The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02
BORN A FIGHTING MAN
MAI. GEN. s. ID. M. YOUNG, WHO WILL
SUCCEED LIEUT.. GEN. MILES.
Had a Good Civil War Record and
Made a Name for Himself on the
Frontier-Some Life Incidents.
Boston Globe.

succeeding Miles, upon the latters retire.
ment for age, liz a red hot, fre-eating fight
ing man.
Six or seven years ago he was a mere
| major of regulars.
Once in his military career, as the story
| runs, when he was the commanding officer
at Fort Union. in New Mexico. it was re-
| ported 10 him that soldier had thanked
[ up in Las Vegas to such an extent that
he had landed in JAIL Young rode into town
| the next day with dozen troopers. He
| dismounted and, drawn saber in hand, en-
| tered the courtroom. There sat the pris-
oner and the justice of the peace was pro-
ceeding with the trial. Then this scene
was enacted:
Young-Private Murphy, attention.
Murphy jumped up and faced his COM
mander in the military attitude directed
Young-Right face. Forward, march.
Murphy obeyed with promptness and
tramped down the aisle and out Of the
courthouse door. The troopers remounted
| and galloped away with him to the fort
before what had happened had fairly
dawned upon the Justice of the peace.
Young fought in the civil war.
Then he chased Indians.
During the Spansh-American he
landed on the Island of Cuba and pushed
on up. to Siboney. He asked Joe Wheeler
the whereabouts of the government camp
ground and was told that the Spaniards
were occupying it. He said he would go
right out and drive them off. He did. He
fought noby at the battle of Guasimas.
Then he looked over toward Caney and de-
clared he could take that place with his
brigade before it grew too dark, but per-
mission to advance at that time was not
granted.
Later he took a whack at maintaining
order In the Philippines.
Now. in days of peace, he foresees con-
| hict in the future.
Speaking at a banquet of the Cleveland
Chamber of Commerce six months ago. he
said: IF we wish to gain the supremacy
in commerce in the East we must maintain
such a military force (army and navy in
the Philippine islands that it can act in
stantly and effectively at any point in the
Orient, and that fact must be well known
and understood by Oriental peoples. The
larger and more efficient the force, and the
more widely its strength and efficiency are
| known, the longer will the inevitable con-
| hict of arms be delayed. No one can pro-
| phesy when it will come, nor what will be
| the pretended or real causes, but the time
will come when we will have to fight to
maintain the supremacy OF our commerce..
A SOLDIER AT TWENTY-ONE.
He was twenty-one when. plain Sam
| uel Young" he entered the Union army as
private in Co. Il, Twelfth Pennsylvania
Volunteers, in 1861, in answer TO President
Lincolns appeal to his fellow-country-
| mems patriotism to save the Nation.
Stalwart, strong and ready to do service,
| no matter how small, for his country, the
| lad from Pittsburg soon gained the atten-
ton of his superiors, and before many
| months found himself no longer private,
but commissioned captain in the Fourth
Those were stirring times for the mex
perienced young officer. He had every
thing to learn IN military science. but he
vas not lacking in pluck and ambition, and
Ne stuck Valiantly to his post, however
fierce might be the conflict, and found suf-
| ficient reward in the cheers of his men.
The gallant Pennsylvanians were inspired
by his bravery and fought we'll under their
| young officer, well that he was soon
| raised TO the rank of major, in less than a
year after his enlistment as a volunteer.
In fact, Major Young soon demonstrated
| to his superiors that he was a natural born
| soldier and that lack of West Point or
other training was no handicap to his mill
| tary success. Although always eager for
battle, he was, when in action, cool and
calm, leading his men in splendid order
| into the thick of the fight and to the
| victory that was always theirs. Small
wonder that Major Young was frequently
| called to the front to the envy of older
officers.
The years of so and SO were to him a
| series of fights encounters, skirmishes with
the enemy, and more than one of his; SUPER
| ior officers had their eyes and their hopes
| fixed on the pennsylvania, who never dis
| appointed them.
| He was undoubtedly a born fighter and a
born leader, and his commanders recognized
his ability by assigning to him an important
| post of command with the army of the Po-
| tomac in 1864.
| Lees strongest forces were leading the
Union army dance in Virginia, and
| Young was exultant at being sent to the
i scene of the most important engagements
at the latter part OF the war:
Then began movements which showed to
/ the fullest extent the young majors mettle
| in warfare He found himself dealing with
an enemy whose tactics were brilliant
| as those of his commanding officers, Grant
and Sherman, two of the greatest generals
| in the Union army. He Won the unstinted
| praise of these men more than once and
| after one particularly exciting engage
ment he found himself raised to the rank of
| lieutenant colonel, an unusually high stand
| ing, indeed for a man scarcely twenty-four.
| There is a man who will make his
name familiar in military life some day. not
| only in his own country, but across the
| water, too-if he lives to come through
| this war; said his superiors men who had
scars from many a battle and had seen SOL
diers far elder than Young finch and turn
pale at less fierce fusillades than those into
which ne darted with the ringing command
! to his men to Come on!'
IN AT THE DEATH.
At Sailors creek, Virginia, the last en-
counter with the Confederate army under
| Lee took place, and the Pennsylvania was
| "in at the DEATH.
| The "Yanks," under Grant, were in full
pursuit of Lee, moving on a parallel road
| with the enemy in the direction of Apo
} mattox courthouse, and whenever the hos
tile forces were near enough there were
lively combats between the opposing
armies.
At Sailors creek the young Pennsylvania
| took a very active part in the fight, and
| brought himself still more prominently be-
| fore the notice of his superior officers. He
| succeeded in delaying Lees army In a sharp
| skirmish to the extent OF several hours, SO
that the Union army reached the court
| house several hours before the Confeder-
ates. When the enemy fnaliy reached their
| destination weary, starved and reduced in
| ranks, they found themselves confronted
1 by a formidable array of bluecoats, before
| whom they made no attempt to stand F'ol
his bravery at Sailors creek and the en-
engagemtns imediately succeeding, Young
| became a colonel.
| Young and his brave men bore very
| important part in the proceedings following
| Lees surrender, and the young officer, after
/ four years of hard and faithful service, left
the army at the close of the war with the
| rank OF brevet brigadier general for gal
liant and meritorious service during the
| campaign terminating with the surrender OF
| the insurgent army under Gen. X. l.. Lee.
After having such a taste of martial life
Young found il hard to go back TO the
quiet, peaceable existence of the citizen
and before long he Was back again In the
| regular army, as captain of the Eighth
| Cavalry.