words may be- quoted;
1T has been the result of about twelve
years OF work, and the files of the daily
York, we'll the Congressional Globe
and Record and many other authorities that
1 can cite have been consulted. besides per
sonaI interviews with many of those who
have been most intimately connected with
Mortons private letters and papers 50 far
they were preserved by the family.
The life OF Morton is part of the history
of Indiana. and not a page of the story
but is OF almost personal interest to citizens
of the State who lived during the turbulent
period of the civil and the hardly less
exciting years Immediately succeeding it
and can hardly be less absorbing to a 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 thus set forth:
AT the outbreak of the rebellion there
were. perhaps. less than five hundred stand
of effective small arms in the State besides
eight pieces of weather-worn and dis
mantIed cannon, and an unknown number
Morton collected and found to be useless
except for drill and guard duty. Not only
We're the financial and military resources of
Indiana in the worst possible shape but
the credit and reputation of the State were
Improvement in 1861 had drawn in their
train bankruptcy and the repndiation Of
well in the money market. The stream of
emigration flowed past her doors into the
been tarnished by injurious reports of the
conduct of her soldiers at Buena Vista. and
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-
exen this so n the on hands of o
ncers many or wiIorn i,.--s,rapathy
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 Governor were equal to the
emergency.
EARLY OPPOSITION.
The first call for troops was promptly an
swered, for loyal citizens aroused and
in the majority, but opposition 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 biogra pher, such criti- |
cisms fell for the most part upon inatten- |
tive There were not many complaints !
at that early period of the war. AS a gen
eral thing. the people of the State were |
willing TO cooperate heartily with an exec
utive who. in the midst of great obsta ctes.
was doing his best to cast the full strength |
of Indiana 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 /
without specific notice While ii would be
idle to say that grave mistakes were not
made. the officers chosen by Cove rnor Nor
ton were in the main selected with skill and
Judgment. and their conduct during the
reflected credit upon the State The entire
number of commissions issued by Morton
was Is SS4. OF these less than is per cent
were dismissed or resigned for the good of
the service
In speech made many years after
wards. he thus spoke of his experience:
When ! first began make appointments
Of officers during the war not understand
ing the business Git was all new TO mel, !
tried TO please everybody and his friends.
but ] soon found that would do /
found that out almost immedia tely- and l
then determined that / would follow the die
favor-that / would do the best / could. ]
did not know whether / would come out
would make no difference. / sometimes |
wrong man. but congratulate myself that
the officers from Indiana, as body COM
other State ard that few OF them disgraced |
the State or dishonored their commits
EouIPPIN~ TROOPS.
The difficulties encouI-s cred in the recent +
war in equipring the volunteer army
makes the experiences of the soldiers of
that earlier time and the efforts in their
behalf of esr ecial interest. Mr. Foulke
says:
.'Morton's efforts were not confined TO
raising troops and providing them with Of
ficers. He took il upon himself TO see that
LACK OF clothing and other necessary ar
ticles. 1t made no difference TO him that
this duty belonged 10 the federal govern
rnent These troops were Indiana men. they
had gone to the field in response to his cali,
and he did intend that thew should
suffer. One case illustrates the peFsistency !
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 II 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. learning that these
troops were not provided with overcoats,
applied TO the United States quartermaster
first al Indianapolis. then Cincinnati and
finally TO Quarfsrmaster General Asigs ar
Wastin gton. Two lots OF four thousand
each were forU arded. hut neither of these
reached their cestina ton.