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

| the airing line. said the general. -but
] knew bridge buildings were as neces-
sary sas fighters when troops had 20 see
moved"
Qualities Of the soldier.
His efforts We're untiring, and MS
record during the civir war is too well
! known to need recalling. Every great
! soldier Of that great struggle knew
and loved General Dodge. All OF them
have mentioned him in their memoirs.
While others were planning or hurry
ing or fighting he was doing all three.
| The problems of moving the men. OF
rebuilding bridges. many times under
disastrous fire, fell to him. With the
marvellous endurance shown later, as
| in his Indian campaigns, he was al
work early and late. His capacity TOT
hard work was only equaled by his
zest for 1t.
He mapped out roads, he sent ous
scouts he drew plans of movements
from their reports. He covered every
detail of the country thornnshly Many
of the triumphs of the war We're MADE
possible by his ability to quickly trans
port troops, and TO overcome ohsta-
cles. He built roads he built bridges
, he made streams forbade, he threw
UP temporary entertainments during
times of battle, directing his men
quietly, courageously and investing
them with his own feariessness ano
intrepid resolution and determination.
He saw the curtain rise and fan on
that majestic tragedy, and he played
! his part in ii as nohly as any, fet
complete as his record is as one OF the
chief generals of the civil war, 1t Is
eQualed. If not Swallowed by the place
he took later in conouer;pS the west
and its privations, It's hardships, its
horrors Of hlcodshed. and the grin.
tenaeity OF the red men who claimed
the ownership, and from whom c:ri!i-
zation was forced 10 wrench these vast
lands
There is no doubt tina, the civil
war opened the way for the west TO
develop" said General Dodge recently.
in an interview given in his aeauti''
fully appointed home in Council Bluffs
Had i. not been for the civil war. the
building of the Union Pacific railroad
would have been impossible II was
practically built under the guardian
ship OF the government Probably no
other railroad IN the world was built
under like conditions. II was practically
picketed by the government Why. my
track layer was commissioned Off
Ger, trained TO warfare. All OF the Ia
borers were soldiers accustomed to
working under IRE. Ordinary laoorers
would not have lasted day.
When the war was ended. thoughts
once more turned to completing the
railroad into the west The trip by wa
ter to California took three months or
so. and the trip across the plans was
too deadly TO be profitable. Yet the
orient was vainly knocking at the doors
of America Yainly, because the doors
must be opened from the west.
Summoned by Lincoln. Isl
Just before the close OF the war Cen
eral Dodge was summoned to Wash
!ngton by President Lincoln. When he
arrived in Washington, he found that
Lincoln wished to consult him in refer
euce to the conversation they had had
years before in Council Bluffs. Under
the law, II developed upon the presi-
dent to name the eastern terminus OF
the Union Pacific railway. Much pres
sure was brought 10 bear upon him 10
induce him TO name points to the south
and north OF the state.
The clear grasp OF affairs indicated
years before by the young surveyor
who was so conversant with the coun-
Try that he could tell every camp ana
every Portable str4sn as far west a.
the Rocky Mountain range had so i'm
pressed the president that he refused
to decide the matter until he had again
consulted with General Dodge.
During this consultation Dodge again
suggested that the government oner
financial aid to the enterprise. Lincoln
replied that while he felt sure that the
government would assist In every way
possible. yet il had enough on its hands
in the civil war TO fully occupy its at
tention for some time. r..
l, was because of the views OF
Dodge, however. that he announced his
decision of the terminal of the Union
Pacific within the limits OF the town
ship in Iowa opposite to the town OF
Omaha"
Indian Campaigns.
And now began period OF work and
danger that far eclipsed that Of the
civil war Hardly had the echoes OF the
cannon died In the distance or the
smoke Of battle cleared from the
horizon, than Dodge was once more
at work in the west. His Indian cam
paign like his war record Is too well
known to require comment. here ne
obtained a working knowledge of the
trails OF the red men in warfare, a
knowledge that stood him in good
stead later when he started the survey
of the railroad in the full glare OF ar
row and shot and ambush OF the ma
tives Of the plains.
The hardships of the civil war
faded beside the hardships OF that Pc
Rod" said General Dodge. in speaking
of this time. why. remember losing
thirteen men from freezing to death
in a march from Fremont to Kearney.
The men who had fought In the civil
war enlisted once more to fight In
dams on the plans. There were prac-
ticalIy 5000 confederate soldiers who
enlisted in these campaigns. Fresh
from the battles Of the south. they en-
tered the unmastered west to hght un-
der the stars and stripes, against
which they had but q few short
| months before, rebelled.
When he faced the problem OF laying
those narrow rails Of steel thru to the
Pacific coast, he faced a problem I'M
| aided by any precedent. There were nc
maps, no plans, no drawing OF any
kind TO assist him. He had first TO
| blaze the trail and then to build. There
was always a fear that the money
/ would give ont. Every mile OF the way
| had TO be contested with the obstinate
| and hostile Indians.
wknt