The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-12
ANOTHER CORPS COMMANDER GONE.

Last week, in mentioning the death of
Maj.-Gen. 1Baldy" Smith, we said that
this reduced the number of living men
who had commanded corps to six-Gens.
Schofeld, Sickles, Franklin, Howard,
Wilson and Dodge. By some oversight We
neglected to mention Gen. A. Med. Nc
Cook, who commanded the Twentieth
Corps until after the battle of Chica-
manga. This makes the number seven.
but it has been reduced to six by the
death of Maj-Gen. William B. Franklin,
who died at Hartford, Conn.,, March s, at
the age of so years. He was born in
Franklin, Pa, Feb. q, 1923, and was a
son of Walter S. Franklin, who was
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
He graduated from West Point at the
head of the famous class of 1913, of which
Hardie, Henry f. Clarke, French, Augur,
U. S. Grant, J. II. Potter, G.. S. Hamil-
ton, Frederick Steele, Rufus ingalls,, f. I.
Dent and Judah, of the Union army, and
Ripley and Franklin Gardner, of the
rebel army, were members. Being an
honor graduate, Franklin was commits
stoned in the Typographical Engineers,
and received a brevet for gallant conduct
at Buena Vista. The outbreak of the re-
bellion found him a Captain, and he did
service of the highest value in putting
Washington in a state of defense and
securing a peaceable Inauguration of
Abraham Lincoln, and was given the
Colonelcy of the 10Th q. S., one of the
new regiments organized for the Regular
Army. He was also promoted to Briga-
dier-General of Volunteers, to date from
May II, and great expectations were en-
tertained as to his career. He command
ed brigade at the battle of Bull Run, but
achieved no particular distinction. In the
organization of the Army of the Potomac
he was first placed in command of diyi-
sion, and, being favorite of Mcclellan,
the latter created corps for him as soon
as they reached the Peninsula, which SUBJ
seGuently became the Sixth Corps. He
was brevetted Brigadier- General in the
Regular Army for his conduct before
Richmond, and commissioned MaJor-Gen-
eral of Volunteers, to date from July 4,
1862. He commanded the Sixth Corps
when he struck decisive blow at Cramp-
toms Gap, and was blamed for not pro-
ceeding with alacrity to the relief of the
garrison at Harpers Ferry. He was pres
ent with his corps at Antietam, but took
little part in the action. At the battle of
Fredericksburg he commanded the Left
Grand Division of the Army of the PotO-
niac-the First and Sixth Corps-and was
severely criticised for not following up
Meade's splendid advance on the left. and
making diversion there in favor of the
main attack in the center. In consequence
of this, when the army was reOrganiZed
under Hooker, Franklin was placed on
waiting orders to June %, 1868, when he
was ordered to duty in the Department of
the Gulf. and commanded the Nineteenth
Corps ON the Red River Expedition, where
he was wounded. He came back home on
a leave of absence, was captured by rebel
raiders on the Philadelphia & Baltimore
but escaped from them during
the night. He was then made President
of the Board for Retiring Disabled Of
service Nov. 10, 1865. He resigned his
Regular Army commission March 10,
1866, to become Vice-PreSident of the Colt
Patent Fire-Arm Manufacturing Com
pany. He was CommissionerGenera for
the United States to the Paris Exposition
Of 1888 and was decorated with the
Legion of Honor. Until within year or
TWO ne OCCupleu thS POSitioh VI AAcoiucut
Of the National Board of Governors of the
Volunteer Soldiers Home. He was a
member of the Loyal Legion, the Army
and Navy Club of Connecticut. the So
riety of the Cincinnati and the Grand
Army of the Republic. He had been in
poor health for many years, but failed
since the death of his wife.
three years ago. The remains were in
.erred at York, Pa.