New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
War Correspondent and
Author Prominent in
Old World Life.
LETTERS TO TRIBUNE
WON HIM FAME
journalistic Work Made Him In.
innate of Greatest Men
of Century.

u
London correspondent Of The Tribune,
and his letters. over the familiar sig
nature &c. ". S." attracted wide
! spread attention. OF these letters Ed
mund Clarence Stedman once wrote
| Their writer enjoys a peculiar dis
tinction among American journalists.
I Certainly no other has sustained a
/ higher literary standard, or in his de-
partment a public and professional
reputation Of equal note. His brother
writers at one time or another may see
cause to dissent from his outspoken
comments and opinions, but they all
read his letters with the interest felt
by the public at large. and with recog
milton Of their ability, sincerity and
abundant resources of information, and
they take a certain pride in the posi-
/ ton so long maintained abroad with
force and dignity by an American of
their own craft"
Mr. Smalley was born in Franklin
+ County. Mass, Of good Old Colony
stock. on June ., 1888. lie was educated
at Yale. entering that institution in
+ ls49 and was graduated in 1853 in a
class composed OF many men who after
ward made their mark in the world
/ II was said OF him that in the class
room his gifts and thorough equipment
soon became apparent, and though he
was somewhat Indifferent TO honors, II
was evident that such as he cared for
were within his reach.
In Famous Yale Class.
He was born classicst, and also he
was noted for his athletic proves
which in those days was an uncommon
( thing. As stroke Of the Yale four ne
rowed against Harvard in the first race
on Lake Winnepesaukee. In his uni
versity course Mr.. Smslley stood at the
front with such men as Andrew D
White. Charlton T. Lewis. James NJ
Wilton, Randall Lee Gibson. Wayne
MacVeagh and others who distinguished
themselves.
Leaving Yale. Mr.. Smalley read law
at Worcester, Mass, in the Office OF
George F. Hoar, afterward for many
years United States Senator from
I Massachusetts,. He took a course al the
/ Harvard Law School, and was admitted
/ TO the bar in 1856. He practised in
+ Boston until just before the outbreak
/ Of the Civil War, when he went South
/ for his health.
Civil War Correspondent.
He wrote a series Of letters for The
Tribune on the life of the negro south
Of Mason and DiXon's line, and was still
1 in the South when the war started. lie
asked TO be sent 70 the front. and
served as war correspondent from No
vember, 1861, until October. 1862. when
he became a member of the editorial
staff of his paper, remaining IN that
capacity until 1867. Mr.. Smalley's de-
scription of the battle OF Antietam
published in advance OF other news
DaDers. was perhaps not cqualled by
any effort Of the kind during the entire
war.
OF Mr.. Smalley's account Of the bat,
/ lie Of Antietam, William Washburn, OF
| New York, wrote In THE Louisville
! Courer-J ournal":
"Some Of the reasons of its excel
lence have never been made public. Mr.
| Smaliey always took care to follow Joe
/ Hooker in any battles in which that
general was engaged, as he was sure by
doing so 10 be in the thickest OF the
fight.
who used good many aids. asked Mr..
Smallev TO serve as his ai1. This he
did and was the man who ordered the
advance Of one Of Hooker's wings. rid
ing along the line with the bullets
Kidding his coattails, and calling on
regiment after regiment 10 advance
General Hooker on that day said Mr
Smalley was the bravest man he had
ever known; this remark coming from
Fighting Joe" carries some weight
One truth about Mr.. Smalley is impress
sive. and that is GOODNESS which moth
ing can disturb"
OF Mr.. Smalley's courage, THE Ma
tional Encyclopedia OF Biography has
this to say Of typical instance:
During the draft riots in the sum
mer Of 1868, in the City OF New YORK
he was one Of four gentlemen OF the
! editorial corps (of The Tribune) who
we're associated N organizing and d.
recting the defence of the Tribune
Building against the rioters. The place
is spoken Of by one OF those gentle,
men as having been perfect arsenal
I Of explosives after the Monday night
in July when an attack was made upon
IT and repealed by the police -.
Mr.. Smalley had become warmly al
fliated with Wendell Phillips, and in
1862 married Miss Phoebe Garnaut, who
was the niece and adopted daughter OF
Phillips. He went 70 Europe in 1855
and wrote his impressions OF the Aus
tro-Prussian War. A year later The
Tribune sent him 70 London as foreign
correspondent. The London correspon'
dent was at that time a comparatively
unknown factor in the making of AT
American new spaper and Mr.. Smalley'
advent was speedily followed by a rad
ical change in the news collecting
methods Of both the American and
English press.
Con6dant of Bismarck.
lie became war correspondent again
when hostilities started between France
land Germany. lie attached himself 10
tho German army headquarters ant
Gained the respect and confidence OF
bismarck and his general staff. The
historian kinglakc wrote that the sue
cess OF Mr. Smalley in establishing a,
lthis time a London-New York alliance
for war news was IAN era in journal
ism Of Europe"
After praising The Tribune's work IL
the Franco-Prussian War, kinglsk'
wrote:
81 cannot speak Of The New Yorl
Tribune without thinking Of one Of
it, conaucsts achieved in another di
rection. Years ago II established II
London a kindly. highly gifted CORE
spondent, whose charming house ha:
done more than the statoliest embassie:
could have achieved toward dispensing
old. narrow prejudiees and creating
and maintaining good will, affection
and friendship between the two gres'
English nations"