White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-09-02
SLIGHT HISTORICAL ERRORS

1t is rather a popular error 70!
little historical incidents once they
have gotten into print to go through
all time. told with probable inaccu.
racy one coming to attention recent
ly being a dramatic event in the life
of James A. Garfield. 1t has beer
broadcasted through the country that
when the news of LineoIn's assassi.
nation reached New York, Garfield
in his officers uniform, mounted the
steps of the Wall street sub-treasury,
quieting a mob by eloqncntly utter.
ing the words, God in Ills heavens
-eigns and the government q; Wash
jngton still lives"
The incident happered. as contem-
poraneous reports agree, only in the
first place whether or not it was real
~ a mob on riot bent may be doubt
ed and, secondly, it is unlikely that
Garfield at the time would have been
wearing his major generals uniform.
When the news reached New York
there was a vast assemblage of
wrought up citizens, the exact spot
being immaterial, but it was UNDER
stood that the then peerless orator
of the hour, General Ben Butler, was
to appear and address the crowds,
hoping to quiet the irritation that
tie assassin's bullet had engcndered
AS Butler mounted the platform and
raised his right arm it was seen that
a iold of crepe hung therefrom. Civ
ing confirmation of the dread news
that Lincoln was really dead. The
crowd was showing much temper and
it is related that before Butler adj
vanced to the speakers position, Gar
field, who was there ahead of him.
walked out, and in his match1ess
oratorial manner and incompatible
voice, said: God reigns and the
ives reports at the time did not
include the clause lin His heavens
SO much for that part of it, which
with the inclusion of Buffers ap-
pearance and the fact that it was
mt1o of a meeting than a mob, the
report may be pronounced as sub
stan,i1iiy correct. But the uniform
part is improbable. In the fall cleo
sion Of 1862, after Garfield With 100
men and wearing the title Of lieu
tenant colonel, but commanding a
brigade, had defeated a command of
5dC0 rebels under General Humphrey
Marshall in a position ~self-selected
at Middle Creek, kentucky. and after
he had been brcvets! a brigad,cr
general and distinguished himself al
shiloh. he was ele, ted to congress
fro nj his home district in Ohio He
lesitated about accepting for nearly
Il GEAR. but his biographies say that
he was asked personally by Presi-
dent Lincpin to inter congress. and
in October. 1863, he did signify his
I ptance and De,9.Iub.r . that year
resigned his commission of major
general, entering congress December
:, in the meantime fighting at Chick
amauga as Rosecrans' chief of staff
So it is not likely that on April IA,
1865, he was wearing a major gen.
erals uniform on the streets of New
York.
The action of several union officers
in accepting congressional seats while
the war was on. was severely criti-
cized at the time and for many years
afterward. These criticisms e
mostly aimed at Garfield, for he was
the only n so to do who became en-
tangled with the presidency. In Cen
eral Grants Personal Memoirs he
hands Garfield a strong package.
without mentioning him there by
name, when he quotes a declaration
from General Rutherford E. Hayes in
which such officers are denounced
unsparingly as slackers of the first
water. Garfeld's friends always
came back by saying Lincoln had
asked it, but proof of this has not
been abundant. At any rate it is
all water under the bridge and can
not be changed now. Garfield, with
the possible eception of John Quinc,
Adams, was far the greatest orator
that w sat in the presidential
chair, and in learning and intellec
tual power stood with Adams ant
Woodrow Wilson, the three in thos'
respects heading Americas who'll
roster of thirty presidents.
That Lincoln did occasionally asl
union officers to help in putting owe
political plans and measures is un
questioned. After Chattanooga
Chickamauga and Missionary Ridg
General John A. Logan returned o,
leave to Illinois to speak in the con
g%ressional campaign. and by so dc
ing incurred the hatred of Genera
Sherman. To start with Logan wa
a volunteer and not a West Poin
man, as such led all volunteer OF
ficers in distinction under rebel bu
lets, this causing undoubted feeling
If Logan had not been a strong Grar
man this might have ended his mil
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