Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-29
BLACKS WAR RECORD.
The Services of the New Grand
Army Commander.
HOW He FOUGHT AT PRAIRIE GROVE
An Exhibition of HerOism which
Endenrs Him to the Veterans of
the Civil War, Who Now Confer
Their Highest Honor Upon Him.
General Black In Civil Life.

| Their highest ODOh
General Black In civil Life.
General John c. Black, who has been
chosen commander of the Grand Army
of the Republic, was n student in Wa
bash Qnd) college when the civil war
began and upon the opening of HOSTILE
| ties enlisted as private in the Mont
| gomery guards, which was mustered
| into service as Company l of the EleY-
! enth Indiana ZouaVeS, commanded by
| Lew Wallace. This regiment served
three months in West Virginia and the
| Shenandoah valley. Returning home
| ut the expiration of the term of his
| enlistment, he recruited a company for
| the Thirty-seVenth Illinois regiment of
| volunteers, of which regiment he be-
| came major. He was promoted for dis
| tiEguiShed services successfully to lieu
| tenant colonel, colonel and brevet brig
| adler general of United States vOlun-
teers. General Black was twice seri-
ously wounded and has almost wholly
| lost the use of his left arm.
General Blacks most conspicuous
service was at Prairie Grove in 1862,
when with Colonel McNulta, in COM
commanded to take strong position
held by the enemy. Black was then Il
| captain, but in the absence of the colo
mel he was in command OF the regi-
ment. Both he and McNulta knew that
| the order meant business. They got
| their men into shape and started on the
| perilous march into the face of death,
! says a veteran who was in the engage
ment
| They began to see the signs of the
| enemy at the end of the third day.
! They were still forty miles from the
scene of the probable fight. The men
were spurred on to eXertions which
seem almost superhuman. They plod-
| ded for twenty-fOur straight hours.
with only two hours for sleep on the
| open ground. Their only food was cof-
! fee They walked thirty miles at the
| last stretch, part of the time at double
| quick The enemy met them on the
way, and at daylight. two miles from
! Prairie Grove, the first firing started.
| There were many dead soldiers left at
| the roadside. The column forged ahead,
| its legs weary, its eyes wild from loss
| of sleep. and its life all gone save the
/ life which comes under extraordinary
! excitement Black held the center of
| the line. The commander sent word
| for him to march straight ahead, to
take the top of the hill and to hold 1T.
! This sent his regiment into the very
front-into the middle OF the enemY'S
range OF guns. There was an Indiana
| regiment on one side Colonel AIcNul-
ta's was on the other. 1t was a most
perilous sally-one OF the most fright
fully murderous undertakings of all the
| war.
The line moved up the hill. i was
met at the brow by a force which out
numbered it five to one. The Confeder-
ates came from the woods in swarms
beating down upon the Union forces
with fearful effect. The Indiana men
held their ground until the Confeder-
ates came so close that the explosion
of the rifles spattered the uniforms
/ with powder stains. The Confederate
commander sent his host pellmell into
the lone regiment at Blacks left. The
men in gray began to beat the Indian
ians down the hillside. 1t was greater
odds than the best of bravery could
| meet, and the Union soldiers retreated.
Colonel Black had the command next
| III the line Oh DdItlt. ne WAS On AlAC
crest of the hill with his regiment The
rebels came at him as they came at
the Indiana men. They might as well
have come against n stone wall. The
commander, with his long hair in the
wind and his voice ringing clear and
shrill above the din, held his men to
their work He had few words. They
were to the point, and they simply adj
vised the men to stick close to the
ground and shoot mighty low. He
| alone was the target for the thousands
on the other side. One ball brought
his horse to its knees. The men brought
him another. Another ball tore through
his left arm. 1t fell limp. He picked
1t up with his other hand and hung it
in the front of his coat. The blood
was streaming from the little hole, but
there was no time for bandage or
thought of pain.
At the close of the war General
Black located at Danville, ILL.,, where
he studied law and was admitted to
the bar. He never held political office
until he was appointed commissioner
of pensions, though he twice ran for
congress, once for lieutenant governor
! VI IllC SidNc anu III 1910 ltNNlNSd AAlC
vote of his party in the legislature for
the United States senate. In his race
for congress in the fall of 1884 he led
his ticket by nearly $500 votes, his
Republican opponent, ]. Cameron, be-
ing elected by less than 500 votes in a
district that had given in presidential
years from $500 to 1000 Republican
majority.
When Grover Cleveland became pres
ident in 1885 the first nomination he
sent to the senate was that of General
Black as commissioner of pensions.
During the Democratic convention
held at st. Louis in 1888 the vice presi-
dency was the only feature of interest
touched upon, as 1t was inevitable that
Mr.. Cleveland should receive the presi-