Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1903-09-03


who had the youngsters interest in
mind quite as well as his own.
Il can see him to-day as plainly as
| saw him then-a well proportioned
man over six feet tall, figure as
straight as an arrow, calm and collect
ed always, yet with an eye that would
occasionally reveal in a flash the met
tlesome spirit within.
amy one who ever saw Gen. Hook
er on his white charger can readily APP
preciate the fitness of giving him an
equestrian statue. He sat his mount
like centaur of old. have seen
some good riders in my day, but never
one who looked more at home in the
saddle than he.
Everybody has heard of Gen. Hook
er's old white horse. 1t was the won
der OF all the troops why he rode such
a conspicuous animal.
Every time the general went into
action, lots of us trembled for his
safety, because we knew that the
rebels were perfectly aware that he
rode white horse. Why he was never
killed is a mystery. for he never had
much regard for his personal safety
during an engagement.
ut was | who sold him that famous
old nag. The animal made his en-
trance into the army through the
quartermaster of the Second New
Hampshire regiment. The quarter
master found it impossible to mate the
beast with any horses on hand ana
was at loss to know what to do
with him.
Il happened to be in need of a
horse at that time and bought the lone
white beast, which at that time had
never been saddle-broken. One day
the general saw me riding the animal.
81 remember once of hearing him
tell about the trouble he had to get
his services accepted at the outbreak
of the civil war, When hostilities began
he was in California. He hurried to
Washington and called on the Presi-
dent, who received him kindly, but
put him off with an indefinite answer.
As near as | remember these are the
words he used in telling the balance
of the story:
went back to the hotel and wait
ed. The days went by New troops
came into the city and went away, new
men came and received commissions
many of them men who had never seen
service, while |, a West Point gradu-
ate and a man of considerable active
service, was kept on the waiting list
waiting for a chance to place my
trained services at my country's dis
posal
Finally | grew sick of waiting.
Battles were being fought and won
or lost-and | was shelyed complete
ly. | made up my mind to return to
California, since there seemed to be
no show for me in the army, and be-
fore went | would call Oh the Presi-
dent
Mr. Lincoln received me kindly,
as before, and seemed surprised that |
was going back to California Don't
be impatient, colonel, eaid he. I'VE
will find something for you later"
But l couldn't take much stock In
that after being kept waiting so
long, and | made up my mind to tell
Mr.. Lincoln a thing or two.
L have been over to the Bull Run
battlefield, Mr.. Lincoln said |, and |
feel bound to tell You one thing; |
know l am a damned sight better gen
eral than the man you had on that
field
"A day or two later | got my COM
mission as brigadier general
General Hooker was modest
man in a sense, and yet he had good
appreciation of his own ability.
There is one point | particularly
want to express myself on through
the columns of the Boston Journal.
Stories have circulated in effect that
Gen. Hooker was a drinking man. Like
most other people he occasionally TOOK
a drink, but never when going into
action. II has been said that he was
under the influence of liquor at the
battle OF Charlottesville. That was a
malicious falsehood. knew two offic-
ers on Gen. Hooker's private staff dur.
ing that battle. Col. Gambler and Major
Lawrence. Both of those gentlemen
are now dead, but years ago they as
sured me that Gen. Hooker did not
touch a drop of liquor that day"
Col. Charles C. Rivers, an inspector
In the custom house, remembers Gen.
Hooker well. He served under Hooker