Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-04

| SGEMERAL on 00DGk|
and his engineering successes, General
Dodge remained up to late in lie an
active and influential man. He was
elected TO congress the first year after
the war and il was said that pyom-
Using political life was before him, but
ne declined denomination, in favor o.
the railway project. He was later a
delegate 20 the republican national con-
MENTIONS OF 1858 and 1876. In 1898 he
was chairman OF the presidents COM
mission 10 inquire into the manage
nent Of the war with Spain. He was
for a time communicative chief of the
military order of the Loyal Legion and
an officer OF numerous patriotic or
sarizatiorS.
Lincoln nd Dodge in Session.
No general in the civil war did more
! effective work than did General Dodge
. lie was the cherished friend of General
Z Grant who more than once showed in
! material manner the high esteem in
, which ne held him. II was in the late
. JNs, possibly in 80. that he met Aora-
. ham Lincoln, who was then on a visit
1 IN the Bluffs.
! The project for a railroad that was
| 10 penetrate the western deserts had
: been fo- same time discussed. Money
/ was hard to obtain. And what seemed
/ then TO he fabulous amounts were
! needed. Eastern capitalists had been
i va.nly appealed TO. No accurate sur
! veys had been made OF the west and
(, the feat OF crossing the seemingly in :
! accessible Rocky mountains had been
I deemed unworthy Of consideration
| Popu!!sts were laughed Ct when they
! advocated the government ownership
| ut railroads only a few years ago; bur
| j, Is q fact that at this time, when
money was hard 20 obtain. serious pro-
| iectS Of interesting the government
| in thA work Of building 2 railroad thru
/ the west had been entertained by more
/ than one II was such a siupeudous
! undertaking that many felt i, one TO be
properly equipped by the government
Fer his reason Abraham Lincoln
| vas vi-a.Iy interested in the west and
| IL ne Eo-k Of young Dodge, who vas
/ already known as one Of the most re-
llzbIs surveyors 0: the times Never
I losing an opportunity Of learning
something q me topography Of the
county. General Dodge had ridden day
| af1s- cay aHors tAe western couar-T-
making 1a-4-zZ maps and thoroughly
acaue5-tlzg himself with its possibili-
! ties.
Or .he Steps % the old Pacific house
&; Council! Bluffs the noted statesman
talked .or several hours with the
yong surveyor drawing from him
!-ar after stem Of interest relating TO
me western county. Before ne knew
! i Young Dodge, who was always deep
y interested in his topic was entfus-
ias:.caIly pointing ont the facts ne haa
cbtained n his numerous surveys and
, the p: si@iLt:es % the opening up Cf
the z%sc ny means Of q railroad They
carefully figured Gut the best and
sof-esc route and Lincoln listened at
teEt!vsly while Ihe surveyor argued
cuncgUsiveiy as % TIE exact point in
the range Of mountains which would
enable them 10 take the line thru and
/ discussed the expense Of building il.
II 81 the war inser1ered with the
survey. General Dodge was appointed
colonel Of The Fourth Iowa regiment.
He ha6 already been invaluable 70 the
government because Of his knowledge
II the west as well as his comman nd
Of military tactics learned at Nor
w!ch- Young as hs .as, &c =as c"Sa
then recognized as a leader.
Retort to Fremont.
! He was ordered at one time TO trans
port his men to St Louis where they
! were camped on the leTee in rough and
uDcOnforta Die circumstances. Fremont
in command. was difficult to reach
For several days Colonel Dodge
haunted headquarters, determined To
I ~ HiE
pe-sistency was rewarded and he was
, granted an interview with Fremont
who, in the first rush and worry OF
the war, was not always counted as
| courteous IS some diplomats.
But Colonel Dodge laid his case be-
| fore him quickly and with as much
decision as Fremont himself could
| muster.
Where are your mem" demanded
Fremont.
ON the banks of the Missouri river,
returned Dodge, az terseIy.
And where are you stayingT weni
on Fremont.
Sir" replied Dodge, quickly. 4 an
| with my men"
II was this quality in the young sol
der that appealed to his generals. Hs
never asked man 70 undertake q tasi
he could not or would not have done
. himself. They shared every danger
every privation, as they shared the
donors and the glories Of war Ye
there was never more strict dis.
, ciplinarian in the army than Genera
Dodge.
AS a graduate OF a military schoo
. he knew the value Of discipline, OF
, obedience, of control. And he insisted
| upon It to the last letter. tempered al
, | ways with COED sense and 1udgmen
. ! IN special cases.
> In the service with him were severa
hundred young civil engineers. grad
!, yates of Norwich University. All o
:. them became officers, and knowing
! each other so intimately in school, the,
q became all the closer comrades whDl
: sharing the dangers OF war.
. His knowledge OF surveying and roa.
8 building made General Dodge invaiua.
!. BILE to his country. Added to this, hi
: GOODNESS in times Of danger, his re
h liability and the fact that he could al
d ways be depended upon In crisis Z
d Judge wisely for mis- men, made hin
: close to the hearts and counsels o
e those men on whom the responaibilft,
Of the civil wa- rested heavily,
I used to grit my teeth when or
e ders came to get out and build bridge