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WAR BEPMTMLiiT UBBAKY Washington, D. C, JUN1 0 1896 Jtomtai xbtmt "cr rave ftv Win wlw to tiontc tt ImttTc, unit for lite uitlaiu atmX Dvntajs." ESTABLISHED 1S77-jStEW SERIES. WASHINGTON, D. 0., THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1896. VOL. XY-NO. 35-WHOLE tfO. 774. i I..., ... .. . jmZH II II I II . . '"JtM if fL 1 1 ,m ? Ws? fw. v J RETURNING WASHINGTON MARRIAGE WITH PROMOTION TO S? CAPTAIN IN THE DEPARTMENT. (COPYRIGHT. S WINTER Ap proached, the im migrants overland came pouring into California dusty ' i 'ii ,i I ana worn wun urerr '2,000 niilesof weary travel across the plains and mount ains. Those who arrived in October and November re nnrlpd thousands sUSf still behind them, with oxen perish ing, and short of food. Appeals were made for help, and Gen. Smith resolved to attempt relief. Maj. Rucker, who had come across with Pike Graham's Bat talion of Dragoons, had exchanged with Maj. Fitzgerald, of the Quartermaster's Department, and was detailed to conduct this relief. Gen. Smith ordered him to be supplied with $100,000 out of the civil fund, subject to his control, and with this to purchase at Sacramento flour, bacon, etc, and to hire men and mules to send out and meet the immigrants. Maj. Rucker fulfilled this duty perfectly, sending out pack-trains loaded with food by the many routes by which the immi grants were known to be approaching, went out himself with one of these trains, and remained in the mountains until the last immigrant had got in. No doubt this expedition saved many a life .which has since been most useful to the country. I remained at Sacra mento a good part of the Fall of 1849, recognizing among the immigrants marry of my old personal friends John C. Fall, "William King, Sam Stambaugh, Hugh Ewing, Hampton Denmau, etc. I got Rucker to give these last two em ployment along with the train -for tbe relief of the immigrants. They had proposed to begin a ranch on my land on the Cosumncs, but afterward changed their minds and went out with Rucker. ltirrciixiXG nojirj. While I was at Sacramento Gen. Smith had gone on his contemplated trip to Oregon, and promised that he would be back in December, when he would send me home with dispatches. Accordingly, as the "Winter and rainy season was at hand, I went to San Fran cisco, and spent some time at the Pre Eidio, waiting patiently for Gen. Smith's return. About Christmas a vessel arrived from Oregon with the dispatches, and an order for me to deliver them in person to Gen. Winfield Scott, in New York City. Gen. Smith had sent them down, remaining in Oregon for a time. Of course I was all ready, and others of our fcet were going home by the same conveyance, vjz., Rucker, Ord, A J. smith, some under orders and the others on leave. "Wanting to see ray old friends in Monterey, J arranged Jor my passage in the steamer of Jan. 1, 1850, paying $600 for passage to New York, and went down to Monterey by land, Rucker accompanying me. The weather was unusually rairij-, and all the plain about Santa Clara was under water; but we reached Monterey in time. I again was welcomed by my friends, Dona Augus tiafc, Alanuclita, and the family, and it was resolved that I should take two of the boys home with me and put them at Georgetown College for education, viz., Antonio and Poriirio, 13 and 11 years old. The dona gave me a bag of gold dust to pay for their passage and to de posit at the college. On the 2d day of January punctually appeared the steamer Oregon. We were all won on board and oil' for home. At that lime the steamers touched at San Diego, Acapulco, and Panama. Our passage down the coast was unusually pleasant. Arrived at Panama, we hired mules and rode across to Gorgona, on thc Cniees River, where we hired a boat and paddled down to the mouth of the river, off which lay the tleamer Crescent City. It usually took our days to cross the isthmus, every passenger taking care of himself, and it was really funny to watch the efforts of women and men Unaccustomed to mules. l Puhlihhcd by permission of D. Applolon & Co., pulriMiure of the PcrDOnul MciuoJnj of