The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-30


Camp Fire, Festive Buxs, Etc, Etc.
"Yes,' said the Major, IL remember
when George B. Mcclellan was elected
captain Of the old Chicago light Guard.
Captain ]. B. Wyman. the organizer of
the company, was called away from the
city by business. In looking about for
his successor members of the company
and citizens interested in military af-
fairs turned to George B. Mcclellan.
who had resigned from the regular ar
my to become chief engineer of the Illi-
1ois Central railroad.
Mcclellan was at that time about 90
years of age. He was, through his visit
to the Crimea and his book, published
soon after his return, one of the best
known of the younger officers Of the
regular army. The Light Guard was
then the crack military company of the
Northwest and 1t was natural that the
men should turn to the former army
officer who had just located in Chicago
and who carried himself like thorough
soldier
Mcclellan did not remain long
enough in Chicago to leave his impress
on the local companies. When the war
came in 1861 the Light Guard was not
in existence as a military organization.
and Mcclellan entered the service as
commander and organizer of the Ohio
troops and was appointed Major Gen
eral In the regular army before the real
work of war had begun Most of his
old military friends In Chicago went
into service early in the western regi-
ments, 'Turchin going to the Nineteenth
Illinois, Barker to the Twelfth Illinois
cavalry, Forsyth and others to the
Eighth cavalry.
"Of all the old military circle of 1851
and 1853. Captain Barker of the Chi
cage Dragons was the only one to be
closely associated with Captain McClel-
Ian of the Light Guard, in the early
months Of the Civil War. After par
ticipating in the Cairo expedition Bar
ker, through the Intervention of Nc
Clellan, took the Dragons East to be-
come the escort or bodyguard OF Lit
tie Mac, the most popular soldier OF
the day. After three months service
the Dragons scattered into various reg
iments, several going to Farnsworth's
Eighth cavalry. A score or more of the
Dragons, who served with Mcclellan.
became commissioned officers and won
distinction.
"McClellan's acquaintance in Chicago
Che had been here before the Mexican
war and attended the first meeting OF
the St Andrews Society took another
Chicago military company East for spe-
clal service early in 1861. This was
the Sturgis guards, armed and equip
ped as sharp shooters by Solomon Stur-
gis, and assigned to duty as McClellan's
bodyguard in the army of the Potomac.
1t would be interesting to trace the in
fiuence Of McClellan's military expert
ence in Chicago on his acquaintance
here. wonder If there is any one lly-
ing who can do itY'
IF Ellsworth had lived few months
longer" said the Colonel, "a good many
of the EQUIV who went into Tur-
chin's regiment would have gone East.
The story of the military companies In
existence in the several States in 1860
is a curious one. But in no State was
the history of such organizations more
highly spiced with romance than In
Kentucky. During the excitement pre-
liminary to the outbreak of hostilities
In 1861 companies In many counties
were organized for both armies. In
Lexington John Morgan, captain of a
crack company. went into the Confeder-
ate service. Sanders ID. Bruce. captain
of the Chasseurs. another crack CON-
pany Of Lexington, went into the Union
service
Bruce was given command of the
Twentieth Kentucky, and later of a
brigade under Nelson. Morgan was Civ
en- an important cavalry command. and
made several raids in Kentucky. In
1863 he surrendered one battalion OF the
l. w CAkiCtA AAChtuth1 viii O,VlV men.
and after a stubborn fight captured it,
This gratified him exceedingly, but the
several Kentucky cavalry regiments GAL
loped after him through Kentucky and
Ohio, and in turn captured Morgan and
his Immediate command.
II saw those Kentuckians when. af
ter their .ong ride, they made their last
charge Oh Mcrgan's men, and it was
worth remembering. In all my war
experience l never saw men so eager
to make 4 capture as were these Ken
tuckians-some Of them Morgan's old
neighbors. They were not malevolent.
In their own language, they simply
wanted to take John in out of the wet
But they went at 1t in way to make
Morgan feel that he would like to sur
render to somebody else."-Chicago In
ter Ocean.