The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
FIGHTING JOE WHEELER
INTERESTING STORIES ABOUT The
FAMOUS CONFEDERATE LEADER.
Strong Poetic Vein I'm His Temporal
ment-senatOr Dnyis's Frank In
dorsement of His Wartime Foe.


philadelphia to make his home in cOnaec-
ton with the development Of new gun. is
one OF the great cavalry officers Of the
world That was the estimate of Gen. ". L.
Sherman- When war was threatened With
Spain twenty years ago over the Virginius
affair Sherman told General Miles that, If
war came. Joe Wheeler ought to have
very high command. as he was one Of the
greatest cavalry commanders the world
had ever known.
Strikingly interesting stories are told
about this small. grim, nervous, soft
voiced dashing soldier Some are matters
OF history. The Red Book Of Michigan
tells this story at the generals expense.
1t is an incident connected with the
pulse Of the COnfederates at Strawberry
Plains, Aug. "a. 1864. Eight men of the
Tenth Michigan Cavalry had been detailed
10 defend McMilligans ford on the Hol-
stan. One of the men disappeared. leaving
seven, and among this number was a great,
husky giant named Griggs, the farrier of
Company b.
These seven men actually kept the Con-
federate brigade from crossing the ford for
three hours and a half The fighting was
severe. Finally the big farrier was Badly
wounded. and the Confedefates. by swim
in capturing the whole party.
General Wheeler was filled with adrnira-
ton at their valor. and at once paro.ed
man TO stay and take care Of Griggs. Then
he said TO the wounded farrier:
Wen, my man, how many men had you
at the fOrd?'
Seven. sir" answered Griggs.
My poor fellow, don't you know you are
badly wounded? You had better tell me the
truth. You may not live long"
h II he in
dignant soldier. I'VE had only seven T1en."
Wei, what did you expect to do?'
asked the general, with a laugh.
To keep you from crossing, sir"
The general was still more amused;
Why didn't you do it?' he asked
" ell, SIR you see, sir we did until you
hit me, and that weakened our forces so
mucn that you were too many for US"
General Wheeler. more amused than ever
inquired Of another prisoner, who hap
pened 10 be horse farrier, too:
Are all the Tenth Michigan like you fell
"Oh. no." said the man; 1--WE are the
poorest of the lot. We are mostly horse
1arriers and blacksmiths, and moi much
accustomed to fighting
General Wheeler has a largely developed
vein of poetry in his composition Some of
his reports. when he was a general of cav
alrs in the Confederate army are unique
IN this respect. In January, 1868. he raided
Rosecrans's line of communication and
captured and burned the tin-clad gunboats
or Sedelle. In his report General Wheeler
wrote:
Alongside the blazing and cracking
transports she became a cinder upon the
waters which only an hour before had
walked so proudly like thing of life
His report OF his raid on the Sc
quatchie valley in September, 1863, IS one
OF the most remarkable war documents
ever published. He wrote
AS jOcund day begar 10 stand tiptOe on
the mountain tops on either side, and the
sunbeams to cast their golden radiance
upon the fields OF that fertile valley, as if
10 cheer the weary soldiers for the bril-
liant achievements before them, column
or the enemy was encountered, and no
sooner seen than the notes of the general $
bugie sounded the charge, and each horse
man, instinct with new life, rushed forward
10 the attack"
His escapes from death during the civil
war were almost miraculous. From first to
last he had sixteen horses killed under him
In battle besides a great number
wounded, as he once told General Malone.
Thirty-twO of his staff officers were either
killed or wounded while riding beside him
at the front. He was three times wounded
himself. In an engagement near Nashville
after Braggs defeat in 1862, his horse was
torn to pieces by an exploding shell. his
aid was killed and himself painfully
wounded He climbed on another horse, Sc
cured another aid and continued at the
head of his troops.
The career of General Wheeler has been
one long romance. He is a West Point
graduate. served in New Mexico as a lieu
tenant OF cavalry in the regular army re-
signed 10 enter the Confederate army, rose
TO the rank Of senior cOvalry general of its
armies, was appointed professor of phil
Deen a lawyer ana a planter and was a
member OF Congress for fifteen years.
His soldiers never lost battle while he
was In command. He never gave order
TO go forward" but always yelled in his
sCueaky little voice. Come Oni' When he
was in Congress he employed as high as
five stenOgraphers to answer CORE spOnd-
ents and take his speeches. When he
couldn't speak on the floor of the House
he would get leave 10 print in the Rec
ord. He precipitated a great row by having
half a volume OF statistics printed in the
Congressional Record.
One of the stories told about MIN is char
acteristic OF the man:
once during one of his congressional
campaigns he travelling in a buggy
through a remote corner of Alabama, and
overlook a mail carrier grooming under the
weight Of an enormous sack OF stuff. He
invited the man To ride beside him..
why don't you have a horse?'' asked
Il have had three at different times" re-
pied the carrier, but they all died. The
You mean that the burden of the mails
was too great2'
Yes. that's just it, There's a - fool
OF a representative from this district who
sends out such lot of truck that the mails
are loaded all the time. This bag is full of
such stun-books and seeds and such"
How much money would buy you
horse?' asked the general. feeling in his
Horses are high now answered the
carrier. Il couldn't get good one FOR less
than $50 the reply
Fighting joe counted out $50
THAT will buy you a horse hi, said
But I'm not -- fool. my good fellow -
The man gazed on the money, and could
not find word 10 say before the general
orOve of.
When the war with Spain was about To
be declared the question of appointing
Wheeler to a reasonable command was
taken UP by President Mckinley and his
friends. Among those whose advice was
asked was the late Senator Cushman IL
Davis. OF Minnesota.
What is your Judgment. senator, on the
appointment Of General Wheeler asked
the President OF Davis one day. when n
number OF old soldiers. among them Haw-
ley OF Connecticut; ShOup. OF Idaho Hem
dersOn. of Idaho. and others were present
Il think il would be one Of the best an
pOintments you could make, Mr. Presi-
lent. replied Davis, frankly. Il an, a lfy-
ing witness Of Wheeler's grit and persist
ence. During the rebellion he chased me
like the very devil through about five
States"
AMERICAN n,IsI I,pIONES