Gcii. V. T. bhuruiun. iffl t', A. Jr 59 ItSz U MEMOIRS v7 nf rA,V- riL.Z ..! i x " i if urenerai en by Himself TO THE EAST ix rv 1 1U i f 1 o Li f vl 1 1 lul DURING PRESIDENT TAYLOR'S ADMINISTRATION. MISS EWINfcs COMMISSARY It was an old song to us, and the trip across was easy and interesting. In due time Ave -were rowed off to the Crescent Cit', rolling back and forth in the swell, nnc we scrambled abroad by a ' Jacob's rArnr, fmm tlio cfnvn Sntno nf flin ladder" from the stern. Some of the women had to be hoisted aboard by lowering a tub from the end of a boom ; fun to us who looked on, but awkward enough to the poor women, especially to a very fat one, who attracted much notice. Gen. Fremont, wife and child (Lillie) were passengers with us down from San Francisco ; but Mrs. Fremont not being well, they remained over one trip at Panama. Senator Gwin was one of our passen gers, and went through to New York. "We reached New York about the close of January, after a safe and pleasant trip. Our party, composed of Ord, A. J. Smith, and Rucker, with the two boys, Antonio and Porfirio, put up at Del monico's, on Bowling Green; and, as soon as we had cleaned up somewhat, I took a carriage, went to Gen. Scott's office in Ninth street, delivered my dis patches, was ordered to dine with him next da and then went forth to hunt up my old friends and relations, the Scotts, Hoyts, etc. On reaching New York, most of us had rough soldier's clothing, but we Suttkh's soon got a new outfit, and I dined with Gen. Scott's family, Mrs. Scott being present, and also their son-in-law and daughter (Col. and Airs. H. L. Scott). The General questioned me pretty closely in regard to things on the Pacific Coost, especially the politics, and startled me with the assertion that "our country was on the eve of a terrible civil war." He interested me by the anecdotes of my old Army comrades in iris recent battles around the Citj' of Mexico, and I felt deeply the fact that our country had passed through a foreign war, that my comrades had fought great battles, and yet 1 had not heard a hostile shot. Of course, 1 thought it the last and only chance in nry da', and that my career as a soldier was at an end. After some four or five days spent in New York, I was, by an order of Gen. Scott, sent to Washington, to lay before the .Secretary of War (Crawford, of Georgia) the dis patches which I had brought from Cali fornia. On reaching Washington I found that Mr. Ewing was Secretary of the Interior, and 1 at once became a member of his family. The family oc cupied the house of Mr. Blair, on Penn sylvania avenue, directly in front of the War Department. I immediately re paired to the War Department, and placed my dispatches in the hands of Air. Crawford, who questioned me some what about California, but seemed little interested in the subject, except so far as it related to slavery and the routes through Texas. I then went to call on the President at the White House. I found Maj. Bliss, who had been my teacher in mathematics at West Point, and was then Gen. Taylor's son-in-law and Private Secretary. He took me into the 'room, now usod by the Presi dent's Private Secretaries, where Presi dent Taylor was. I had never seen him before, though I had served under him in Florida in 1840-41, and was most agreeably surprised at his fine personal appearance, and his pleasant, easy man ners, lie received me with great kind ness, told me that Col. Mason had men tioned my name with praise, and that he would be pleased to do me any act of favor. "We were with him nearly an hour, talking about California gen erally, and of his personal friends, Per sifer Smith, Riley, Can by, and others. Although Gen. Scott was generally re garded by the Army as the most accom plished soldier of the Mexican war, yet Gen. Taylor had that blunt, honest, and stern character that endeared him to the masses of the people and made him President. Bliss, too, had gained a large fame by his marked skill and intelligence as an Adjutant-General and military adviser. His manner was very unmilitary, and in his talk he stam mered and hesitated, so as to make an unfavorable impression on a stranger; but he was wonderfully accurate and -yrfEaw IIK ' .ak A Mixing skillful with his pen, and his orders and letters form a model of military pre cision and clearness CHAPTER IV. . MISSOURI, LOUISIANA, AND CALIFORNIA. 