The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-28
GEN. JOSEPH WHEELER
 SOLDIER AND STATESMAN
BY JOHN wlTHERspoou DueosE.

Away back, when the houses Of York and Lancaster vied with each other in bloodshedding and sacrifice for posses sion of the crown of England, the records show the ancestry of the young chief of cavalry of the army of Tennessee in active military service.
 Joseph Wheeler, the youth, left his na- tive home in Augusta, Ga, for education in the military academy at West Point because the martial intiuet impelled him. War and thoughts of war possessed the dominating impulses of his nature and never for moment of his conscious ex- istence yielded to a superior motive or contesting ambition
 In every place of action in the field Wheeler's genius broke forth in un- rivalled spIendor. He met his enemy face to face day by day. night after night. year in and year out and in the voluminous official records of the most elaborate and most desperate of cam paigns there is not the mark of printers ink to show that Wheeler was ever de- feated. He fought four years and was among the last few to sheath his sword. He had fourteen horses killed outright under him and many wounded; eight staff officers were killed at his side and many wounded; thirteen generals serving under him were killed or wounded. He was struck twice by the enemy's missiles. He never asked for furlough and often refused the proffer of rest. He performed deed of high surprise that his superiors in command had warned him were im- l practicable and he rode out to repeat his triumphs over the enemy and the ex- pectations of his commanders.
 | At Pensacola in the summer of 1S6l, Gen. Braxton Bragg commanding, wrote an angry letter to Secretary of War Pope Walker for promotion to second lieutenant of United States Dragons. Joseph Wheeler resigned to be colonel of the Nineteenth Alabama infantry. The letter was so emphatic In condemnation of the act of the secretary that General Bragg later thought 1t his duty to apolo- gize and did apologize.
 The first battles that Colonel Wheeler led his regiment Into was the great field of Shiloh. He entered that fight in Bragg's corps. As soon as the work got hot Wheeler showed that he, perhaps, had the best drilled and the best disci- plined regiment in the corps. The work grew hotter and Wheeler displayed with increasing perspicuity to the trained eye of Bragg the metal he was made of. Staff officers returning to the general would remark on the energy of Wheeler. l He was as cool as a parlor gentleman. To every order to move upon the enemy here or there the reception was ready: | "Gertainly, Captain, I shall do so with pleasure" Every superior officer praised him in his report of the day. Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston among the last words | of command he spoke, riding up to Col onel Wheeler, said: Colonel, lead your men against that force on the hill, pointing to 1t. Away sprang the men and swept the hill. At the end of the second day at Shiloh Bragg had seen enough of Wheeler to become his enthusiastic friend That night when the fortunes of the field had turned against the Confed crates, Bragg put Wheeler in command of brigade to take the perilous place of rear guard. The broken army had gone back to Corinth. General Breckinridge was left at point on the retreat to take care of the wounded and stragglers. He wrote to Bragg: "Co1onel Wheeler is here with about 100 of his men. He says his men are so broken down they can do no more; but he is well and ready for servlce.'
 The first opportunity of considerable l importance that occurred to discover the 1 genius of Wheeler in command of cavalry was in the summer after Shiloh. The Confederate army was at Tupelo, Miss, about 5000 strong. Beauregard had gone off broken in health and Bragg had been raised to the rank of general to fill the vacancy from the fall of Johnston. Bragg resolved to flank Grant at Corinth and l his 10000 men. and Buell at Dercherd and Decatur with a large army. In word Bragg wanted to get his army to Chatta- nooga and get behind Grant and Buell. Into Kentucky To make the movement by way of Demopolis, Selma and Mobile for Chattanooga. without either Grant or Buell. finding 1t cut, was his problem So he resolved to send some cavalry com mand by Gen. James R. Chalmers of Mis- sissippi, up behind Grant into West Ten nessee, hoping to make Grant believe he was preparing to march into West Ten nessee Chalmers reported sick or too feeble. to go with his cavalry. Bragg sent for the colonel of the Nineteenth Alabama infantry, Joseph Wheeler, and turned Chalmers command over to him for the expedition. Colonel Wheeler now entered upon distinctive career as lead CT of cavalry. He was twenty-three years old, weighed perhaps 125 pounds, about five feet seven inches tall. Bragg turned over to him for the ride into West Ten nessee 1000 men, their horses in bad order from long service. and the men raw. He started in the last days of July, 1862. on this expedition After he had made a days march some officer of superior rank at point on his route took half of his men from him.
 With 800 men Wheeler rode boldly to Grants rear at Corinth. spread the news everywhere that Bragg's army would fol- low. fought several engagements, cap tured many prisoners and paroling them, spread the news in Grants camp that Bragg was moving for West Tennessee. He burned 5000 bales of cotton which the enemy had purchased for shipment north. He burned important railroad bridges and tore up track useful 10 Grants army. He inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy in fights and returned with small loss.
 Before Grant or Buell. learned of the movement, Bragg had his army across the river at Chattanooga, heading for Kentucky with Colonel Wheeler in com mand of his cavalry.
 Space here can only be allowed for mere mention of the more salient instances in a military career that has few parallels In the annals of time and no superior in | effective service to a commander of a great army
 Bragg was resolved to get to Louis vile before Buell.. Buell. heard at Nash vile of the Confederate movement and started for Louisville himself with a large force. So Bragg from Chattanooga through Middle Tennessee, and Buell. from Nashville raced apace. Buell. beat Bragg and got into Louisville while Bra gg was within about twenty-five miles of the goal.
 Buell. at Louisville found fresh troops l and on October 1 marched out with about l 100000 men In three corps, each corps on | A different road, all to meeet at Perryville