General Oliver Howard

HARPER'S WEEKLY.

[AUGUST 13, 1864.

518

(Previous Page) sistance, and for this service was made Major-General of Volunteers.

It is not, however, merely as an engineer that McPHERSON has distinguished himself in this war; now he was appointed to guard the rear in a retreat, and now to lead an assault. He and SHERMAN were GRANT'S great allies in the capture of Vicksburg.

When General GRANT recommended his various officers to the Government for promotion for their services at Vicksburg, he wrote as follows about General McPHERSON:

"He has been with me in every battle since the commencement of the rebellion, except Belmont. At Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and the siege of Corinth, as a staff officer and engineer, his services were conspicuous and highly meritorious. At the second battle of Corinth his skill as a soldier was displayed in successfully carrying reinforcements to the besieged garrison, when the enemy was between hint and the point to be reached. In the advance through Central Mississippi General McPHERSON commanded one wing of the army with all the ability possible to show, he having the lead in the advance and the rear retiring. In the campaign and siege terminating with the fall of Vicksburg, General McPHERSON has filled a conspicuous part. At the battle of Port Gibson it was under his direction that the enemy was driven, late in the afternoon, from a position they had succeeded in holding all day against an obstinate attack. His corps, the advance always under his immediate eye, were the pioneers in the movement from Port Gibson to Hawkinson's Ferry. From the North Fork of the Bayou Pierre to Black River it was a constant skirmish, the whole skillfully managed. The enemy was so closely pressed as to be unable to destroy their bridge of boats after them. From Hawkinson's Ferry to Jackson the Seventeenth Army Corps marched roads not traveled by other troops, fighting the entire battle of Raymond alone, and the bulk of JOHNSTON'S army was fought by this corps, entirely under the management of General McPHERSON. At Champion's Hill the Seventeenth Corps and General McPHERSON were conspicuous. All that could be termed a battle there was fought by the divisions of General McPHERSON'S corps and General HOVEY'S division of the Thirteenth Corps. In the assault of the 22d of May on the fortifications of Vicksburg, and during the entire siege, General M'PHERSON and his command took unfading laurels. He is one of the ablest engineers and most skillful Generals. I would respectfully, but urgently recommend his promotion to the position of Brigadier-General in the regular army."

The appointment was given to date from August 1, 1863.

On the 12th of March, 1864, on the promotion of Lieutenant-General GRANT to the command of the United States armies, and General SHERMAN to the command of the military division of the Mississippi, General McPHERSON was placed in command of the Army and Department of the Tennessee, embracing the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Army Corps.

In SHERMAN'S advance on Atlanta McPHERSON has conducted some of the most gigantic flank movements of the war. At Powder Spring, near Dallas, he obtained an important victory, driving the enemy and inflicting on him a loss of 2500 killed and wounded. After crossing the Chattahoochee he held the extreme right of SHERMAN'S army at Decatur, and was here killed in the battle of Friday, the 22d. He was shot while riding along his lines, superintending the advance of his skirmish line, by a band of rebel bushwhackers in ambush. Then occurred the most notably disgraceful act which has ever blackened the annals of civilized warfare. Having shot M'PHERSON, the rebels took the body and stripped it of its clothing. Colonel STRONG, however, led a charge and secured the body. Thus the Army of the Tennessee lost its brave commander.

MAJOR-GENERAL OLIVER O.
HOWARD.

GENERAL OLIVER O. HOWARD, whose portrait we give on our first page, and who, according to late advices, was to succeed General McPHERSON in command of the Army of the Tennessee, is a native of Maine. He entered West Point in the year 1850, was brevetted Second Lieutenant of Ordnance in 1854, and First Lieutenant in 1857, when he was appointed Assistant Professor of Mathematics. This position he held until the beginning of the war, when he became Colonel of the Third Maine Regiment. Many of our readers will remember the march of this regiment in Canada gray uniform through Broadway, June 6, 1861. In the battle of Bull Run HOWARD'S brigade stood side by side with those of WILCOX, FRANKLIN, and SHERMAN in the hottest of the fight. Six weeks afterward he was appointed Brigadier-General, at the same time with MEADE, CASEY, M'COOK, RICHARDSON, MILROY, and LEW WALLACE. In the battle of Chancellorsville HOWARD commanded the Eleventh Corps, having a short time previously been appointed a Major-General. He had been in all the great battles of the Peninsular Campaign, where he had given evidence of unusual talent. At Antietam he took the command of SEDGWICK'S Division after that General had been compelled by two severe wounds to leave the field. But here at Chancellorsville he was placed over men who were not known to him, and his task was a difficult one. It was upon this Eleventh Corps that the weight of STONEWALL JACKSON'S advance fell on the memorable 2d of May, 1863. A German brigade on the right gave way. Division after division broke and fled. HOWARD was left almost alone. He begged his men, and threatened them ; but all in vain, the day was lost. At Gettysburg and Chattanooga, and on many other fields, this Corps has retrieved its honor, and compelled admiration. In SHERMAN'S present campaign General HOWARD has played an important part. On the 19th of June he wrested from the enemy an important position, which, in an attempt

to retake, the rebels lost nearly a thousand men without gaining their object. Geaeral HOWARD has lost his right arm in his country's service. It used to be a joke between him and KEARNEY, who had lost his left arm, that, as a matter of economy, they might purchase their gloves together.

