GENERAL BRAYMAN.

271 General McClernand brought him early into action. He was in the battle of Belmont, and Gen. McClernand speaks of him with his other staff officers "as entitled to gratitude for the zeal and alacrity with which they bore orders in the face of danger, and discharged all their duties in the field." He was in the attack on Fort Donelson, and during the battle of Shiloh he manifested gallantry which won admiration from his superiors and the rank and file. At a critical juncture when the enemy came on to carry a battery, and the supporting regiments faltered, the Major seized a flag which had fallen, and passing in front, rallied them, while the enemy's musketry was pouring a shower of balls about him, but escaped unhurt. He believed then and since that God preserved him, for he has faith in Providence.

Colonel Reardon resigning, Major Brayman became Colonel of the 29th infantry April 15, 1862. His service being with our Western armies, will come before the reader with the various campaigns, and is not sketched in detail.

Having, by gallantry and capacity, shown his right to promotion, he was commissioned Brigadier-General of volunteers Sept. 24, 1862.

While Gen. Brayman was commanding the post of Bolivar, Tenn., one Neely, clerk of the Hardeman County Court, was brought before him, and the order in reference to him acquired such a notoriety that the insertion of a part of it will be of interest to our readers:

"SPECIAL ORDER No. 64.

"The General Commanding is advised that Rufus P. Neely, clerk of the Hardeman County Court, late a colonel in the rebel army, and engaged in acts of war against the United States, still persists in treasonable language and acts-giving aid and comfort to armed enemies, and disturbing the peace of this post-he having taken an oath of allegiance to the pretended government of the confederate States, in violation of his oath of office-still adhering to such allegiance, and refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States.

"On the night of November 28th, he was arrested and brought within the lines, and on that and the two succeeding nights, a party of mounted men, including two commissioned officers, was detailed to guard his premises and capture guerillas, who were prowling in the neighborhood, and were said to be entertained at his house.

"While there, the party were assailed with abusive epithets, and compelled, while in the performance of duty, to listen to disloyal declarations and threats on the part of the wife and daughters of Mr. Neely. They state in writing that Mrs. Neely

acknowledged the fact of harboring Southern soldiers, and declared that she would give the last thing she had to help them-that the federal army 'was a set of murderers and rogues'-that the oath was of no effect for a secessionist to take—that she would go where she pleased and would not take the oath-that 'the Devil had telegraphed to Jeff. Davis not to send him any more Yankees, for hell was already full of them, and he could not accommodate any more until he could dig another nit to put them in,' etc., etc. A daughter is reported as declaring that if she had her way, 'all the Yankees should be put in prison and fed on bread and water thirty days, if they lived so long'—that if 'old Abe Lincoln had been dead, and such a man as Jeff. Davis in his place, this trouble would not have been'-that 'Lincoln and all such men ought to be dead' that 'old George Washington was a nasty, mean old scamp!'

"The General Commanding regards with great charity, the harmless ebullitions of malevolence and spite, which, so far from being dangerous, only indicate sympa thy with a wicked and failing cause. The patriotic officers and soldiers of the American army have been severely tried in this particular, and deserve great credit for the forbearance with which they have listened without resenting. This may, however, be due to the fact that their forbearance has been taxed most severely by those whose gentle sex claimed their homage, and whose social position, education, and supposed refinement of manners would appear to afford a guarantee against intentional and persistent rudeness.

"It is not the desire or duty of officers in command to take account of indecent and treasonable language, unless uttered under such circumstances as to do harm, or to affect the efficiency of the service. In the case under consideration, the officers and soldiers of the United States were on duty-obeying orders, and entitled to protection; not only from molestation, but from insult. The General Commanding will not impose upon his men disagreeable duties, and require of them, in addition, to submit to needless humiliation from public enemies, even though persons called la. dies, are the offenders.

"The avowal of treasonable acts and intentions, the coarse and disrespectful terms in which the President of the United States, and the army of which he is Commander-in-Chief, are spoken of, as before recited, are so often heard, and have been so long tolerated under the very shadow of our flag, as to excite no surprise -scarcely rebuke.

"But it is not so-it shall not be so, when the venerated name of WASHINGTON is profaned. Among all nations, civilized and savage—in all languages—by high and low-by the good, the noble, the brave, and gentle-even by the drunkard, the ruffian and the traitor, the memory of Washington is held in reverence. To the men

and women of America, his name is expressive of all that is brave and magnanimous in war, and good and wise in statesmanship, and is spoken with something of that reverential awe which is felt when pronouncing that of the Savior of mankind. A case is here presented-the first within memory, in which this universal sentiment of the Christian world has been set at defiance. It affords another striking evidence

of the destructive and demoralizing influence of that political heresy which seeks the overthrow of that benignant government, and the dishonor of the sacred flag which the valor and wisdom of Washington gave us. The General Commanding feels no delicate reserve in expressing his abhorrence of such language, whenever and by whomsoever spoken. Let the man who dares to utter it die the death of a traitor, and the roof-tree beneath which, a woman shall revile the memory of Washington, tumble in swift ruin to the ground.

