The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-15
States Armies.

By Lieut.. .Uen. j.
IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
Graduation From West Point and As
Profitable FarminE-In Texas-Fferce
Battle With the Comanches-Re.fgn
tiOn From the Army.
Gen. Hoods Record.
John B. Hood graduated from West
Point in 1853 the 44th in class of 81
The head of the class was James b.
McPhersOn, afterward a Major General
and Gems. Joshua w. Sill, William Sooy
Smith, John NJ. SchofieId. Il. NJ. Vincent,
w. II. Terrill, l.. H. Pelouze, r. O. Ty-
Ter, n. 3. SWeitZer. Thomas Wilson, w.
w. Lowe William Nee. Dye, p H. Sher-
idan, Elmer Otis, Benjamin F.. Smith.
Alexander Chambers. and A. H. Plum
mer. of the Union army, and Gems
Boggs. John 5. Bowen, James L.
White, Benjamin Allston, John r.
Chamblss, Henry B. Davidson, James
A. Smith, Thomas NJ. Jones, L. l.. Rich
and Reuben r. Ross, Of the Confeder-
ate army, were members. He was brew
cited a Second Lieutenant of Infantry,
and while leading a, scouting party in
1857 was severely wounded in a hand
to-hand conflict with Lipan and CO.
manche Indians. He was promoted to
First Lieutenant in the I'd u. s. Cav,
and was on leave OF absence when the
rebellion broke out. He resigned April
IS, 1851, and died Aug. 80, 1S79-Ed-
itor National Tribune.
received at the age of II an ap-
nOintment as Cadet at West Point
through my maternal uncle. Judge
French, who was then in Congress. /
fancied military life, although it was
not my fathers choice. He occupied
a high position in the medical world,
and preferred j should adopt his pro-
fession: he offered me every induce
ment-eyen the privilege of complet-
ing my studies in Europe. I, neverthe-
less, adhered to my decision. Doubt
less I had inherited this predilection
from my grandfathers, who were SOL
diers under Washington. They were of
English origin; had settled at an early
period in Virginia, and after taking an
active part in the War of Independence.
emigrated to Kentucky. the dark and
bloody ground where they lived in
constant warfare with the Indians. One
OF them was married in the Fort of
structed in that State, the land of my
nativity.
Entrance into the Service.
I entered the Military Academy in
1S49, and graduated in the Class of
Sheridan, Mcpherson and Schofield, in
1853, when / was appointed Brevet
Second Lieutenant in the 4th Inf /
sailed from New York in November of
that year to join my regiment in Cali
forn1a, via Panama. On my arrival at
San FranciscO-at that time a small
city built upon sandhills and flats, and
distinguished for it's fOggy atmosphere
1,f o1s
mates, deemed it but proper that Off
GERS of the United States Army should
go to the hotel in carriage; but to our
establishment, on hailing Il driver, we
found the charge to be $50 in gold.
This aspect Of affairs-our pay being
to hold consultation with our brother
officers and to adopt the only alterna-
tive: to proceed on foot to whatever
quarters we desired to occupy.
After having been stationed a short
period at Benicia Barracks, l was di-
at Fort Jones, SCOTS Valley. in the
northern portion of California. Col.
buchanan was in command Of my regi-
ment, with Capt. u. S. Grant as Quar-
termaster. 1t was at this post / formed
a warm attachment to Lieut.. George
Crook. now Brigadier-General in the
Army, and who has so signally distin-
gUished himself as an Indian fighter
Although he completed his course at
West Point a year before / graduated,
his purse was not much longer than
my own; 1t became therefore necessary
for us to devise some plan to get along
in this country of gold and extraya-
gance. We concluded to associate our
selves with DIR. Sorrell and Lieut.. Bon
nycastle in the organization of mess,
and. as we were fond of hunting and
game was plentiful, to supply our own
table with every variety thereof and to
send the surplus to market for sale.
This financial policy worked admirably,
and since / had at the age of Is, dur
ing the absence of my father in Phila-
delphia, taken charge Of his farm for
one year with considerable success,
Crook and l were led to secure land and
SOW a large crop of wheat. Just before
the harvest, however. l was ordered in
command Of detachment of Dragons
to serve as escort to Lieut. Williamson,
of the Topogra phical Engineers, upon
q surveying expedition in the direction
OF Salt Lake. My duties were soon
brought to close by the receipt of an
as Second Lieutenant in
the I'd Cav, new regiment organized
in accord with an act Of Congress. in
1855, and commanded by Col Albert
Sidney Johnston, with r. T.. Lee as
Lieutenant-Colonel, George H. Thomas
and w. j. Hardee as Majors Lieut.
turned to San Francisco en- route to
Jefferson Barracks, Mo-, the rendezvous
Of the regiment. At the former place
I met, for the first time, in his bank,
w. L. Sherman, who possessed as at
present the same piercing eye and
nervous, fmpulsive temperament. Lit
tie indeed did / anticipate at that
period the great theater of life upon
which I was destined so soon to be
as an humble actor with him
and others just mentioned, and who
have since become SO distinguished and
prominent as American soldiers. i
Profits Of Farming.
In the early Autumn of 1866 I sailed
from San Francisco for New York, via
Panama. and reported for duty at JEFF
ferson Barracks, Mo. Soon thereafter if
my memory betray me not, I received
q draft for about $1,000 in gold. as my
share Of the profit in the wheat crop
cared for by Lieut.. Crook and myself.