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Show THE LATE GEN. SCHENCK. AoMdotes TThich Show Ills Keal Character. Char-acter. Like all men of strong convictions, aggressive ag-gressive pel sonality and extreme capacity for makfng wiriu friends or bitter foes, Gen. Robert C. bebenck, who died recently ut Washington, was the object during his lif time of much exaggerated praise and an equal amount of undue criticism. Perhaps i the greatest storm of abuse that ever poured upon his head fell ju?t after Provident Lin-cola Lin-cola had commissioned him brigadier geueral of volunteers at the outbreak of the late civil war. Scheuck was a civilian, a lawyer, a successful suc-cessful politician, an ex-diplo'.nate, but of military affairs he knew nothing, and those opposed to hitn said so in plain terms. His appointment was denounced in one leading newspaper as an outrage ou the soldiers, and it was suggested that ha Us turned over to some orderly sergeant, of the regular array and "made to drill Li;e sixty for a month." It was only a little after his entering on active military service that Schenck's critics found a new occasion for reiterating their original views. Tlie general was engaged in securing possession of the Loudon and llarnp-6hire llarnp-6hire railroad. At Vienna the train couvey-ing couvey-ing his forces was fired upon, the engineer uncoupled un-coupled the locomotive aud ran away, and Scbenck's handful of men had to face a band of very eager and active opponents. The truth of the matter, as af u:rward established, was that the combatants on both sides displayed dis-played creditable courage and camo out of the contest with bono;-, but Scbenck's enemies en-emies declared that he had leen ignominious-ly ignominious-ly routed, and sarcastically dubbed him the "hero of Vienna." The probable reasons why President Lincoln Lin-coln gave Schenck bis commission were two in number. For one ho knew the man to b.-able, b.-able, aggressive and brave. And again h considered himself under great personal obligation. obli-gation. It may not be generally known, but it is an actual fact that Jlr. Lincoln gave Schenck the credit of first naming him for the presidency. In September, 1S.Y.I, the former for-mer addressed a meeting at Dayton, O., on the politial issues of that period. Allusion being made to the subject of the next presidency, presi-dency, Mr. Scheuck suggested "that if an honest, sensible man was wanted, it would be well to nominate the distinguished gentleman from Illinois who had just addressed them." However, if the beginning of Scbenck's military career was not glorious, either through lack of experience or want of opportunity, oppor-tunity, he showed conspicuous gallantry and ability later ou. At the second battle of Bull Run, while in the thickest of the fight and urging his men forward, a ball struck his right wrist and his sword dropped from his hand. Stij's one of the hi.sr.oriuns of the war: "Soldiers Mill enjoy tehiug of "the general's rage and fearful imprecations at the loss of his sword." lie refused to leave the field until he had recovered it. Tlie wound per-raanently per-raanently injured his right arm, and for the remainder of his. life Uen. Schenck wrote with his left hand. "When minister to England Gen. Schenck became tlib target of a go deal of adverse comment because- lie )i-as reported to have published a book en poker pia3"ing for the use of the Eugiis'u aristocracy. "Poker Bob," as he was afterwards called by his opponents, op-ponents, never took the trouble to deny the charge, but his friends claimed that he simply sim-ply wrote out tin ruie.sof tlie game in compliance com-pliance with the request of a lady. She had the manuscript put in tyiie and issued a few copies of the pamphlet for private circn la lieu. Gen. Schenck spent the last years of his life i.i hb-.(jiu;i3 retirement. He gathered about hint a few old friends, but cared to make nn new ones. As one of his biographers says: "ills enemies spok. of him as selfish; his friends called him wholu soulw I, generous, big b ;r. 1-ted. h' soii-i.ble." |