1850-1855. Having returned from California in Januarj', 1850, with dispatches for the War Department, and having delivered them in person first to Gen. Scott in New York City, and afterward to the Secre tary of "War (Crawford) in Washington City, I applied for and received a leave of absence for six months. I first visited my mother, then living at Mans field, O., and returned to Washington, where, on the 1st day of May, 1850, Mill. I was married to Aiiss Ellen "Bovle ! Ewing, daughter of the Hon. Thomas I Ewing, Secretary of the Interior. The marriage ceremony was attended by a large and distinguished company, cm bracing Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, T. H. Benton, President Taylor, and all his Cabinet. This occurred at the house of Air. Ewing, the same now owned and occupied by Air. F. P. Blair, sr., on Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the War Department. We made a ueddincr-tour .' to Baltimore, iSew lork, Niagara, and 1 CrTY of Ohio, and returned to Washington by the 1st of July. Gen. Taylor partici pated in the celebration of the Fourth of July, a very hot day, by hearing a long speech from the Hon. Henry S. Foote, at the base of the Washington Monument Returning from the cele bration much heated and fatigued, he partook too freely of his favorite- iced milk with cherries, and during thatnigjit was seized with a severe eolier which by morning had quite prostrated him. It was said that he sent for liis son-in-law, Surgeon Wood, United States Army, stationed in Baltimore, and declined medical assistance from any body else. Air. Ewing visited him several times, and was manifestly uneasy and anxious, as was also his son-in-law, Maj. Bliss, then of the A i my, and his Confidential Secretary. He rapidly grew worse, and died in about four days. At that time there was a high state of political feeling pervading the country, on account of the questions growing out of life new Territories just acquired from Mexico by the war. Congress was in session, and Gen. Taylor's sudden death evidently created great alarm. I was present in the Senate gallery, and saw the. oath of oflice administered to the Vice-President, Mr. Fillmore, a man of splendid physical proportions and com manding appeal ance; but on the faces of Senators and people could easily be read the feelings of doubt and uncer tainty that prevailed. All knew that a change in the Cabinet and general policy was likely to result, but at the time it was supposed that Mr. Fillmore, whose home was in Buffalo, would be Scene. less liberal than Gen. Taylor to the politicians of the Soifth, who feared, or pretended to fear, a crusade against slavery ; or, as was the political cry of the day, that slavery would be pro hibited in the Territories, and in the places exclusively tinder the jurisdiction of the United States. Events, however, proved the contrary. I ATTENDED GEN. TAYLOR'S FUNERAL as a sort of Aid-de-Camp, at the request of the Adjutant-6t6ueral of the Army, Roger Jones, whose brother, a militia General, commanded the escort, com posed of militia and some Regulars. Among the Regulars I recall the names of Capts. John Sedgwick and W. F. Barry. Hardly was Gen. Taylor decently buried in the Congressional Cemetery when the political Etrugglc recom menced, and it became manifest that Air. Fillmore favored the general com promise then known as Henry Clay's " Omnibus Bill," and that a general change of Cabinet would at once occur. Webster was to succeed Mr. Clayton as Secretary of State," Corwin to succeed Air. Meredith as Secretary of the Treasury, and A. II. II. Stuart to succeed Air. Ewing as Secretary of the Interior. Air. Ewing, however, was immediately appointed by the Gov ernor of the Stale-' to succeed Corwin in the Senate. These changes made it necessary for Air., Ewing to discontinue house-keeping, add Mr. Corwin took his house and furnitilrc "off his hands. I es