The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-21
HISTORY BUILDERS.
When Chester A. Arthur Presided
Over the Senate.

|EoR about twenty-five years after tbs
close Of the civil war. or. to speak
more accurately. from about the
year 1876 until 1880. many of those who
had gained brilliant regulations as COM
manders. either in the Federal or in the
Confederate armies, were in Washington
either in public service or else occupied
with military responsibilities.
The comment. was often made that the
more brilliant achievements Of the SOL
der the more modest was the man. When
Chester A. Arthur was Vice President
he had at the special session of the Sem
ate an opportunity to become familiar
with some of those who. having served
with honor and great success upon the
field had subsequently been chosen to
represent their States in the United States
Congress.
Gen. Arthur said to me that he went
to Washington about a month before his
Inauguration as Vice President for the
purpose OF spending a few days at the
Capitol. so that he might become familiar
with the duties of Vice President.
Il found myself watching Gen. Burn
side, who was at that time United States
Senator from Rhode Island" he seid.
The Senate chamber gradually dissolved
into space and / pictured forth in my
Imagination Burnside the soldier, as
remembered him when he was in COM
mand of the Army of the Potomac.
saw him in his tent at Falmouth Heights.
directly opposite the Rappahannock and
the city Of Fredericksburg. / recalled the
vivid impressions which were made upon
my mind of the report which came from
Knoxville. Tenn, in the fall of 1853. tell
ing of the desperate straits to which
Burnside was put.
He was one of the noted men of civil
war times. and am safe in saying that
Notwithstanding his defeat at Fredericks-
burg, and possibly in part because OF II,
he was one of the great dramatic figures
Of the great struggle.
Now, / saw him upon the floor of the
Senate, and he was as quiet, modest and
unassuming a man as any upon that
floor. I noticed that he occasionally ex-
changed conversation with his colleague,
Henry B. Anthony, of Rhode Island, who
was Senator before Gen. Burnside went
to the war.
usually Burnside sat erect in his seat
with unconscious and unaffected military
bearing. Occasionally he would cross the
aisle and sit beside Gen. Maxey, then a
Senator from Texas, who had seen bril-
liant service under the Confederate flag.
Il was afterward told that Burnside
and Maxey found great pleasure in mar
rating each to the other experiences OF
war days, and il was then that I first
observed the really great commanders
on either side after they became COL
leagues in Congress were on terms Of
most intimate companionship.
IT was especially interested in Gen. Ma
hone. who was a very eccentric and in
personality. He entered the Sem
ate in a most dramatic manner, making
a brilliant speech in reply to Senator
Ben Hill. OF Georgia. Curiously enough
after that yenturesome start Malone be-
came one of the most quiet. docile and
members of the Senate.
Il am confident that il is to the great
advantage both of the North and the
South that military heroes on either side
have met as colleagues and are still to
meet as colleagues under the roof Of the
Capitol"
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