Year: 1879




From the Cincinnati Enquirer.


"Gen. Don Carlos Hasselteno is in
the other car" said a friend to me last
night while en- route here on the Wabash
Railroad. l had heard so much of this
Ohioan with a history that | went into
the slaeping-car to get an introduction,
| found him magnificent specimen OF
physical manhood, perfect in his man
ners and entertaining in the highest de-
gree socially. His brilliant black eyes
almost talked as he spoke of business,
the state of the crops, and almost every
subject but himself. But from my
friend learned few of the leading Incl
dents in the life of this man, which
seems like fiction rather than sketch
of real life. Previous to the war he
graduated at Oxford in Butler County,
in the same class with the gallant Joe
Battle, who, with his brother, fell beside
their father at Shiloh while fighting
under the flag of the Lost Cause. After
graduating he went to Hamilton and
read law with Judge Clark, who ac-
quired some notoriety at Hamilton
by his advocacy of the right
of secession in 1860 81. When
the war came, Hasselteno determined
to risk his fortunes with the Confedera-
cy. He started South under the prctext
of escorting to her husbandin Tennessee
Mrs. Dallie, the wife of Adj. Joe Battle
of the 9th Tennessee. They passed
south from Louisville en- the last train
which LETT that city before the war and
arrived safely at Nashville. From there
Young HasSelteno went to Montgomery,
Ala, then the Confederate capital,
where he was appointed Major, and a
little later Lieutenant Colonel, and was
ordered to Pensacola, Fla. When that
place fell into the hands of the National
troops he was captured, bat in y day or
two made his escape. His next point of
duty was at Fort McHenry, from whence
he went 10 Louisville and bought for
the Confederate troops quantity of
supplies, and succeeded in getting them
safely within the Confederate lines.
/ When Gen. Grant was advancing upon
Fort Donelson he went out as spy, and
spent the most of three days WITH the
Fedefals. Being recognized, he was
ordered to be shot at about 9 o'clock in
the evening, but in the rain and dark
ness again made his escape, and reach
ed the fort at daylight the next morn
ING, drenched and almost frozen. But
upon his report being heard it was de-
cided to evacuate the fort with most of
! the forces.


From Island No. 10 he fell back to
Memphis, and, believing that nothing
would stay the victorious march of the
Union arms, sent in his resignation,
which was accepted. When the Fed
erals occupied Memphis he remained
there, trusting to nerve and luck to get
away. To his horror he learned next
day that Col. Alexander of the 4Sth In.
diana, with whom ne was at college,
was made Provost Marshal of the post,
and that no one could leave the city ex-
cept upon pass issued by him. He
had some knowledge of French, and had
grown quite a beard since leaving school,
and he determined to take the risk.
Walking into the Colonel's room, with
many shrugs and gesticulations, he
asked for "pemissio San Louie" and
continued it with such vehemence that
the Colonel finally said to his assistant,
"Give the - Frenchman q pass to
St. Louis" While going up the river
he was in constant dread of recognition,
but fortunately did not meet a soul
whom he knew. Hardly had he landed
when he met former schoolmate and
intimate friend from Hamilton, who
was then an assistant engineer in the
Army. His friend knew that he had
gone South, and accused him Of being
in St, Louis as spy. This he denied,
and then told him all the details of his
adventures, and finally appealed to his
friend for advice as to what he should
do or where he should 60, for he began
to feel unsafe there. His friend ad-
vised him not to return to Hamilton,
where he would be in certain danger,
and finally suggested that he apply for
an appointment as an Assistant Engi-
neer in the Navy. "Why, | don't
know q steam-engine from 9 horse-pow-
er," was his answer. But his friend
proposed to help him out, and provided
him with q lot of books which would
teach him all the theory, and at them he
went, and in six weeks he went before
the Examining Board and passed as a
First Assistant Engineer, and was or
dered to duty on the gun-boat Essex,
the flag. ship Of Commodore Porter, who
was in command of the Mississippi Riv-
er tlotilla. This was jumping out of the
fr7ing-pan into the fire. He knew moth
ing practically of the engine; thinking
chen, as he told friend, "that the
pumping engines must be for the pur-
pose of moving the vessel sideways"
But luck was on his side. While laying
in port, or before going to duty, he got
a few talks with Commodore Porter and