The Washington herald., 1907-12-22
Pennypacker of the North Only % When His Gaantry Won
Him Rank of Breader Capitalization Youngest
General in the South, Wounded Three Times
Rx DEXTER MARsHALL.


that he acquired in the fire and smoke
Of Fort Fisher more than forty-two years
ago. Galusha Pennypacker is still living
in Philadelphia, practically unknown TO
the present generation, and almost for
gotten by his surviving contemporaries,
even.
Yet there was a time when he was less
known only than the great military and
naval leaders in the life and death strug-
gle between the North and the South.
Then he was the youngest general officer
in the Northern army. his title having
been won by desperate deeds of daring
that forced his name into the dispatches
Of the war correspondents and the head
lines Of the newspapers for days in sue
cession.
Rather more than a year older. George
Paul Harrison, youngest civil war gen.
eral in the Southern army, Is still living
almost as quiet a life as Pennypacker' 5
in the typical little Southern city of Ope-
Ika, Ala. His name also once was well
known throughout the length and breadth
Of the land because Of the dash and
bravery which won for him his military
rank. but to-day he is almost as COM
pletely forgotten as Pennypacker. though
not quite This is partly because the
South cherishes its heroes more than the
North. and partly because his life since
the wars close has been more active. He
has been a figure in many ways in civil
life, but Pennypacker. retired completely
early in 1885, more than twenty-four years
ago, because Of his hurts, has dropped so
completely out of the procession that
when an old-timer does remember him il
generally is only to ask the question, rs
GaIusha Pennypacker still alive?" a qpes-
ton. indeed. which l had TO ask before
writing this article.
OF Distinguished Family.
Each Of the two boys who were TO be-
come the youngest generals was born
into an atmosphere that tended 10 create
in him the ambition 20 count for some
thing worth while in life. The Southern
lad came Of a blue-blooded F. F. V, his
family having been founded by that Vir-
ginia Benjamin Harrison who signed his
name to the Declaration Of Independence
and whose descendants included the ninth
and twenty-third Presidents of the re-
public.
The youngest Southern general was
born, however. twelve miles from Savan-
nah. on Monteith plantation on the Geor-
gia side of the river. and was brought NJ
and trained as the son of q well-to-dC
gentleman planter Of distinguished ances
try naturally would be HIS boyhood wa;
passed on the plantation, and he learned
10 ride almost as soon as he learned JC
walk: TO shoot almost as soon as h,
learned TO read. The traditions OF tht
family being largely soldierly, when hC
was old enough 20 be sent away 10 schoo
the Georgia Military Institute at Mari
eta was chosen as the institution where
he should receive his education
On January 3. 1861. before Ire was TWEEN
ty-one. and also before he had finished hi.
course at the institute. the South having
decided 10 cut loose from the Unite'
States. young Harrison took part with tn,
Georgia State troops in the seizure o
Fort Pulaski In that same month b,
enrolled himself in the service Of tn,
State as second lieutenant in the Firs
Georgia regulars.
ne DtlldNtu Lil.lSt4A 50 Ntl dN Ilt + NI
Pulaski affair that Gov Joseph Brown
made him commandant Of his school. tn
Marietta Institute. where he remained un
I'll May, when he was graduated with hi
class and received his diploma Then n
rejoined his regiment and with It wen
10 Virginia. where he was made ad
jutant. Meanwhile. his father. Georg
Paul Harrison, ST., also had Joined tn
Confederate army. He served Brilliant.
throughout the war. and, like the son
became a brigadier general
Pennypacker's birthplace.
Young Pennypacker's family was by n,
means as distinguished as young Harri
sons. But. while his ancestors include,
no men OF national fame. his father
Joseph J. Pennypacker. was a veteran o
the Mexican war, and the boy himsel
was born at Valley Forge in the hous
that was occupied by Gen. Washingto
during that memorable RevoIutionar
winter through which the commander-in
chief Of the Continental forces. with hi
little army. froze and starved and waite
with infinite patience for the war;
weather TO come, when they hoped to d
something that should count against IN
British. And. of course, the boys min
was filed with stories OF the Revolution
in which his birthplace played so great
part and the later war in which HI
father fought
Naturally the boy had ambitions to be
soldier. Yet there seemed not the sligh
est chance that he could enter upon
military career His mother. Tamso
Amelia WOrkiZer, of Pennsylvani
Dutch blood. died when he was les
than three: his father only a little late
So the lad went TO live with his CranS
mother Pennypacker, at Phoonixvill
not far from Valley Forge. but whel
nearly all the people We're Quakers an
nOncombatants on principle.
Apprentice 10 Publisher.
By no means rich. but still well to d
his grandmother sent him to the Pho
nixville Classical Institute after he ha
finished at the common school Then.
the genuine old-fashioned American wa
she decided that the boy should learn
trade. and apprenticed him to the pul
.isber of the Chester County Times.
weekly paper edited and printed by
Quaker for QuakeTs. 1t was understood
that the boy should learn 10 be an e
itor as well as a printer if he would. an
for a while. the smell Of printers II
and the glamor of the art OF copymakir
seemed to possess him.
But this didn't last long. and he 500
left the print shop for a law Office. 4
tending 10 become an attorney. At abo
the same time he joined Capt Henry
Guss' militia company. the crack militia
organization Of Chester County, and b
came one of its most promising member
He studied the tactics book incessant
end soon was as proficient I'm its teac
ings as his captain himself. He W
prompt always. He never misundeTstO