"In consideration of the matters here stated, it is ordered as follows:

"First. The Provost Marshal will release Rufus P. Neely, late colonel in the rebel army, from close custody, and remand him to his plantation outside the picketlines of this post.

"Second. The Provost Marshal will also revoke any permits heretofore given to sid Neely, his wife, and his daughter, Miss Kate Neely, to pass within the picketfines of this post, and will absolutely exclude them therefrom, until further orders. "Third. Said Rufus P. Neely is debarred from holding the office, or performing any of the duties of Clerk of Hardeman County."

This was followed by an earnest exhortation to the people of West Tennessee to purge themselves of all complicity with treason in their homes.

Gen. Brayman is a Christian patriot who has well served his State.. We shall meet him again with our armies.

Brigadier-General David Stuart was the son of Robert Stuart of the old Scotch covenanter type and stock. Mr. Robert Stuart was a prominent trader among the Indians of the Northwest and accompanied the expedition of Clark & Lewis. The General was his second child, and after an academic course at Utica and Oberlin, he graduated at Amherst College. Studying law he became a successful advocate, especially in criminal practice. Popular in his manner and style of oratory, and an ardent democrat, he was early thrown into political life, and in 1852 went into Congress from the first. district of Michigan. While in the House, he determined to abandon politics and devote himself arduously to his profession, and seeing in Chicago an inviting field he removed thither in 1855, where he soon took high rank.

He acquired national notoriety from his connection with a celebrated divorce case, the details of which were published in the leading dailies east and west.

Colonel Wilson says of him:

"No sooner had the rebellion broken out, than David Stuart, true to the instincts of his nature and the patriotic blood that flowed in his veins, threw aside his briefs and at once commenced raising a brigade, to be called after Senator Douglas, whose devoted and earnest friend he was. Circumstances of an unfortunate character had occurred at Chicago which, for a time, cast a cloud over his career; and acting under prejudices very natural, the press, the bar, and even the public, with few exceptions, interposed every obstacle and barrier to his success in raising, equipping and fitting-out the Doug las Brigade. This opposition and these obstacles only served to develop the heroism of the man, and called into play the Scotch persistence of his nature. In spite of the unjust jeers of the press, in spite of the calumnies of the crowd and the taunts of his brethren of the bar, David Stuart, by his own energies, with his own purse, by his talents, persistence and power, raised and put into the field the Douglas Brigade, consisting of two regiments of one thousand men each; and I venture to say, that finer regiments, better equipped or more thoroughly drilled, have not joined the ranks of the armies of the Union.

'July 22, 1861, Stuart was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Douglas Regiment, known as the 42d, Colonel Webb, and, October 31st, was elected Colonel of the 2d Douglas (or 55th) Regiment which was sent into the field on the 5th of December. Colonel Stuart was in command of a brigade in Sherman's division at the battle of Shiloh, where he displayed soldierly qualities of the highest order and was severely wounded. General W. T. Sherman, in his report, says: 'My 2d brigade, Colonel Stuart, was detached near two miles from my headquarters. He had to fight his own battle on Sunday, as the enemy interposed between him and Gen. Prentiss early in the day. Colonel Stuart was wounded severely, and yet reported for duty on Monday morning.' Colonel Stuart has been constantly on duty with his regiment or brigade since he first took the field, and, on December 2, 1862, was appointed by the President a Brigadier-General."

It is useless to speculate upon the refusal of the Senate to confirm the nomination, but it did so, and the General retired from the ser

The divorce case above mentioned.

vice. He had already won distinction. His bravery and skill promised well to the army, and would have given him eminence among the defenders of the national honor.

MAJOR-GENERAL STEPHEN A. HURLBUT.

General Hurlbut has been from the outset, an officer of ability and terrible earnestness. He has struck hard and telling blows against the foes of his government, but none against its friends. He has won distinction on the field. His division was first to land and hold Pittsburg Landing, and in the long and desperate conflict, the "Fighting Fourth" was as a wall of steel; none of its regiments lost their organization or failed to rally to their colors. It is not claiming too much to say that to him is due the brilliant success of the fight of Hatchie. Subsequently, while in command of the 16th Army Corps, with headquarters at Memphis, there were 79,000 men on its rolls. This leader we simply introduce; he will pass before the reader again as the course of our Illinois legions is marked on the red fields of war, for he is still in the service.

It may be that his fiery earnestness is partially due to his intimate knowledge of the people we have to fight, for he was born in Charleston, S. C., Nov. 29, 1815. The son of a Unitarian clergyman, he received a good education, and then studied law in the office of James L. Pettigrew in Charleston, and in that nest of nullification and treason he practiced law several years.

During the Florida war, he entered the six months' volunteers as sergeant in a company of militia, and came out lieutenant on the staff.

He had the good sense to see that for a man of active temperament and strong convictions, there was ampler scope and better opportunity in the great fields of the free Northwest.

In 1845 he removed to Illinois and settled at Belvidere, Boone County, and engaged in his profession, occasionally mingling in politics, being a prominent member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1847. This fact shows that he soon made his impress upon the people, for as yet he had been resident less than two years. He also represented that constituency in the State Legislature several times and with marked ability.

Mr. Lincoln knew him well and selected him as one of the first generals chosen from civilians. His commission as Brigadier was