The National tribune., 1901-12-12
AMERICAN GENERALS.
Brilliant Galaxy of Men Who Have Risen by Meritorious
Soldiershp
By AUGUSTUS c. BUELL..

for a short time in command Of the divi
sion at Gettysburg when Gen. Caldwell
had temporary command of the Second
Corps there. The wounds Col Brooke
suffered at Gettysburg did not keep hin
long out of the saddle, for the "Bristoe
campaign" in the following October found
him at the head of his brigade again. The
reorganization of the Army of the POtO
mac in March, 1864, preparatory to the
great Virginia campaign, did not effect
Brooke's Brigade, though soon after cross
ing the Rapidan the 9TH n. Y. II. A., act
ing as infantry, was added to it. In this
campaign Col. Brooke won the laurels
most popularity associated with his name.
When Hancock disposed the Second
Corps for assault upon the Confederate
works at Spottsylyania, known in history
as The Bloody Angle" he put Barlow s
Division in the lead. with its First and
| Fourth BrigadeS, under Miles and Brooke,
forming the front line. Both struck the
works at the same moment and went over
them, capturing the best part Of Edward
JohnsOn's Division of Ewells Corps
about $500, including Gen. johnson him
self and one of his Brigadiers, George II.
Steuart. This was unQuestiOnably the
most brilliant operation of the kind dur
ing the civil war. Indeed, if we consider
alike its magnitude and the formidable
character of the intrenchments that the
troops had to scale, there has been moth
ing else to compare with it in the his
| tory of modern warfare.
| The soldiers of BrOokes Brigade said
| at the time that Brooke was the first
Union officer to get inside the works
mounted, and that he forced his horse to
literally climb a parapet four feet high.
In the counter-attack of the Confed-
crates under Gordon, by which the troops
of the Second Corps were ultimately
Of tln .lyc in lsn's
Brigade bore the brunt. Its casualties
were appalling officers and 146 men
being killed or mOrtally wounded and %
officers and COS men wounded. Of this
total, the 14Sth Pa, Gov. Beavers regi-
ment, lost 10 officers and 291 men, more
than two-thirds of its force present for
duty. Shortly after Spottsylvania
Brooke's Brigade was reinforced by the
7th n. Y. H. A, which, like all the regi-
ments of that description, sent into the
fields in 1864 from the forts around Wash
ingtOn, was about 1,600 to LOO strong, or
nearly equal to the rest of the brigade.
In the assaults on the Confederate lines
at Cold HarbOr June l, 2 and 3, Barlow's
Division, as usual, was put to the fore
and BrOoke's Brigade led the division.
Speaking of these operations as a whole
Gen. Hancock says in his report: Brooke
led his brigade over obstacles that would
have stopped 4 less energetic and reso-
lutte commander; and carried the enemy's
advanced works" And again: The gal
liant Col. Brooke fell dangerously wound
ed just as he and his men were entering
the enemy's works, whereby the corps
will be, l fear, deprived for some time
of the services Of an officer who cannot
be replaced"
In the assault on June 8, which did not
last more than an hour altogether,
Brooke's Brigade lost nine officers and
III men killed or mOrtally wounded and
ID officers and 81 men wounded. 1t had
four different commanders during the ac-
ton: Col. Brooke, wounded; Col. Or
lando H. Morris, Goth N Y, killed; Col
Lewis o. Morris, 7th n. Y. II. A, NOR
tally wounded and died the next day; and,
finally, Col. James a. Beaver, 14Sth Pa,
who was also wounded, but kept the
field
This wound at Cold Harbor incapaci-
tated Col. Brooke from service cOnsid-
cradle time. He was promoted to the
rank of Brigadier-General of Volunteers
about a month afterwards, but as well as
the writer can remember did not resume
command of his old brigade or hold any
other command in the Second Corps af-
ter Cold Harbor. My recollection is that
late in 1864 he was concerned with Han
cock in the organization of the First Vet
eran CorDs.
In July, 1866, Brooke was appointed
Lieutenant Colonel of the 9th Regulars,
reached the rank of Brigadier-General in
April, 1883, and of Major-General in
May, 1897. The history of his operations
in the Spanish War is too well known to
need mention here.
Summing up, it may be said that John
R. Brooke is perfect type of the Amer
lean citizen n-soldier. A great military
genius, when told that certain officer
was beloved by all his brother officers,
said: Tell me what the men say about
him"
Tried by that test, Brooke's character
leaves nothing to be desired. Among his