The National tribune., 1908-02-27

Hardee was Commandant, and his aSso-
ciate instructors We're Lieuts. Dodge
Williams, McCook and Fry He was
next sent to duty at st. Louis. and was
one of the few officers upon whom Gen.
Lyon relied in his efforts to save the
arsenal and city of st. Louis from the
Secessionists. The other officers at the
arsenal were mostly disloyal, and Lyon
particularly feared Maj. Hagner of the
Ordnance Department, who command
ed the great arsenal itself. Things came
to such pass that Lyon, Saxton and
Lothrop entered into an agreement to
shoot Hagner before they would allow
him to hand the arsenal over to the
Secessionists Fortunately this contin
gency did not occur, and when Lyon
moved out to the capture of Camp
Jackson Saxton commanded a detach-
ment of artillery, which went into bat
terry on the hills commanding the camp
and furnished strong reasons for inn
mediate capitulation. He next went on
Gen Lyons staff as Chief Quartermas-
ter in the brilliant campaign which
ended with the battle of Wilson's Creek.
He was then transferred to the staff of
Gen. Mcclellan for the West Virginia
campaign, and when the first successful
descent was made upon the Secession
he accompanied the expedition as Chief
Quartermaster. He remained in the
Department of the South, and was pro-
NOTED to Brigadier-G General of Volun-
teers April Is, 1862, when he was re-
called and put in command of the de-
lenses of Harpers Ferry, a service of
which he was very proud, as he was sue
cessful in foiling Stonewall Jackson's
raid upon that gateway and stopping
him from crossing the Potomac For
this he received the personal thanks of
President Lincoln and Secretary Stan
ton. He was next sent back to the
South as Military Governor of the De-
partment of the South, and did a great
work in caring for the slaves who fell
into our hands by reason of military
operations. He built villages for them,
organized them as laborers and began
| forming regiments of the young and
able-bodied. He was too premature for
the policy of the Government in this,
and had to stop, but some of his regi-
ments continued and did good service in
the war. Later the Government ADOPT
| ed his plan, and he was instructed to
! organize as many colored regiments as
| he could. He gave such satisfaction in
| this dtIfKr n La ut 10
the rest of the war; being in the mean
time in command of the district Of
Beaufort, S. c., and Commissioner of
Military Reservations. He was brevet-
ted a Major-G General of Volunteers, and
at the close of the war made Assistant
gees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
He received brevets of Major, Lieuten-
ant-Colonel. Colonel and Brigadier- G. en-
eral in the Regular Army He was
mustered out of the volunteer service
Jan. Is, 1866, and became Chief Quar-
rose to the rank of Colonel, and was
retired Oct. 10, 1888. Gen. Saxton was
a gentle, genial, companionable man,
but underneath these qualities was a
strong will, a wide comprehension of
his duties as an officer and soldier,
and an earnest loyalty to the country
and its flag. There were four Saxton
brothers in the army-the General:
Maj. S. w. Saxton, who was on his staff
during the entire war and is now In the
Government employ in Washington:
George IL. Saxton, who is now Post
master at Lansing and served thru the
war in Michigan regiment: Capt. NJ
w. Saxton, who served in the 1st S. c.
and afterwards in the 128th U. S. c. T..
and died in Washington last December