The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-10

fore leaving San Francisco, when he
went to the islands, he said to friend:
Il am going to the Philippines, go
ing willingly, and shall perform my
duties to the very best of my ability,
but l go knowing that I shall not re-
turn alive"
The old Major had had premonition.
such an experience as he had in the
civil war; when the night before bat
tie he felt that the next day would
bring him misfortune. and 1t did-a
wound IN a hand that partially Grip
pied him the balance of his life.
His Piece of bad Luck.
I met him ~any times in Manila in
1900 and 1901. He was a most COM
panionable gentleman, a rare scholar.
a lover of the poets. a devoted public
servant, a true friend. He was ambi-
tious to be second to no one in his
branch of the service, and that ambi-
ton, I have long thought and still
think, cost him his life. He was or
dered to pay the 35th volunteers the
last time before it's return to the
States, to be mustered out in June, 1901.
The companies were widely separated
and much travel was needed.
On one of the trips he was sitting
on the seat with the driver when he
drove into a deep gully. Just as the
gully It suddenly lurched to one side.
throwing the Major between the wheel
mules, his left side striking the wagon
tongue. Though he went on and fin-
ished his work, when he returned to
Manila he was a dangerously sick man,
unable to lie down. He was sent to
Corrigador. where he entered the hos
pital. A few days later 1 received a
cable from him which read as fol-
lows:
please see the chief surgeon and ask
him to secure an order for my return
to the States. If necessary, call upon
General Macarthur and ask him to
have the application granted with the
least, possible delay. so that / may go
on the Sheridan. Ask Quartermaster
Aleshire to have the Sheridan anchor
off Corrigador and send for me. I
must go on that boat II I do not.
fear the next one will be too late"
I hurried around and carried out the
instructions, getting material for as
| cheerful a reply as possible. The quar-
termaster said:
Tell Major Monaghan the Sheridan
could not stop at Corrigador. but I will
do better than that by him. The Sher-
idan will not sail the nth of April
as first reported, but on the 23d, and
will send launch to bring him to
| is saved for him." -
When my dispatch reached him, as
| I learned from his clerk, who was al
| his side at the time, he read 1t, and
as the tears came to his eyes, he said
II am going home on the Sheridan
| the Major has made all necessary ar.
engagements"
| The next morning as I entered thI
Office a dispatch was handed to me
/ t.<rw kIaA Fok1 haI
| at 5 o'clock a. m The body was taker
to Manila, one of the largest military
funerals ever held there occurred. and
| on the evening of April 20 We carried
his coffin to the transport and the Ma
jor's body went to the home land OIL
the Sheridan. Dear. brave old Major
a hero of two wars.
His Two Requests.
In March, 1899. Hugh Belknap of Chi
| cago. whose second term in Congress
had just ended. was appointed a vol
unteer paymaster. with the rank o
Major Two years later he was ap
pointed a Major in the regular army
| and in July OF 1901. accompanied b,
his wife, he sailed for the Philippines
He started on his first pay trip withii
two weeks after reaching Manila. Hi
first stop was at Calamba, where h,
was taken violently Ill, and an oper
|
master and Mrs. Belknap were sen
for. The chief. Major Elijah w. Hal
ford. President Harrison's private sec
rotary, was at his side as quickly a.
possible. Major Belknap felt that h,
| was on his deathbed. Looking at Ma
jor Halford, n most devoted Christian
| gentleman. he said:
| Major, I have two requests to make
want you to be as kind as possibl,
t. my poor wife. whom I must leav,
| far away from her home and among
strangers. And 1 want you to pray To-
me. "
| Major Halford knelt beside the co
and offered up a feeling and tender
prayer for the stricken soldier. TIL,
next morning Major Belknap breathe,
his last and when the transport tina
carried him to Manila was ready to re-
turn to San Francisco It brought bacl
the Widow Belknap and a coffin bear