corted the family out to their home in Lancaster, O. ; but, before this had oc curred, sonic most interesting debates iook piacc in tlio senate, wnrcn 1 leu i?rl' atlemM and heard Clay, Benton, , oUs Km of AIabsin,a Dayton, and uiu many rear orators or mat uay. lur. Calhoun was in his seat, but he was evidently approaching his end, for he was pale and feeble in the extreme. I heard MR. WnilSTKK's LAST SI'CCCII on the floor of the Senate, under cir cumstances that warrant a description. .It was publicly known that he was to leave the Seriate and enter the new Cab- inet of Air. Fillmore, as hi3 Secretary T '- Stocktok. of State, and thnfr prior to leaving he was to make a great speech on the " Omnibus Bill." Resolved to hear it, I went up to the Capitol on the day named, an hour or -so earlier than usual. The' speech was to be delivered in the old Senate Chamber, now used by the Supreme Court.. The galleries were much smaller ,thjin at present, and I found them full ko overflowing, with a dense crowd about the door, struggling to reach the stairs. I could not get near, and then tried the reporters' gal lon, but found it equally crowded ; so I feared I should lose the only possible opportunity to hear Air. Webster. I had only a limited personal acquaint-" ance with any of the Senators, but had met Air. Corwin quite often at Air. Ewing's house, and I also knew that he had been extremely friendly to my father in his lifetime ; so I ventured to send in to him my card, " AY. T. S., First Lieutenant, 3d Art." lie came to the door promptly, when I said : " Mr. Corwin, I believe Air. Webster is to speak to-day." His answer was : " Yes, he has the floor at 1 o'clock." I then added that I was extremely anxious to hear him. " Well," said he, " why don't you go into the gallery ? " I explained that it was full, and I had tried every access, but found all jammed with people. " Well," said he, " what do you want of me?" I explained that I would like him to take me on the floor of the Senate ; that I had often seen from the gallery per sons on the floor no better entitled to it than I. He then asked in hi3 quizzical way : " Are you a foreign Embassador ? " "No." "Arc you the Governor of a State?" "No." "Are you a member of the other House?" " Certainly not." " Have you ever had a vote of thanks by name?" "No." " Well, these are the only privileged members." I then told him he knew well enough who I was, and that if he chose he could take me in. He then said: "Have you any impudence?" I told him, " A rcjisonable amount if occasion called for it." "Ho you think you could become so interested in my conversation as not to notice the door-keeper?" (pointing to him).,, I told him that there was not the least doubt of it, if he would tell me one of his funny stories. He then took my arm, and led me a turn in the vestible, talk ing about some indifferent matter, but all the time directing my looks to his left hand, toward whrcn he was gestrcu lating with I113 right; and thus we ap proached the door-keeper, who began asking mc, " Foreign Embassador ? Gov ernor of a State ? Alcmber of Congress ? " etc.; but I caught Corwin's eye, which said plainly, " Don't mind him, pay at tention to me," and in this way Ave entered thc Semite chamberbv a side-- door. Once in, Corwin said, " Now you can take care of yourself," and I thanked him cordially. I found a seat close behind Air. Webster, and near Gen. Scott, and heard the whole of the speech. It was heavy in the extreme, and I confess that I was disappointed and tired long before it was finished. No doubt the speech was full of fact Island and Cove and argument, but it had none of the fire of oratory or intensity of feeling that marked all of Air. Clay's eflbrts. To he continued. n . A War-TImo To em. Editor National Tribune: In tho Sum mer of 1801, I cut from 11 ncwsjmpor a slip con taining the inclosed poom. ft is now bail ly worn with time and handling, am! I wisli to preserve a copy of it. If it is worthy a plate in your columns plonse put it there. I think it worthy of preservation, aud hope that you will. I am not tho author, and it vru3 piven anonymously in tho pupor