The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-05-19
DEATH OF A VETERAN.
Story Is Recalled of Hickenlooper's
Efficiency.

Washington, May 1S.-The death of Gen
Andrew Hickenlooper at Cincinnati has Sc
| loose a good many interesting reminis
cences among his old comradesa-t-arnls
illustrative of his efficiency as manager
| One of them concerns an adventure of his
during the civil war which is retold il
| his own language, as nearly as that ear
be remembered
! "One evening with Mcpherson on the
! Tennessee river / shall never forgt. There
was no enemy in sight, and none expect
| ed. when. about an hour before sundown,
| [ was suddenly summoned TO the generals
! tent and informed that our whole army
| of 5000 must be across the river and
started after the Confederates by day
light the next morning.
a. But General / protested, there
isn't within forty miles a stick of tim
ber big enough to carry an empty cais-
son, an dthe wagons with the pontoons
are ten miles back
" 4 can't help that said MCPHERSON
tartly, The bridge must be built and
the army on the move before four o'clock.
Goodnight, Col. Hickenlooper.'
In my despair l went down to the
river side and paced the bank for an
hour, trying to think out key to the
problem. As chief of the Engineer Corps,
knew what was expected of me, and
also that if | failed my career, both in
military and civil life, was at an end
Wandering back about half a mile, stin
buried in thought. l came upon an old
gin filled with cotton-I suppose it must
hol
bales. Here was my salvation, Why
not build a bridge Of the cotton, and
use the old boards as roadway?
Inside of a half-hour l had large de-
tail Of men on the ground and had begun
the nights work. We sank the bales with
big stones. laying two tiers of four bales
each clear across the river, and holding
them in place by two big cables stretched
acres son the lower side. The boards OF
the gin made tolerable roadway but at
the best it was an awfully scaly job. The
top bales We're only about three inches
out of the water. and I wasn't sure at
all sure that the cables would stand the
strain But at three O'Clock l walked
up TO McPherson's tent and routed him
out of bed How well 1 remember him
as he lay there on his elbow holding
match to see my face while l approached
his bunk. General. the bridge is ready
and Very well, Colonel had passed be
fore the match went out and had not
walked three rods when boots and sad
dies sounded and the camp became a
bedlam
I crossed the bridge and stood at the
edge OF the water. expecting and dreading
to see the cables part under the terrific
strain Why. the cotton bales settled
down till the water ran into the houths
OF the cannon; but they stood the test.
and at II 81 the last wagon had made safe
passage; and we s!gnalled ahead to Nc
Pherson: "AH over. IN little while an
orderly came ganoping hack to summon
me 10 the general. who vas five miles
ahead by this time. As I rode up he
and said: THAT was vel done.
CoIoHel Now you go back and cut the
bridge loose and III telegraph the gun
boats dow non the MissiSs .ppi 70 PICK up
the cotton for yos and your assistant
engineer I thought that was A first
class reward and of oOurse performed NJ !
part az the WORK
So much Tor Mepherson-s excellent IN
,entons. ~ a matter of fact the laasrer I
iia not get any q his VEL earned hire.
The suaboajs picked Up the cotton. but
what became oE Il nobody knows Not
2 dollar ~ the .monev obtained from is
sale ever reached Hickeniooper. whos4
saiv reward for this extraordinary piece f
n work lay in his satisfaction a, har-
ng accomplished what seemed Ike the