Show an 4 R J ak 2 4 al n CO T lip rig gen hapip C r by ELMO SCOTT WATSON k mr websters S large book of words and R their definitions and there g you will find one ond characterized thus unique a being without a like or equal single in kind or excellence sole despite this explicit deh w netlon unique la Is a 7 much misused word Co consider nilder now the careers of three americans and see bee whether or not the characterization of unique Is aptly applied to them one of them was the only man who ever held field the rank of rear admiral in the united states navy and the rank of brigadier general in the united states army another was a man who although not a native of america held a position in the highest legislative body of one Ameri american caw government and then held successively three important ollices offices in the executive depart department meni of another american amerian government even more remarkable Is the record of the thard not a native of america he held several important state ollices offices in two states was elected united states senator from three different states commanded american troops to in two wars and was governor of an american territory tennessee gave to the nat nation loir its only daly admiral general samuel pow hatan carter was his name and tie he was born in eliza Ellzabeth town carter county august 6 1819 he become became it a midshipman in the navy in 1840 six rears later he was promoted to the grade of passed midshipman and assigned to the U S S ohio V from row 1851 to io 1853 lie he was assistant instructor of infantry tallies tactics at the naval academy and was made a lieutenant in 1855 the next year 5 car tie he served in one of uncle sams forg forgotten gotten wars the expedition to china on july 11 1861 carter was temporarily transferred to the war department for tit the e special duty of organizing troops in his bis native land eastern tennessee carter soon proved to be as uhle able a military as he had been a naval officer re he was appointed first colonel of the second tennessee volunteers then acting brigadier general of volunteers and on may mai 1 1862 lie he received hla his full commission as commander of a brigade on march 13 43 1805 carter was brevet ted major general and was mustered out of the army in n january 1883 he immediately returned to the navy having by this time been promoted to the rank of commander he served as commandant at the naval academy from 1869 to 1872 having been promoted noted to tho the rank of captain in 1870 lie he was a member of the lighthouse board from 1876 to 1880 and was promoted to commodore in 1878 in 1881 he was honored by promotion motion to the rank of rear admiral on the ref retired froid list reward corning coming as a fitting climax to his extraordinary r carr career in n both branches ai oc i i the united states s service e rv ice in 1891 admiral general carter truly a unique american died in the capital of thi the country lie he had bad served so well during his lifetime of seventy one years in the year 1811 a ai ship attempted to ascend the mississippi river to new orleans but finding that port blockaded by a british fleet it sailed away to the west indies among its passengers who landed on the island of st croix was an english jew named benjamin and his wife on august 11 a son was borato mrs airs benjamin and given tho the rame name of judah although judah 1 benjamin was denied the right of being born on amer r 4 g an R 4 euclet L R b anja mari I 1 of carter and shields courtesy army information service can soll lie was destined to become tin important figure in american his I 1 tory anese F shields benjamins boyhood was spent in wilmington I N C until 1825 1823 when he entered yale after three years tie he left that institution without getting a degree and went to new orleans where he studied law in a office ile he was admitted to the bar to in 1832 and spent the next few years practicing that profession in 1848 louisiana elected benjamin as presidential elector at large and four years later sent him to the united states senate returning him there ther in 1857 ile he took a prominent part in the slavery mavery dispute of those times and during one of the exciting debates in the senate a dispute with wit Jefre jefferson davis dails the senator from mississippi sis sippi brought the two men to the terge ergie 0 of i a duel which ws wits averted only when duvis apologized although davis had disagreed violently with benjamin in the senate he be recognized the worth of the man and when the former was chosen as president of the confederate states of america lie he selected benjamin as attorney general in his cabinet in august 1861 benjamin was transferred to the war department where his con duct of the war aroused such bitter hostility even In including luding charges of incompetency and neglect of his duty that ho he resigned but davisi to whose stubborn refusal to accept advice some historians ascribe a large share of the responsibility for the downfall of the confederacy again flew in the face of public opinion and immediately offered benjamin his third cabinet position that of secretary of state when richmond fell in 1863 benjamin tied fled with the rest of the confederate Se government makini making hla his way to the coast of florida lie he escaped in an open boat to io the bahamas and in september 1805 reached liverpool after living quietly in retirement for 11 year in england lie he lookup took up the study of english law lani aud and in he was admitted to the bar in 1883 after his bis health had failed benjamin retired from active practice and on june 30 bf that year lie he was guest of honor at a farewell banquet given to him film in the inner temple in london by the highest legal luminaries in england ile he then went to parts paris to make Us his home and there he be died on may 8 1881 1884 if benjamins career in america was a remarkable one even more unusual was that of another immigrant boy james E H shields born in dungan non county tyrone ireland in 1810 shields come came to this country at the 0 age of sixteen and went to the frontlet front lei country of illinois where he studied law and began practice at kaskaskia Kas kaskla in 1832 honors came rapidly to him in his adopted home he wits was elected elec tei to the legislature in 1836 made state auditor in 1839 and appointed a judge on the state supreme court bench in 1843 two years year slater later he was appointed commissioner of the genera land office but gave up civil life at the outbreak of the mexican war to accept a commission as brigadier general of the illinois volunteers in 1811 1 1 mustered out of the service on july 20 1818 lie he was immediately appointed territorial governor of oregon but resigned this office when he was elected senator from illinois as a democrat lie ile served in the senate from december 3 1810 to march 3 1855 and then moved to minnesota when the state government was organized there lie he was again sent seni to the united states senate where he remained from may 12 1858 to mareb march 3 1859 he next moved to california and at the outbreak of the civil war wits was acting as superintendent of a mine in mexico hastening to washington the mexican viar war veteran was commissioned a brigadier general ot of volunteers in augut august 1801 on march as 1863 weakened by the wounds which he had suffered in two wars shields resigned from the army going to california he found that the lands granted to him for his military services had been lost by his trusted agent and he bought a tarro tarm near carrollton roll ton mo upon which to spend bil bis s declining years although lie he had bad decided to retire from public life lie he was soon back into politics jn in 1868 he be was democratic candidate tor for congress and although his friends declared that he had been elected he was not seated six years later they elected him to the legislature and upon the expiration of his terra term the general aged weakened and impoverished sought the humble position of doorkeeper of the united states senate in which he had bad represented repress re prest anted two states but this was waa denied him film and he be returned to missouri that state promptly honored him by electing him to ti the senate and he returned again as a member of the body which had denied him employment ile he held field this position until his death which took place on juno june 1 1879 1870 at ottumwa iowa where he had bad gone to deliver a lecture on the mexican war for the benefit of a church by western Wea tern newspaper anlon |