The Washington herald., 1914-07-20
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Gen. Burnside Won in Rhod.
Island.
ny DR.. e. ,. EDWARDS

I
The late Col sabln L. sayles who
was for time chairman Of the Republi-
can State Committee Of Connecticut. and
was the owner Of large wooden mills in
Eastern Counecticut and Rhode Island.
was a personal friend OF Gen. Ambrose
z. Burnside. He met Gen. Burnside very
often at the time Of the organization of
the First Regiment OF Rhode Island In
fantry. in April. 1ss1. OF that regiment
Gen. Burnside was colonel Col sayles.
in the early sixties. was a citizen OF
Rhode Island who possessed a great deal
OF influence.
Shortly after Gen. Burnside was elected
United States Senator from Rhode Island
as the successor OF Senator William
sprague. I asked Col sayIes II Gen.
Burnside was q native son Of Rhode
Island. wondering whether that did not
in part explain the great popularity
which Burnside had gained in that State.
'Oh, no." Col Sayles replied. Il don't
think he was ever in Rhode Island until
shortly after President Lincoln called
for 1900 volunteers. in April. ls61. There
Is very interesting story descriptive
Of the manner In which Burnside went
to Rhode Island. I have heard II often,
ana have no doubt OF the substantial!
truth OF II.
He was. think. a native OF Indiana.
and I have been told that when he was
a boy he was apprenticed to a tailor
The Congressman who represented his
district learned OF the boy and found
that he was a very bright youngster
He therefore offered to send him to West
Point. and the boy was very glad Of the
opportunity.
while Burnside was at West Point
and afterward when he was in the regu-
lar army he made up his mind that there
could be a great Improvement in the
muskets which were muzzle-loading
guns with which the army was equipped.
He was a good mechanic and he worked
away at a plan for making a musket
which could be loaded at the breech I
think he got some Of his friends fnan-
cially interested in this plan. but he was
himself personally responsible. He could
not get the War Department at Wash
ington to adopt the gun. and he found
himself ruined financially. That was I
few years before the beginning OF the
civil war
In some way. William Sbrague, who
was governor OF Rhode Island when the
war broke out, and who proposed to 20
into the field himself at the head OF the
Rhode Island brigade had either heard
of or seen Burnslde's gun. The governor
had also been told that after the failure
of his company. Burnside went to work
somewhere in the West and saved every
dollar he could. so that at last he was
able to pay all his debts.
That seemed to Gov Sprague TO be
the kind OF man he wanted for the COM
mand of the First Rhode Island Regf-
ment. especially as Burnside was a West
Point friend OF his.
Therefore, Gov. Sprague put himself
in communication with Burnside and Of
fered him command OF the First Rhode
Island Regiment The offer was Instant
ly accepted, and Burnside gained great
for the manner in which he
handled the Rhode Island troops at the
battle Of Bull Run. Then. too. the cut
Of his whiskers gave him a national no.
toriety and gave a name-Burns sides-to
that kind OF beard which is nothing IT
the world but the old-fashiOned side
whiskers.
at was not so much his military repu-
tation as 1t was a certain kindly. gentle
unassuming democratic manner which !
gained for Burnside the great popularity |
which he secured in Rhode Island. and |
was reflected in his unanimous nominal !
ton for governor and almost unanimous |
election the year after the war closed |
1861 until the present time Burnside has !
been the most popular man in the State |
of Rhode Island"
lCopyright. IslI By Or. Z. J. EdEGrds AL rights |
reserved
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell Of "a .
Practical Joke on a Man OF Affairs