SWEET FACES.

CHILD-FACES round us beaming, How wonderful they are !

Although so common-seeming, Yet each a perfect star;

In every crowded city

These new conceits have birth, And thoughts of God in pity Are thus express'd on Earth.

When Katie's face I'm viewing, If she's at work or play, Whatever she is doing,

She leads my mind. away

To where bright birds are winging

Swift flight from tree to tree, And songs to her are singing,

Or so it seems to me.

There's Rose, a little lady,

-   Now nearly ten years old, So quaint and so old-maidy,

So shy, and yet so bold; In all she says so clever,

In all she does so kind, And sunlight shines forever

Her gravest looks behind.

There's Annie, always smiling,

I think she can not frown, That smile is so beguiling,

Oh, could I write it down ! Oh! could I to these pages

The perfect charm impart, To bind through all the ages

The deathless human heart!

If one sweet face has vanished

That seemed to us divine, From one delight we're banished,

Yet are not left to pine ; For freely in all places,

As flowers from the sod, Spring up these childish faces, So bountiful is God!

A SCHOOL-GIRL'S STORY.

"A NEW scholar, girls, and for our room, too!"

It was study-hour in Room A, but as Hallie Parker ran in, breathless with haste, books were pushed aside and study suspended while all discussed the news she brought.

" I saw her in Dr. Esling's office just now."

" But are you sure she is to be a boarder, Hallie ?"

" Quite sure, Carry. Her father is with her, at least I presume it is her father, and while Miss Esling was giving me my theme-book, I heard the Professor say to him, ' It was contrary to the general rule of the institution to admit pupils after October, but he would gladly violate the rule in this instance for the sake of having - Miss Katharine under his care.' His very words, girls, so you see `Miss Katharine must be of considerable importance in the Professor's eyes."

"I wonder who she is? What kind of person is she, Hallie?"

" What kind of person ?" Hallie repeated, slowly. " Well, she is just the loveliest creature I have ever seen !"—and she drew along breath of delight.

" Why, Hallie Parker !" cried Mollie Harris, my left-hand neighbor at the study-table, "do you really mean she is pretty, or are you jesting ?"

" Pretty ! Not a bit of it, Mollie. She is perfectly beautiful ! But you will soon judge for yourselves, for she will certainly be in our room, as she is quite a young lady, and too old for any but Room A."   

" Quite a young lady ! Horrible !"

Carry Burns, the madcap of the room, sprang to her feet in dismay. Poor Carry had received so many lectures for unladylike conduct that the very name of young lady had grown distasteful.

" Quite a young lady, and beautiful besides What shall we do with the creature? I dare say she will be wanting to rule the room by virtue of her airs and graces. Oh dear ! I wish 'Miss Katharine' had staid at home !"

" And so do I," Mollie Harris agreed. " It is really too provoking to have a stranger break in upon our pleasant room-company just as we have got nicely settled for time term. I wish she had staid at home !"   .

And so did we all; but our council was abruptly ended by the sound of coming footsteps.

"Quick, girls, to your places! Miss Esling is coming !"

It was only Bridget on her nightly round with the lights, but our governess soon followed. As the clock struck eight books and maps were exchanged for our work-baskets, and as we resumed our seats Miss Esling said :

"You are to have a new room-mate, girls, as I suppose Hallie has told you. You were in papa's office while Katharine was there, were you not?"

"Yes, ma am," Hallie replied. "Dr. Esling was talking with the young lady's father about receiving `Miss Katharine,'" and Hallie threw a comical look across the table.

"Not her father, my dear; the gentleman was her guardian. She is an orphan, doubly so, fatherless and motherless since childhood."

"Do you know her very well, Miss Esling?" Carry ventured to ask, finding our governess so unusually communicative.

' "Not at all, Carry, but papa knew her parents, and esteemed them very highly. I think you will find Katharine a very pleasant addition to our little circle."

" She is quite a young lady, Hallie says, Miss Esling." Carry's voice was quite tremulous, and as Miss Esling replied, with her glance turned smilingly on the questioner, that "Katharine was decidedly more of a young lady than some of us," her eyes sought the floor, and her face vibrated between amusment and vexation. Her love of fun got the better of her, however, and she led in the laugh that followed at her expense. The laugh was quickly silenced as the door opened, and Dr. Esling entering, announced,

" Miss Katharine Veighn, young ladies. I bring you your new charge, daughter ; I am sure she will

not be a troublesome one. Girls, I commend Miss Katharine to your kindness, trusting you will make Room A very pleasant for her."

