The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-20

lived and died a farmer instead of a
leader of the national forces.
The fall of Sumter on Sunday, April
IA, 1861, plunged the nation into the
frenzied throeS of four long years of
civil warfare. Maj. Brooke, father of
John R. Brooke, had not been to town,
nor seen a newspaper, and did not
know that Sumter had fallen, although
it was Thursday, and the war had be-
gun the preceding Sunday.
Maj. Brooke listened to the story of
the battle, and said brusquely, John
must 60" John was busy in the woods
with yoke of oxen gathering load of
stumps. Presently he appeared, a big
fellow, twenty-five years of age, in the
rough garments of a farmer. He was
offered the captaincy, and replied,
Certainly" After finishing the days
work, the new captain came to town
and Strolled into the company'S armory
and talked over the situation On the
next day, Friday, the company jour
neyed to Harrisburg in citizens clothes
without arms or equipments. On Satur-
day they were furnished with BOTH and
started for Perryville to go through a
course of training. The regiment
was known as the Fourth Pennsyl-
vania, enlisted for three months ser
vice, and was mustered in on April 20,
1861. John Brooke proved a good Off
Ger, being a strict disciplinarian and
getting excellent results with his men.
Then he was taken with a slight fe-
yer, was placed on the sick list, and on
his way home on a furlough stopped in
Harrisburg and interviewed Gov. An
drew G. Curtain. a-
Raising a New Regiment. ss
The war governor was so much i'm
pressed with the young officer that
Brooke was encouraged to raise a new
MT n Gov
third Pennsylvania. Brooke returned
to the Fourth and served a short time
before it disbanded. The three months
expired the day before the first battle
of Bull Run. The regiment had been
requested to serve until after the i'm
pending battle, but the matter rested
with a vote of the men. The ballot
resulted in disarmament and the
Fourth was honorably mustered out on
July rs. number>o of men went into
Brooke'S new regiment, and from the
circumstances arose a personal enmity
between Brooke and Col. Hartranft
commander of the Fourth, that lasted
for years. Unfortunate as this incident
was, it's bearings upon the lives of two
men of such prominence in the annals
or the state and nation raise it to an
Importance that cannot be ignored.
Later in the war when Brooke and
Hartranft, both colonies, were in adj
joining camps, mutual friends attempt
ed to heal the wound with no result In
1872 Hartranft made his opening
speech in his campaign for governor at
PottStoWn. Brooke was among the
audience, and another attempt at rec
onciliation failed. Several years later
Gov. Hartranft so far closed the breach
as to write personal letter to the sec
rotary of war recommending Col
Brooke for the position of brigadier
general in the regular army
Few regiments attained such dis
tinction nor felt so severely the losses
of the field as did the F'ifty-third
Pennsylvania under the command of
Col. Brooke. 1t is said that of the 1000
fighting regiments engaged in the Civil
war, but forty-five lost more than 200
men in the field.
The deeds of the regiments and bril-
liant career of Col. Brooke are so close
interviewer as to be synonymous AS
part of McClellan's army of the PENN
sula the regiment took a prominent
part in the battle of Fair Oaks, in June,
1862 where it was surprised and
thrown into confusion, but rallied and
quickly forced the emmy from his line
The commanding generals commanded
its conduct on this occasion. In the
same month it supported a battery in
position on the York river railroad, was
thrown forward to assist Porters
IIOOpS III Tie ueduly CONNECT lnen rag
ing and crossed the Chicahominy and
faced the fire of the enemy at Gaines
mill. Then began the famous Change
of base,' when the regiment formed
the part of the third brigade, holding
the post of honor in covering the rear
of the retreating army. A fierce en-
gagement at Peach Orchard resulted in
Gen. Sumner riding UP and compli-
menting the regiment for it's bravery
saying, You have done nobly. knew
you would do{t."
Later in the retreat the generals
highly complimented Gen. Brooke for