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IIALLECK, HENRY W. 



country, Halleck was the active and able lead- 

 er. He was substantially the author of the 

 constitution of the State, and the foremost 

 man in the convention. He could have been 

 one of the United States Senators, but was un- 

 willing then to relinquish his military profes- 

 sion. Continuing- in the Army, he remained as 

 aide-de-camp on the staff of General Riley ; 

 from December 21, 1852, was inspector and 

 engineer of light-houses, and from April II, 

 1853, a member of the Board of Engineers for 

 fortifications on the Pacific coast; and was 

 promoted captain of engineers, July 1, 1853 

 all of which positions he held till his resigna- 

 tion, August 1, 1854, from the military service. 

 After leaving the Army, where his pay was 

 inadequate to his support, and the future pre- 

 sented no distinguished career, Halleck de- 

 voted himself to the practice of the law in a 

 firm of which for some time he had been a 

 prominent member ; and continued as direc- 

 tor-general of the New Almaden quicksilver- 

 mine, a position he had held since 1850. In the 

 practice of his profession, with an amount of 

 business which would have overwhelmed most 

 men, Mr. Ilalleck still found time for no small 

 amount of literary labor, which, though in the 

 line of his professional studies, gave proof of 

 his untiring industry and his thorough mastery 

 of the great principles which underlie the 

 science of law. He prepared " A Collection 

 of the Mining Laws of Spain and Mexico," 

 published in 1859; a translation of " De Fooz 

 on the Law of Mines, with Introductory Re- 

 marks," 1860 ; and a mascerly treatise on 

 "International Law, or Rules regulating the 

 Intercourse of States in Peace and "War," 

 1861 ; subsequently condensed and modified 

 for the use of schools and colleges, in 1866. 

 This work has received the highest commen- 

 dation of the great German publicists as well 

 as of American, English, and French jurists 

 of the highest rank. Mr. Halleck was also 

 president of the Pacific & Atlantic Railroad 

 from San Francisco to San Jose" in 1855, and 

 major-general of California militia in 1860-'61. 

 L T nion College had conferred on him the honor- 

 ary degree of A. M. in 1843, and in 1848 he 

 had received and declined the appointment of 

 Professor of Engineering in the Lawrence 

 Scientific School at Cambridge, Mass. The 

 outbreak of the civil war found Ilalleck at the 

 head of the most prominent law-firm in San 

 Francisco, and with large interests and much 

 valuable property in California. Yet he did 

 not hesitate a moment in tendering his sword 

 and his talents in defence of the Union. Gen- 

 eral Scott, well knowing his worth, immedi- 

 ately and strongly urged upon President Lin- 

 coln his being commissioned with the highest 

 grade in the regular Army. Accordingly he 

 was appointed a major-general, to date from 

 August 19, 1861, accepting which he without 

 delay repaired to Washington, was ordered to 

 St. Louis, and November 18, 1851, took com- 

 mand of the Department of Missouri, em- 



bracing the States of Missouri, Iowa, Minne- 

 sota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and W^est- 

 ern Kentucky. Around him was a chaos, 

 requiring the prompt, energetic, and ceaseless 

 exercise of his iron will, military knowledge, 

 and administrative powers. The scattered 

 forces of his command were a medley of al- 

 most every nationality, with the organization 

 of each and the excellence of none ; Missouri 

 and Kentucky were practically but a border 

 screen to cover the operations of the seceding 

 South. Hardly had he assumed command be- 

 fore his remorseless Juggernaut of reform be- 

 gan to crush out every abuse and scatter all 

 opposing obstacles, and in a few weeks order 

 reigned in Missouri. With like vigor he dealt 

 blow after blow upon all who, under the mask 

 of citizens, abetted the enemy informants com- 

 municating with any of them were treated as 

 spies; bridge-burners and marauders were 

 tried and sentenced to death by military com- 

 missions ; towns and counties were compelled 

 to pay all damages to public property de- 

 stroyed within their limits ; carriages flaunt- 

 ing Confederate flags were seized in the streets 

 and promptly confiscated ; women insulting 

 the soldiers, or signalling the inmates of mili- 

 tary prisons, were confined to their homes ; 

 wealthy seccessionists were assessed for th( 

 support of loyal refugees, and, failing to pay, 

 were sent beyond the lines ; and, to make assur- 

 ance doubly sure, all officials of corporations, 

 licensed lawyers, voters at elections, employes 

 of the Government, and even the Faculty of th 

 University of Missouri, were required to take 

 the oath of allegiance to the United States. But, 

 while from headquarters thus energetically 

 dealing with the enemy at home, he did not 

 neglect the enemy in arms, over whom, by his 

 admirable strategic combinations, he quickly 

 secured success after success, till, in less than 

 six weeks after assuming command, a clean 

 sweep had been made of the entire country 

 between the Missouri and Osage Rivers, and 

 General Price, cut off from all supplies and 

 recruits from Northern Missouri, to which he 

 had been moving, was in full retreat for 

 Arkansas. 



Though the winter had set in, Halleck re- 

 laxed not a moment to insure new victories. 

 The Union supremacy in Missouri being estab- 

 lished, he now turned his attention to the 

 opening of the Mississippi River, which General 

 Scott had intended unbarring by a flotilla and 

 army descending it in force. Halleck, how- 

 ever, was satisfied that this plan would only 

 stem the torrent of secession, and the enemy 

 would be again able to return upon its path. To 

 effectually thwart and turn all the river strong- 

 holds, he" felt that the Confederacy must be 

 rent in twain by an armed wedge, driven in 

 between this great stream and the mountains 

 on the east. On January 27, 1862, the Presi- 

 dent had ordered a general advance of all the 

 land and naval forces of the United States, to 

 be simultaneously made against the insurgents 