As our principal withdrew we resumed our seats, and the new-comer advanced to receive the cordial greeting of our governess. I sat nearest to her, and I feared to look up lest I should meet her eye; but the looks and gestures of admiration passing around the table told me that Hallie Parker had for once at least not exaggerated. Presently,

" Phebe, I will assign Katharine to you as a partner. You are the only one not mated, I believe."   

As I rose, Miss Esling presented me to her.

"This is Miss Phebe Warner, Katharine. She will show you to your room to lay aside your wrap-pings."

The young Iady's hat and cloak were soon re-moved, and passing her-little white hands carelessly over her dark hair, Katharine announced herself ready to go down.

Once at the table with us, the young stranger strove to enter into our employments. Having no work for her, I applied to Hallie, introducing her, and indeed all the girls, by name. Hallie found a skein of silk, and Katharine held it while the owner wound.

Then, at last, I could look at her.

How beautiful—oh, how beautiful was Katharine Veighn ! Tall, slender, graceful in figure, almost faultless in face, with a queenly stateliness of manner, joined with a winning grace a child might have worn, Katharine Veighn was a woman to win admiration, other than that of a few romantic school-girls—a woman to be loved and honored as queens are loved and honored—a woman, whom to win, a king might well risk crown and life.

All this I thought as I watched the classic head, with its heavy coils of black hair, bending slightly over the tangled skein ; the large dark eyes shining softly, beneath their long black lashes; the clear, pale complexion, with its delicate flush as she spoke or smiled ; the perfect mouth with its lovely, child-like smile, and its proud curve when arrest. How beautiful beyond words, how stately, how gracious was Katharine Veighn !

The tangled skein—ah, yes ! that was how we came to see it. Katharine slipped the skein from her left hand, carefully, so as not to increase the entanglement, and picked patiently at an obstinate knot. Just then, Mollie Harris touched my arm ; I- looked up and caught, as her hand moved, the fitful¬ sparkle of a superb diamond ring, "on the engagement linger, too," as Mollie whispered in my ear, at the first opportunity. I dreamed of her that night, as a princess throned in purple and ermine, and thought a fair-haired prince knelt to woo her, and placed upon her hand a jeweled ring of betrothal.

Days passed, and weeks; Christmas had come, and we knew little more of Katharine Veighn ; little more of her inner self, of her thoughts, her dreams, her secrets. Outwardly her noble character grew before us and upon us every day. We had learned almost at the beginning that our new companion was far beyond us in scholarship. She was richly gifted, and every gift had been cultivated to the utmost. Indeed, I never knew a girl more religiously devoted to self-culture ; and Buse the adverb advisedly, for in its highest sense self-culture was a part of her religion.

To us she was ever kind, ever gracious, good-tempered, and ready to oblige. During all the months of our living together, in fact, we never but once saw Katharine Veighn angry, and that once we never forgot.

.Thus we learned to know her and learned to love her as few school-girls are loved by their fellows, but we learned no more. Most of us, girl-fashion, had our little romances more or less earnest, our little heart-secrets, tinging our daily life with that delicious rose-color only found in the balmy air of early youth. Of these Katharine had, or seemed to have, none. To our glowing visions of the future she often listened, adding now and then a touch of her own bright fancy; but of love, lover, or marriage, with respect to herself, -she never spoke ; and with all her graciousness of manner there was always about her a sort of stately dignity that forbade question.

So we came to think her proud and cold, misjudging her as the world too oft, alas! misjudges her sisters. Even Mollie Harris, with all her talent for weaving the brightest Goblin of fancy out of the veriest cobweb of fact, could build no airy castle for.Katharine Veighn.

"I tell you, girls, she is not like other women. She is too proud to love any ordinary man, and there are no heroes nowadays. That ring is a gift from some one else; who knows? perhaps it was her mother's."

One peculiarity of Katharine's was, that she held in utter abhorrence what women know by the name of "fancy-work." No animal myth ever grew beneath her fingers ; her taste for colors never reveled in brilliant lamp-mats, watch-eases, or pin-cushions. Her idle hours were given to the making up of hospital clothing for our sick and wounded brothers in the field. This quaint "fancy-work" was matter of surprise and gossip at first ; but the young girl's loving loyalty soon won converts, and her heavy flannels and muslins employed many dainty fingers besides her own. And this brings me to

tell of the only time we ever saw Katharine really, thoroughly angry.

