The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-01
FAMOUS SOLDIERS
centennial TO Be
OBSERVED DEC. 4

washington u u, NOV. SU.-AI d
time when things military have not
yet ceased to absorb the worlds at
tention, it is interesting to recall that
| the coming week will mark the cen
tennial of the birth of William Wing
Loring, North Carolinian who had
one of the most remarkable military
careers of modern times.
Loring was born at wilmington, N.
c., December 4, 1918. From the age
of Is he followed fighting as a BUSH
ness, and when after serving as ma
| jor general in the Confederate service
| throughout the Civil war he could
! find no more fighting to do on this
| side Of the Atlantic he accepted ser
| vice in the army OF the Khedive OF
| Egypt.
| Near the close of 1863 he received
| commission as general of brigade in
the Egyptian arml. He was assigned
| to the command of Alexandria and its
| defenses extending along the coast to
! the Rosetta mouth of the Nile.
| Five years later he was made chief
| of staff and military adviser to Ratib
| Pacha, the general-in-chief of the
Egyptian army. and ordered to accom-
pany him on an expedition to Abys-
| Sinia.
General Loring and his staff Of
Pacha to carry out certain plan, but
| the Egyptian commander chose to is-
more their advice. The result Was that
| at the battle of Kava-Khor the Egyp-
tian army was almost annihlated by
| the Abyssians. The Khedive, upon ms
rweturn to Egypt, made the American
officer general of division and dec
! oarted him with an imperial order.
Lo.fng was mustered out Of the
Egyptian service in 1870 with the other
, American officers, and he returned to
the United States.
Loring was only 10 years of age
when he enlisted in company of vol
unteerS to go against the Seminole IN
:. dians in Florida. He was made sec
ond lieutenant at the age of 10. He
went to school at Alexandra, Va, and
Georgetown, D. c., and studied law
and was admitted to the bar
He entered politics and was elected
; to the legislature, but the Mexican war
!, | presented the opportunity for fight
, and he embraced it eagerly. He was
made senior captain of a new regi-
, ment of mounted riflemen early in
: 1916. In February of the following
wear he was promoted to major and
! placed in command Of the regiment.
, These riflemen made one of the mos
brilliant records in the Mexican war
, They We're first in the main Works
of the Mexicans at Contreras and lee
. the pursuit of the enemy. They were
; the first to enter the Mexican batter
, , les at Chapultepec on the side next te
the capital, and Loring led the fighting
on e-caueeway up to tire Befcn gate
| Here he received a wound that made
it necessary to amputate his left arm
ii For his conduct at Chapultepec M
was breveted colonel, having beer
: breveted lieutenant colonel for his &C
, ton at Contreras and CherubuSco
Gen. Winfield Scott addressed Lorins
, | and his men on the field of Chapul
| tepec in the words, Brave rifles, yot
: have gone through fire and blood ant
!, come out STEEL which the citizens O.
: Appalachicola, Fla, had engraved OF
=. sword which they presented TO zen
eral Loring.
In the years preceding the Civil
Il war he was engaged in fighting In
dams, and saw service on the plain:
| of Utah. He was in command OF tn
department of New Mexico when HI
resigned in 1861 TO take the commits
| sion of brigadier general in the Con
| federate States army. He held tn
| rank of major general early in 1862
| took part in the Shenandoah Valie!
campaign and later in the campaign il
| the southwest in opposition to Genera
| Grant, and continued to lead divis
ion when he was not commanding
| corps until the end Of the war. HI
= surrendered with General Johnston a
| Durham Station, N. c., in 1865, ans
engaged in the banking business il
| New oYrk city until he accepted In
| Offer of commission in the Egyptial
| army in 1869. After his return from
i abroad he resided in Florida for
time and was candidate for Unitet
States senator from that state in 1881
Then he took up his residence in New
York City, where his death occurred
g in 1886