from which 1 obtained it. so J kuow nothing oMts origin. Alexander Duan, Jacksonville, Fla. THE TWO SOUTH12KN MOTHERS. Hcitnl yon net llio din of bnlllp, Cnmioii'rt rxir, mill mu-ket's ritltle, Clnili of sword, mid hhrlek of shell, Victor's shout nnd vanquished yell? Suw you not yon scene of HhtuRUtcr, Hiimu blood poured out like wntcr? Northern vnlor.Sotitho n pride, Stern rcolro on cither side! Clioerinir on his fliicxiiic; men, IluliyiiiK to the charge ngnin, Comes a bullet charged v? I III Kr'ef, Striked the brave Confederate chicC Down he falls amid the strife. Horses trampling out his life: Scarce can liii retreating force Find nnd aare his mangled corao- Homo they bore him to his mother ire was all she had none other; Woful mother! who can borrow Words to paint her frantic sorrow! As she mourned her slaughtered bravo Came nod spoke her aged slave; Came nod spake uilh solem brow: "Misses, we are oven now I "I had (en and you had one, Now, we're even all are gono; No ono left to bury cither Slave nnd Mistress mourn togothos. "Every one of mine you sold Now your own is stark and cold; To the ju-tt Avenger bon ails-'', I forgive you now." Thus stio spoke, that sable mother. Shuddering, quailed and wept the other) Ye! although it tarry loner, Payment must be made for wrong. TM I v.se.- --C 0 LOYAL KENTOCKMS. Formation of Home Guards in Eastern Part of the State. the EARLY DAYS IN CAMP. Scouting After Bands of Seces sionists. FORMING A REGIMENT. Early Experiences -with the Redoubtable Gen. Nelson. BY T. W. rAHSON9, CO. F, 1-iTtt KY. CAV., MT. STERLING, KV. WONDER HOW many veterans now livinsr were in Gen. Nelson's first cam paign in Eastern Kentucky in the Fall of 18G1. It may be interesting to read a brief his tory of what led up to that cam paign. The war history of Eastern Kentucky has been very much ne glected by historians and correspond ents, so I will record as briefly as I can, to get in the main facts, what happened here in the year 1861. Some time in. the Spring of that year, while both sides were playing the "neu trality dodge" and preparing for war, it .was suggested that a company of guards be organized at Olympian Springs, a famous watering resort in the southern portion of Bath County, Ivy., and eight miles from Owrngsville, the Countyseat. The proposition carried, and a good company was organized without reference to sides in the war, but for neighborhood protection AGAINST UNLAWFUL MOVES of any kind. War sentiment was scarcely molded there at that time, ex cept with a few, though in the main the feelings of the people were for the "limon. The company was organized by elect ing Lafayette North, who afterward be came Lieu tenant-Colonel of the 24th Ky., as.Captain ; the writer First Lieu tenant (we had both seen service in the Alexican war), and John Spencer, a soldier of 1812, Second Lieutenant. We met every Saturday afternoon at the Springs for drill in marching, facing, -"w''Sas' of Yerba Buexa. etc., for we had no arms, and this was an all-absorbing question with us. As time ran on and the' war-cloud seemed to hover darker and darker, we were more at a loss, but early in the Summer lion. Garrett Davis, of Paris, Ivy., went up to "Washington and had an interview with Lincoln, in which Lincoln assured him of his desire to hold his native Slate in the Union on the most friendly and amicable terms, and offered to furnish all loyal companies organized 00 muskets to the company, with 40 rounds of ammunition, but no cartridge boxes. Davis returned home well pleased with Lincoln and his ofler, and published a circular letter to the people of Ken tucky, urging them to stand for the Union, to organize a3 many companies as they could, and procure the muskets. Our company was canvassed closely as to its sentiments and the guns, and one Saturday evening we took the vote on the subject, and all .but two or three voted for taking the sruns. Ihese two or three, being of strong Secession pro clivities, -withdrew from the company, leaving us no disloyal impediment. Through Capt. Leouidas Aletcalf, of Nicholas County, the guns were procured, and we then began to drill in themantial of arms. About this time OTHER COMPANIES WEKE FORMED, one at Owingsville, of which J. Smith Hurt, afterwards Colonel of the 24 th Ky., who had seen serv:ce in the 2d Ky. at Buena Vista, was Captain ; one at Bethel, Bath County, Ky., Davidson, Captain ; one nt "Wyoming, Bath County, Ky., G. W. Barber, Captain, and one at Farmers, Bowan County, Ky., Jns. AL Carey, another Alexican war veteran Captain. Ihese companies met and drilled regularly once a week, and'werc very proficient in company drill. 