Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1897 — LOGAN THE SOLDIER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
LOGAN THE SOLDIER.
HIS VALOR AND RESOLUTION IN DESPERATE CRISES. When “Black Kagle” Charged the Battle Line Knew Not Fear—Chivalrous with Women, and the Unresting Friend of the Nation’s Veterans. Black Jack's Career. John Alexander Ixtgan, one of nature's eaptains, was born in Jackson County, 111., Feb. 9, 1826. In a mighty drama Inplayed a commanding role. When he had hung up his sword he was raised to a select group of his nation's statesmen, and there he continued to sustain the respect that his blameless valor had won him on the bloody held. Named to sit beside the head man of his countrymen, he led gallant charges in that civil campaign that shook the eventful summer of 1884, and, though uni ewarded with victory, he forfeited not the love and admiration of his followers, who afterward saw with satisfaction their swarthy chieftain continued in his statesman's chair. With powers unabated for future high service he was suddenly called on the 26th of December, 1886, to exchange his toga for his shroud. These are the influential facts in John A. Logan's distinguished career: He was of Irish stock, his father emigrating from Ireland to Maryland, to Kentucky, to Missouri, to Illinois. He was educated at a common school, and by a tutor and at Shiloh College. He served in the Mexican war and served well. After the Mexican war he studied law. In 1851 he was graduated at Louisville University, admitted to the bar, and became partner of his uncle, Alexander M. Jenkins. He was now developing the gifts that made him a man to be chosen to lead. Therefore in 1852 and in 1856 he sat in the Illinois Legislature. He was also elected prosecuting attorney. In 1852 he removed to Benton, Frank'in County.
In 1856 lie was a presidential elector on the Buchanan and Breckinridge ticket. In 1858 as a Douglas Democrat he went to Congress. In 1860 he went again. He was a Douglas man in the presidential year of 1860, but when he heard the South threatened trouble he said he would shoulder his musket to have Lincoln inaugurated. In July, 1861, Lincoln had secession on his hands, and Congress was in sion. Troops were leaving for the front. Logan quit the mills of
Congress, chased the troops, grabbed a gun and stayed at Bull Run until there were extra good reasons for leaving the field. He returned to Illinois in August, resigned his seat in Congress, organized the Thirty-first Illinois, and was made its colonel, Sept. 13. He was at Belmont at the head of his own hot bayonets, and lost a horse. He led his regiment at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, at the latter assault getting a wound that disabled him for some time. March 5, 1862, he became brigadiergeneral of volunteers. That summer the people at home said, “Come back, Logan, and run for Congfess,” and Logan replied: “I have entered the field to die, if need be, for this Government, and never expect to return to peaceful pursuits until the object of this war of preservation has become an established fact.” In Grant's northern Mississippi campaign Logan commanded the third division of the Seventeenth army corps under McPherson. He was made major general of •volunteers Nov. 26, 1862. He fought at Port Gibson, Raymond. Jackson and Champion Hills. lie commanded McPherson’s center at Vicksburg and made the assault at the explosion of the mine. His column first entered the city, and he was made its military governor. In November, 1863, he succeeded Sherman in command of the Fifteenth army corps. In 1864 he led the advance of the Army of the Tennessee at Resaca, repulsed Hardee at Dallas and drove the enemy from his line of works at Kenesaw Mountain. At Atlanta he succeeded McPherson, and saved Sherman from disaster. When Atlanta fell, Sept. 1,1864, Logan went home and' took part in the presidential campaign, but returned to Sherman and active service until Johnston aurren-
dered, April 26, 1565. May 23 he was appointed to the command of the A;«y of the Tennessee. The war over, he resigned his commission, saying he did not wish pay when not on active duty. President Johnson appointed him minister to Mexico, but he declined the honor. In 1866 he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress, and was a manager in the impeachment trial of President Johnson. He was elected to the Forty-first Congress and worked well for the reduction of the army. He was elected to the Forty-second Congress, but was chosen United States
Senator before that Congress convened. He took his seat March 4, 1871. He became chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. He had filled the corresponding position in the House of the Forty-first Congress. His term expired, he resumed the law in Chicago, but again xfas elected to the Senate to succeed Oglesby, and took his seat in the extra session convening March 18, 1879. He was re-elected in 1885, as-
ter a memorable fight, signalized by the loyalty and endurance of Logan’s faithful “103.” In the presidential convention of 1884, in Chicago, Logan received for President, on the first ballot, 63% votes, Blame subsequently being chosen. Logan was nominated for Vice-President, and with his associate vent down in the defeat out of which arose Grover Cleveland. Logan at Atlanta. r The moment in Gen. Logan’s career which the sculptor has chosen to depict in the monument unveiled at Chicago is when he took Gen. McPherson’s command at the battle of Atlanta. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. It was July 22, 1864. Hood had succeeded Johnston in command of the Confederate forces, and these were intrenched in Atlanta. Gen. Sherman, however, believing that the enemy had evacuated the city, ordered McPherson to move forward in the direction of East Point and overtake the Confederates. Major Gen. Loj gan, commanding the Fifteenth army corps, was ordered to press the enemy on the left flank,»while Gens. Schofield and Thomas were to attack his right and rear. McPherson soon discovered that Sherman had been completely misled, and ordered Logan’s troops to go into position for battle. About noon, the firing having become general all along the line by that time, McPherson rode out almost alone to observe the carrying out of his orders. In passing through a narrow bridle path he came upon a stray company of Confederates from Hardee’s corps, lying down in the woods. The captain commanded McPherson three times to halt. McPherson, supposing it to be a detachment of his own troops, with his usual courteous manner, lifted his hat. Immediately after perceiving his mistake, he wheeled his horse, was fired upon and killed. Gen. Sherman at once ordered Logan, the next in rank, to take command. Never did a general on either side in the four years’ war display more superb qualities of courage. He brought order out of chaos anil victory from defeat. The news of McPherson’s death having spread, Logan rallied the troops with the cry: “Mo-
