The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-09
STORY OF THE ARMY.
Man in American Service Dropped
From Major General to Private.
Chicago News.l

Well" said the old colonel. every
regiment has its share of queer char
acters. but for ups and downs in rank
do not believe any ore in the Amer
lean service ever equaled Auguste Tas-
sin.
''Tassin was born in France and
came TO this country when he vas "A
years old His family were Of the no
bility, of the very oldest, since the first
Count Tassin was in the first crusade.
An ancestor in direct line was governor
of the province OF Louisiana under
Louis XIV, and it was this fact that
made young Tassin come to this cOun-
try 1t gave him A romantic interest
in America The civil war broke out,
and at 19 he was captain in the Thir-
ty-ffth Indiana. At 21 he was colonel
of the same regiment, and General
Thomas, the rock Of Chickamauga.
called him the bravest man he had
ever known. He was three times COM
mended for bravery in special orders,
was wounded nine times. and in so
many battles that I am afraid to try
to say how many. Only a boy, mind
you
When the war was over he was ap-
pointed a lieutenant Of regulars, and
his old volunteer regiment gave him a
sword of honor.
Now, ii is a strange thing that this
daredevil should be a scholar, hut he
was. Indeed, I have often wondered
where he found time TO study. since
he began soldering at 10. He was a
notable geologist and almost the first
American TO do anything with forest
~. He studied irrigation, was an eX-
pert in sewerage and an authority on
the Indians. His work in these lines
made him a corresponding member OF
nearly all the European scientific so
cieties. II brought him the thanks q
the legislatures of California aud Ne
vada, and he received official testimo-
malls from several Nevada cities.
He was still Frenchman. even II
we did catch him young. When the
Franco-PrUssian war broke out. ever
to France he went, receiving on his
departure a gift of a sword from the
state of Nevada. He fought through
the whole war. became major general
Of cavalry, and won the cross of grand
commander of the Legion of Honor.
During the commune he was adjutanr
general TO General MacMahon, after
ward president of France.
Then over here in America we
learned that he had disappeared from
France and we wondered what had be
come Of him. Everything had gone to
pot there.
"One day President Grant was in
speeting a fort, riding about casually
and looking at things. Suddenly he
leaped off mis- horse and ran 10 70 a
private soldier. who was carrying a
chain for a surveyor. The president
grabbed both the soldiers hands-al-
most seemed about TO embrace him
What Auguste Tassin. colonel Of
volunteers, major Of regulars, major
general I'm the army Of France, q pri-
vate soldier!
I'm these days OF jumping, Tassin
would have been given his rank OF ma
jOr back again. But things went in
their regular order then. While prob
ably some good men were thus kept
down. some good ones also weren't
overslaughed, too. In this promotion
by-selection business the whole trouble
turns upon the ability Of the man Sc
Letting to make a good selection.
Good old President Grant had Tas-
sin made a second lieutenant as soon
as he could get a blank commission,
But before Tassin got higher than cap
tain he died. Toward the end of his life
he became a good deal Of 9 recluse,
studying constantly and adding 10 mis-
scholastic reputation"