It was several days before Christmas. The town was thronged with strangers, many of whom went through the school to look at the decorations with which the dear old place is always decked at Christmas-tide. On this evening we were busily employed, some of us in completing our little Christmas gifts, the rest in finishing the last of the hospital clothing for the Christmas-box Katharine had persuaded Room A to fill for "our brave boys" in one of the Washington hospitals. As for her, she was all life this evening; we had never seen her so animated or so beautiful. Our conversation was growing momentarily livelier, when the entrance of Dr. Esling with a party, of visitors quieted us, and a sudden silence settled down upon our little group.

Among the party was a young lawyer of the town, an ineffably vain youth, who was an ardent admirer of our " Ice Lady," as Mollie Harris called Katharine Veighn. Now he approached her at once, with his profoundest bow, thinking, doubt-less, to seize this golden opportunity to impress her obdurate heart. After a few commonplaces the young gentleman remarked,

" You ladies are very industrious, Miss Veighn. Making gifts, I presume, for the dear friends at home. Ah, how happy must they be to receive gifts from so fair a hand!" Then bending to ex-amine Katharine's work, which she had just laid down, " but what is this, Miss Veighn? Certainly, not a Christmas favor."

"No, Mr. Laird, not a Christmas favor but a Christmas debt, abundantly owed, poorly paid. My friends and I, Sir, are preparing hospital stores for our sick and wounded."

"Oh, Miss Veighn, you surprise me ! But I presume it is one of Dr. Esling's odd whims."

"Pray, Sir, if I may inquire, how do I surprise you?"

The words were spoken with Katharine Veighn's usual courtesy, but the crimson flush was stealing over her cheek, and the childlike winsomeness was fast vanishing from her lips, leasing only the proud curve in its stead.

" Can you ask, Miss Veighn ? Can you wonder that it pains and surprises me to see your delicate hands roughened upon coarse garments for those vulgar wretches in the hospitals yonder? Let them clothe them who send them. You have no interest in this miserable war, or in the low-born fellows who are fighting in it ! You are too—"

He paused, in doubt-in dread.

Katharine's tall figure was drawn to its full height, her beautiful, proud face was terrible in its boundless contempt. One hand raised to her swelling throat, as if to keep down the indignation that labored for utterance, she stood for a moment silent, while her eyes surveyed the young gentleman, measuredly, from head to foot. At last, throwing more of scathing scorn into her look and tone than Portia ever did, she said only,

"Heaven made him, so let him pass for a man !" and swept to the other side of the room with the air of au outraged empress. The unhappy exponent of Northern vulgarity stood a moment in doubt, I thought, whether or not to make an attempt at propitiation; but finding that the strangers had gathered around us unnoticed, and had evidently heard the whole colloquy, he hastily withdrew amidst the laughter of the gentlemen, including even the grave Professor.

A tall, fine-looking, elderly man, wearing a military undress, whispered to Dr. Esling, who bowed his consent, and the officer, turning to Katharine, said,

"My dear young lady, accept a soldier's warmest thanks for your very thorough rebuke to the young coxcomb who has just relieved us of his presence. It atones to us, poor fellows, for many of our hardships, to know that the daughters and sisters we leave behind us love the cause we are lighting for. May I have the honor to know your name ?"

The girl's countenance was very bright and ten-der as she replied, " Katharine Veighn, Sir." His dark face lighting with pleasure, he exclaimed,

" I thought I could not have erred ! Miss Veighn, I am Colonel R—, of the —st Pennsylvania. I return to it in a very few days. Have you any message for my regiment?"

His tone was very significant, and Katharine blushed deeply as she faltered,

"Tell them—tell them, Colonel R--, that I--that we--have not forgotten them."

She gave him her hand as she spoke, and they talked for a few minutes in a tone too low for our ears amidst the hum of general conversation.

As the party left Katharine sank into a chair and sat, with listless hands and dreamy, face, until aroused by Miss Esling's summons to prepare for retiring.

As my head touched the pillow that memorable night Mollie Harris's arms stole around my neck, and drawing my ear close to her lips she whispered,

" I've got the clew at last, Phebe Warner, and it is an engagement ring after all. The happy man is in Colonel R—'s regiment--she is a woman like the rest of us, only a thousand times nobler and better, bless her heart !"

I fell asleep, thinking drowsily of the insatiable curiosity of my sex, and wondering whether Mollie's surmises were right or wrong.

II.

MAY was looking her last upon the blossoms al-ready hastening into flue lap of June, when Spring, joining hands with Summer, brought us that dark day at Fair Oaks.

There were sad hearts. then in Room A, and of all the saddest was Katharine Veighn's. She moved among us with a white, scared time, starting at every noise, at a strange voice, at the -opening of a door, as though she feared to meet a spirit. In a few days, however, her face grew brighter, her manner more composed, she was once more her usual self, and began to cheer our sorrowings over the