General James Shields

General James Sbields, brought so prominently before tbe country by his battle with, and a vietory over, the robels! at Winchester, Saturday and Banday last, is a nativo of the county of Tyroue, Irelaud, and 52 years of age. He was among the 13rigadier Generala appointcd in August last, his selection by tho Pros ident having loon made without his solicítation or knowlodge. He was at the time spending his honey moon in Mexico, owing to which, and other cireumstances of' a personal nature, lio declinad tho appointnieut. This dedinatioo was Beized upon was seized upou and mudo tho basis of charges affecting his loyalty. This t-aused the General to his deterinin:tion and lie forthwith sai led for New York where he arrired a oouple of moeths sinoe. Innnediately on landing he met a charge of disloyalty against bim uttered by Senator McDotigal, of California, giviug that gentleman an op portuuity to make good what he had s:iid or meet hita at ten paces. McDougal did neitticr. This we bolievo was Gon. Shields' second oonnection with anythiug pquinting towards a duel - tbc first having been with President Lincoln, when both wore young men in Illinois - This lattor difficulty Bad a lady i it but nevor carne to a firff. From Now York General Shjelds proceeded to Washington and tepdered his services to tho President. ïhey woro acceptod and tho first comuiand to which ho was assigned was that of the laraented Lander. ÏIow veü üo bobaved, the det:ula and oruors connecied witli the battlü of WiucLester teil. Tho Winchester covrcspoudeut of tlie Phihulelphia Inqmrer saya : During the Bglit, General Shiolils, w'jo corumandod in por son, was struck by a fragment of a slicll on tho upper part of the laft ann, shattcriog the bone, produ cing a compound fracture, and it was feared amputation would become neces sary. Tlio General remained on the field ttfter boing wouiided, giving bis orders anti) the close of the fight, when lie was oonveyed to tho resideneo of Mr. Geo. Severa, formerly eonnected witb the Farmers' Bank of Winchester. On Sunday morning the General was in claeerful spirits, though suli'ering some pain ; up to (bat time it was not known whctherOT not umputation would be nee essary. The New York Ilerald givcs the following sketeh of Gen. Shields : He first carne to this country in tho yfcar 182(5, being tlion ouly sixteon years of age. ín lSo"2 he went West and settled in Kaskaskia, one of tLe oldest vil lages in Illinoia, where lie dovotcd liis energies to thc study and practico of t lie law. lio was soou after elected to th? State Legislaturc, and ia 1839 was made State Auditor. Four years later ho was appointed Judgo of the Supremo Court, aud in 1845, háring rccc'is'cd frora President Polk tho apnointraeiit of Cmomiï siouer of the General Laúd Oílicc, ho roüiovcd to Washington. Upon thu break ing out of the Mexican war during tlie í'oUowing year, tho same President, with rare iliseriuiinatiou aud appreeiation of charaeter, appointed Mr. Shields a Brigadier General of United Statos Volunteers. 11 is commissiou was dated July 1, 184G, Ho was prosont at the siego of Vera Cruz, and even thero wat partieularly uoted. At the battle of Cerro Gordo lio distinguished hiraaelf greatly, and was the seeond timo naturalizad a ciüzen of tho United Status by shodding his blood in defense of bis adopted country's honor. A recital of Gen. Sbields' deeds ia that battle Boemí moro liko tbe details of tbo great actionsof some famed hero of ro manee than tbe plain narrative of tbe oonduct of " ono of Polk's raw Gener ais," as tbe opposition styled him wlien appointed. Sevcrely wounded, be co tinued on tbo field, urg'uig on bis men, until a ball pa?s'nig througb hía Inngs ítruck hitq down. He was enrried from tlio battle-ficld, and was reponed su near dead tbat obitunry notices nppcarcd of :e gftllant General in nearly all tlio pr. ova of the country. Even in the noigl .-- c )i)rhood of the battle ground bis life was ' r weeks despaired of, and the anccdote t f his cure is rcnnrkable, as it w u'd L ear improbable, did the man net live t araong us at the present time to vcri'y ( he statement. It appears thatjie was , cntuely jriven over by the army surgeon?, wben a Mexican doctor said lie would , ivo if be would let him remove the ] aguhtod blood from the wound. Shields, us a kill or cure roinady, told him tu ry ; and a fino silk handkerchief was worked, and fiually drawn through tbo wound, reinoving the extravaaated blood, when daylight could be soen through the ioIo. And yet Shields to-day is a hale and bearty man, free from disease or any inconvonienee from his wound, which wari considerfid at the time as mortal, haviug been made by a large coppcr ball. For his gallant and meritorious conduct on this occasion he was, in August, 1848, broveted a Major General of vojmiteers. Süll suffering from his wounds wo find him eop.imauding a brigada in the valley of Mexico, cousisting of a battalion of marines and regiments composed of' New York and South Carolina voluntcors. - He was also in tho battle of Chapultepec, where, being unhorsed, ho fought on foot, bareheaded and m his shirt sleevea, leadiiig his brigade, sword u hand, with a bravery that has mado lus name romirkable in American history. He was agaiu wounded, aud that dangcrously, but with care and agood constitution he recovered. His brigade, after performing rilorous deecls, eudiug in tlic capturo oí ' the city of Mexico, was disbauded on tho SOth of July, 1848. The war being : suded, Gen. Sbielda laid down the sword, Eiiid assumed once more Lis place in civil lifo. He viH3 brilliantly recoived on his arrival in tlic United States, and when he returned to tlic State of his choice (Illinois), lic was clected to fill the position vacated by Mr. Breczo - tbat of öcnator from that State - to represent it in the Capítol at Washington. This was in the year 1849. Owing to some technicality ho was refused admission as a Senator, when he promptly resigned the post, and was as promptly re-clected. Ho returned to Washington, and for sis year3 provcd himself to be as able in council as he was on tho batlle field. He waa unostenta tious and modest, spoke but seldom ; but when he dirl, it was with tnarked effect, and setured for bim universal attention. He ropresented the interests oj the democratie party, and was firm in bis position. In 1855, he lolt the Sonate, leaviug at the same time Illinois, and went to set!lo on the lands awarded him for his services in the army which he had selected in the Territory of Minnesota. When that trnul became a State, General Shields was returned to represent it in Congress as a Senator, and took his seat ülter its admissioD in May, 1858. General Shields having driuvn tho short term, ho had to vacate his seat in 1859, and, not iouring a roelection, he went further west into California. General Shields is of good personal appearuooe, about five ieeteight inches i;i stature, with dark hair and complexion. Ilis stylo oí speaking is easy, fluent and agreoable. He is stil!, of course, a progressive domoerat; but it Uig samo timo, is a slrong supporter of the government of the United States in its unity and iotegrity.