The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-03-08


and was a member OF tne Indiana Legis-
lature when the Mexican War began.
He became Lieutenant in the I'd Ind
Upon his return home he was elected
| to the Indiana Senate. Later he went
to Louisville to reside, and was elected
to the Kentucky Senate in 1860, where
| he Immediately distinguished himself as
an ardent Union man, having little pa
tience with neutrality! or other tenn
porizing measures. He foresaW clearly
| that the fighting had to come and he
| as ready for the mortal struggle as the
f1ercest Southerners pretended to be,
and Immediately after the adjournment
of the Legislature began to raise two
regiments of the Union, young men in
Louisville. AS the State was still play
| Ing at neutrality, he established his
camp at Jeffersonville, Ind, Immediate
ly across the river from Louisville He
! became Colonel Of the 9Th KY. was
| commissioned a Brigadier-General of
Volunteers. and served with distin-
guished credit as a division commander
in the Army Of the Cumberland. He
was promoted to Major-General OF Vol
unteers and Brigadier- General, u. S. A.,
and brevetted for distinguished gal
lantry- He died Jan. Z, 1869.
The Union men Of Kentucky began
to say that as their State was in the
Union, as 1T had not passed any "ordi-
nance of secession" but professed 10y
atty to the Constitution Of the United
States and hostility to that of the So
called Confederate States. there was no
reason why they. who desired to enlist
In support OF the Flag, should be re-
quired to leave the State to do So They
demanded the right of enlistment, as
their fathers had done In previous wars,
In their own State, under their own
officers n oh.
be properly accredited, as their fathers
had been, to the Commonwealth in
which they felt a just pride. Conspicu-
Gus In insisting upon this right was
Lieut.. VIM. Nelson. u, SIN.
Gen. VIM. NeIson.
Nelson was one of the remarkable
men whom the contest was to develop in
such numbers. He was born at Mays
Vile. KY. In 1925, of a distinguished
the Navy in 1910 as Midshipman, and
commanded one OF the batteries that
ombarded Vera Cruz. At the opening
L the war of the rebellion he was q
Lieutenant. and on ordnance duty in
Washington. He was q man Of the
highest courage, fiery loyalty, and un-
usual military ability. Though he was
had been brought UP In the Navy in
the old rough days. and his naturally
hot temper found too ready expression
In words and phrases that were then
passing out Of use in both Army and
Navy. He was at first assigned to duty
on the gunboats on the Ohio River, but
the Administration quickly saw that he
could be of far more use as a native
kentuckian, supported by the promi-
nence Of his family in the State, in
shaping and leading the Union senti-
ment. He was man to meet the fire.
eating Secessionist leaders at their own
game and beat them. He would not
permit them to be any more hercely for
disruption than he was for the Union.
he was as unsparing and uncompro-
missing In his loyalty as they could pos
sibly be for Southern Rights" and tho
man who attempted to browbeaf or
BLUM him had every reason to regret II.
He was commissioned a Brigadier-Gen-.
eral of Volunteers. and entered upon
ms duties with zeal that soon made
his influence felt all through central
and eastern Kentucky. He had the
usual stormy experiences of Regular Of
f1cers In trying to mold the independent
young volunteers into soldiers, and was
for time most cordially hated by
them. Presently they learned to esti-
mate and laugh at his liberal profanity;
his rough tongue was for men too lazy
or too Indifferent to do their duty prop
erly, and 1t was bestowed more plenti-
fully upon the officers than the men,
for the officers were held to higher
standards OF knowledge and RESPONSE
bility. The man who conscientiously
tried to learn his duty and do 1t had
little cause of complaint. After he had
led them on several expeditions. and
taken them into battle, where he was
tireless in endeaVoring to win success
for them, and a true leader in danger,
they began to idolize him. They de-
lighted In his fierce temper and barbed
tongue. He was not tyrant. for
no personal consideration entered into
his raging. 1t was all for the country
and the cause. He was stormily insist
ent upon every man doing his whole
duty in the right way. If he did this,
or tried to do IT conscientiously, every
thing else was forgiven. When he met
his untimely death from Gen. jeff c.
Davis's pistol the division which at Shi- |
loh had learned to know his worth felt
the desolation OF bereavement. The
men who had formerly hated him were
his sincerest admirers and mourners
Camp Dick Robinson.
He established on the banks Of the
Kentucky River about 30 miles from
Lexington a place Of rendezvous and
instruction, which he named Camp Dick
Robinson. Thither began to flock al
once the Union-loving young men who
support OF the Government. Gov. Ma
coffin at once took alarm. and address
ed asletter to Gen. Nelson asking the
special object which the Government
had I'm view. to which Nelson replied:
'The troops assembled here have been
called together at the request of Union
men OF Kentucky. They are intended
for no hostile or aggressive moyemcn.
against any party or community what
ever. but simply to defend Kentucky In |
case they are needed for that purpose, |
preserve it's tranquility, and protect the |
rights of all the citizens of the State
under the Constitution and the laws |
and the object Of n1sself and all the |
officers in command Will be. by all hon
orable means, to maintain that peace |
and tranquillity.' -
Commissioners We're then sent by the
Governor to President bincoln to insist |
on the neutrality of the State
Gov. Magoffin in his letter to the |
President said:
I'm word, an army is now being |
organized and quartereA in this State. |
supplied with all the appliances Of war, |
without the consent or advice of the |
OF the State, and without |
consultation with those most promi- |
nently known and recognized as loyal |