'I' Arattcrs ran along in this way till some time in August, when the Govern ment authorities were ordered to mako some arrests in Kentucky. John C. Breckinridge, Wm. S. Preston, and ono other man, name forgotten, escaped to Eastern Kentucky and on to Virginia via Pound Gap in a closed carriage. Just then the Secessionists began to go out in squads, companies, and singly. Breckinridge passed up the old Stato road through Alt. Sterling on a Satur day morning. That day our company met for drill, and after due consultation we decided to go into camp at the Olympian Springs on " our own hook." H. Gill, proprietor of the Springs, who was our Orderly-Sergeant, was strongly in favor of the move. It was a small beginning, but we made it, Gill giving us the use of the cottages for quarters. Soon after we had decided to savo the Union with our 60 musket3 the Military State Board (Gov. Alagoffin having been deposed from any military control in the State by reason of hi3 dis loyalty) made a call for troops for three months. Our company wa3 re cruited in a hurry. In a few days thero came an order changing the time of en- Gex. Nelson". listment to 12 months. This seemed too long for some poor men of family, and they dropped out, but the company was soon filled again, reorganized, and offi cered as follows : Capt., Lafayette North ; First Lieut, John C. Gill; Second Lieut., "Wilkerson Warren; Orderly Serg T. "W. Parsons. About this time Capts. Hurt, Davidson, Barber, and Carey came into camp with their com panies, and also Hon. J. B. Griggsbr and a Air. Campbell, of Winchester, came to the scene with a commission to KECRUIT A REGIMENT. It was arranged that Hurt should bQ Alajor. He had been given commanfi of the camp on his first arrival, and was the active manager of the camp all tha while. Campbell soon dropped out. Becruiting wa3 going on briskly. Alen from the mountains came pouring in, and we soon had to leave the cottages and open camp at the church in a beau tiful pine grove some 400 yards east. "We were doing some hard duty; squads, and even battalions, of rebels were pass ing out to their camps at West Liberty, Prestonsburg and other places in the mountains, aud fighting was imminent. Sometimes reports came that a heavy force was nigh, and a fight was expected. We had about 300 of the Lincoln guns, but through the agency of Maj. Jame3 Sudduth, of Owingsville, procured about; 100 more, a mixed lot of muskets and Mississippi rifles. But ammunition, waa scarce, so we resorted to cartridge mak ing. Julius Miller, a young German tinner, wa3 furnished powder, lead and molds and he prepared hundreds of them. All this time, we had been promised pay and clothing. Some poor fellowa who came into camp in August with, a Summer suit on had about worn that; suit out, and now the frosts of October were upon us and no pay, and we wera about worn out scouting on foot, watch ing and doing guard duty ; and every old soldier knows how often a camp of fresh recruits is harassed with falso alarms, and how they wear on a man's John C. Breckinridge. nerves and destroy his rest. Beal fighting can't be worse. To our great relief one beautiful afternoon, a gentleman from near Mt. Sterling, 15 miles away, rode into our camp and gave us the cheering news that the 2jd Ohio, under Col. Len Harris, was only a mile or two back on the road, coming to our relief. It was a sudden joy that sprang up in our bosoms, and we soon turned out and marched up the long hill onto a pine plateau, and formed on either side of tho road to receiwo them. When the rear of the regiment ha'd passed we fell in, and all. went down 0 camp. We were now able to