The Washington herald., 1906-11-25

1874 Jefferson place. is Gen Daniel II.
Ruckar. father-in-law OF Phil Sheridan,
erstwhile friend of the noted Kit Carson,
and boyhood chum Of Sherman, whom,
more than little in appearance, he re-
sembles. He is in his ninety-hfth year,
but is hale and hearty yet. and, although
he enjoys greatly the memories Of his
busy past, he is, like most soldiers, loath
to speak Of a career that has been filed
with sturdy usefulness TO his country.
Never before, he declares, has he ever
spoken f his military career TO q news
paper.
To see Gen. Rucker in his home, sur
rounded by the portraits OF brave sol
diers. a veteran dwelling with the glories
of the past, TO mark the modesty with
which he speaks OF the brave work OF his
early days, IS to recall that fine verse
Of Rowe's.
a venerable aspect!
Age sits with decent grace upon his visage.
And worthily becomes his silver locks;
He wears the marks Of many years well spent.
OF virtue truth vel tried, and wise expeTience." "
Gen. RUcker was born n Belleville, n.
-
martial tendencies from his mother, who
was Sarah Maconb, q cousin Of that gal
liant soldier. Alexander Macomb, who as
sisted in organizing our army for the
war Of 1872, and who, with 1850 regulars,
and few volunteers, defeated a British
force Of over 14,eOO men, commanded by
Sir George Provost.
Ninety-hve years old, and yet the gen
erals memory Of those early days is as
clear as II the events happened last year.
instead Of nearly ninety years ago. When
he was nine years old he was sent from
BeIleville. n. J., where he had been born.
10 join his parents at Crosse Isle. Mich
igan, then a frontier post in the wilder
ness. TT was something Of a journey in
those days" he says. "a thing TO be IN
dertaken with trepidation. I don't re-
member dates very well, but I have q
pretty good recollection for names re-
member that I took a steam packet from
Jersey City to Albany. It was not called
Jersey City in those days. but Paulis
Hook We went on packet called-let
me see-The Chancellor Livingstone,
was her name; It is curious how the old
names come back to one. I remember dis
tinetly that a fellow-passenger on the trip
was Joseph BonaDarte, he was living at
Bordentown then, and recall my mother
pointing him out to me.
Prom Albany we Travelled by stage
coach along the Mohawk River road 70
Utica. and there we embarked on the Erie
Canal; they were just digging It then, and
only had about 100 miles finished We
staged il the rest Of the way to Buffalo,
ard then took a voyage on a steamer, the
first steamer that ever Travelled on the
lal5es-WaIk in the Water was her
name, and Rogers the name Of her
captain She burned wood, Of course
they were still burning wood when was
a man grown, and many's the thousands
Of cords I've had TO measure in my time
The trip from Buffalo 10 Detroit took us
al of q week, but once there Joined my
family and went to school
j had little thought Of the army in
these days: my father wanted me to take
ups q commercial -life, and I worked in
Detroit for an old merchant there One
day. 1 was about twenty-five al the time,
my employer found a note that was due
him, given by a miller in London. Canada.
and ne gave il TO me TO see if 1 could do
anything with it. I made the voyage
across the lake, collected the money in
British sOveTeigus. and returned. and the
first news that greeted me when l got
back WAS that I had been appointed 20
the army Ny father did not want me
TO go, but on the advice of Gen. Brady, I
accepted, and on October 13, 1897, I be-
came second lieutenant Of the First
Dragons.
I purchased my uniform and started
TO join my regiment It was stationed at
Fort Leavenworth. then a fort on the
frontier / could only get within about
200 miles Of the place by stage, and so had
TO purchase a horse. pack my new uni
form in an oilcloth, which I carried on
my saddle, and away I went I was a
pretty looking object when I arrived
safely after several days journey. It
was out here first met Kit Carson, the
noted Indian scout, but he left the fort
soon after arrived, and I did not see
him again until I was transferred to Fort
Gibson. in the Cherokee country.
Then came the Mexican war. and the
First Dragons had their share in 1t.
though OF this part Of his military career
Gen RGClIer is lOath to talk He went
into the Mexican war the fifth lieutenant
OF his regiment, he came out with the
rank Of captain and brevet major The
First Dragons were part OF Gen. Zach
ary TGylor's advance Nne, and they did
gallant and praiseworthy work at the bat
tie Of Buena Vista. Of the fighting here
Gen. Rueker viii not talk. Tt was all IN
the days work he says. but the dry
as-dust and Unromantic army register is
eloquent enough TO record that the young
solder was gazetted brevet major on
r. 90
torious conduct in the battle Of Buena
Vista"
What do you regard as the most IN
pleasant task Of your whole military
career?" the general was asked.
Z reckon II was the work I had to DO
Just after the Mexican war. When the
peace was made we were sent across the
continent, and for a time were stationed
at Los Angeles, and then came the days
of '49, with the gold rush and the con
sequent excitement 1t was a mad time
and sad time, but the gold fever started
that tide Of immigration across the con-
tfnent that did not cease until it had
dotted The plains with villages, which
were In the course Of time to grow into
wonderful cities Then, too, the trail
over the mountains and through the
plains was white with the bleaching
bones OF those who fell out on the march.
In the early days Of the rush there was
much disaster on the trail and all sorts
Of horrors, immigrants getting lost, starv-
ing, and IN some cases eating each other
IN a frantic effort to live until the gold
fields were reached.
From San Francisco was assigned TO
the duty OF rounding up the struggling
Immigrants, and for that purpose was in
structed TO get together 2 supDly train
and a force Of men and go out until
came to the last of the stragglers on the
trail. help those I met, and herd them all