Pherson and revenge!” Logan took command on that famous black stallion of his. and became a flame of fire and fury. He was everywhere: his hotse covered with foam and himself hatless and begrimed with Just; perfectly comprehending the position; giving sharp orders to officers as he met them, and planting himself firmly in front of fleeing columns, with revolver in hand, threatening, in tones not to be mistaken, to fire into the advance did they not instantly halt and form in order of battle. The battle was resumed in order and with fury—a tempest of thiinder and fire—a ha lls town of shot and shell. And
whea eight closed down the battle wai ended auj the Federal troops were masters of the field. Some of the regiment! that went into that sanguinary conflict came out with but thirty men, and one which went in in the morning with 200 —the Twentieth Illinois —came out with but fifteen! Logan himself has said: “Right and left, right and left, like a weaver's shuttle, went the Army of the Tennessee, athwart the serried ways, amid heat and dust, shot and shell, blood and tears, waving the crimson network of revenge, till the field was ir. the bloody toils and fairly won.” Logan became, ns he always did in action, a lion roused. Late that night, in talking over the incidents of the day, Logan said: “I made up my mind to win the tight or<iever come out alive, for had our army suffered defeat the people at home never would realize how desperate was the struggle against such great odds, but would sr.y: ‘Had McPherson lived the result would have been different.’ ” Called to temporary command of the Army of the Tennessee at this critical juncture, and having by almost superhuman skill, exertion and intrepidity snatched victory from the very jaws of defeat, it has always seemed unjust that Logan should have been immediately superseded by (Jen. O. O. Howard. This was on the recommendation of Gen. Sherman. Logan was the typical volunteer soldier, the idol of his men, and the ideal of the whole army. Gen. Sherman, however, always defended his act on the plea of Howaid's being a West Point man, and therefore skilled ir. strategic maneuver. As Logan appeared at the battle of Atlanta so he appeared in all the conflicts in which he participated during the war. He was the idol of the common soldier; whenever he was seen galloping recklessly in the most exposed his long locks floating in the wind, the men set up a cry of “Logan, Logan; we’ll follow where the Black Eagle leads'” Dr. Roler was with Gen. Logan during the entire war. He declares that one of Logan’s marked characteristics was his care for his men. During battle he expected them to fight, to dare anything which promised victory. At other times
no commander could have been more attentive to questions of food, shelter and hospital care. Dr. Roler relates an example of this which occurred at Huntsville, Ala. The army spent two or three months there in winter quarters. Logan was popular even with the Southerners there because of his fairness and geniality. One of the Union generals, now dead, was known to sympathize strongly with the enemy, although in Federal uniform. This general and his staff had been quartered in a large mansion in the outskirts of the town. It belonged to a Southern gentleman to whom that particular general was much attached. He promised that when he and his staff retired the house should not be ocupied further by the arnjy. When the time came to move, however, there wore many sick and wounded to lie left behind. The only available house suitable for a hospital was the old gentleman’s mansion. Dr. Roler called on Logan and related the circumstances. Logan at once said: “When it comes to a conflict between our friends and our wounded soldiers, I’ll take the part of the wounded,” ami immediately ordered the house to be used for hospital purposes. As an instance of his unfailing courtesy to the enemy, and especially to women and children, Major Mitchell, one of Logan's old staff officers and a Board of Trade man now in Chicago, relates the folowing incident: "When the army was encamped at Huntsville a Southern woman, whose husband and sons were in the Confederate army, applied to Logan for protection. She lived alone with her two daughters, and was afraid that the family might be molested in some way. Logan at once stationed a guard at her house and kept it there until the army moved. , Logan never could resist the appeal of the old soldier. After the bitter campaign of 1884 an old volunteer, lame and broken in health, presented himself before the general one evening. He preferred a request, compliance with which would have placed Logan in the position of an applicant for favor from the administration. Much agitated at the old man's story, the
general at last exclaimed stormily: “I have never asked a political favor from this administration and I never will.” The poor volunteer stole out of the room abashed'and disappointed. After half an hour the storm began to abate in Logan’s mind. He rose and said to Mrs. Logan as he went out: “Mary, I can ask nothing of this admin-' istratiou myself, but I've got to do something for that poor fellow.” He pijt inti execution a plan which soon brougl t his comrade all that he bud ticked.
LOGAN AS COLONEL OF 31ST ILLINOIS. His First War Picture.
GENERAL LOGAN AT THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA.
JOHN A. LOGAN II.
MEMBERS OF THE LOGAN FAMILY PRESENT AT THE DEDICATION.