courage
were of the highest order. Making a feint of retreating, he drew the
enemy after him into the position he intended, when he turned and
assailed them with a furious musketry fire. It was his men who captured
the first colors taken by the Army of the Potomac, and it was on that
occasion that Hancock used the expression which has been often quoted.
In the midst of the tumult and swirl of battle he shouted: "Now,
gentlemen, we will give them the bayonet!" Hancock received the personal
thanks of McClellan for his fine work.

He was always loyal to his superiors, McClellan, Burnside, McClellan
again, Hooker, and Meade, rapidly rising in prominence until at the
great battle of Gettysburg he contributed perhaps more than any single
man to the success of the Union arms. Among the titles applied to him by
his admiring countrymen were "The Superb" and "The Hero of Gettysburg."

The Confederates who came in contact with him expressed their admiration
of his dauntless courage and coolness. He was painfully wounded, but,
while lying on a stretcher, he sent a message to General Meade that the
Confederate army was in retreat. Meade replied with his grateful thanks
and sympathy, and Congress also thanked him.

His ardent patriotism placed him in the saddle before his wound had
healed, and at one time during the battle of the Wilderness he was
obliged to give up his command. At Chancellorsville he captured the
whole division of General Edward Johnson. When that officer was brought
into Hancock's tent the latter extended his hand to his old
acquaintance, exclaiming heartily, "How are you, Ned?"

"I refuse to take your hand," replied the humiliated prisoner.

"All right," said Hancock, "I shouldn't have offered it to you under any
other circumstances."

Hancock was in command of the Second Army Corps for the last time at the
battle of Boydton. His remarkable skill in training soldiers caused
Secretary Stanton to assign to him the task of organizing the First
Veteran Corps, composed of soldiers, all of whom had been in service two
years. He afterward commanded the Army of the Shenandoah, and was in
charge at Washington at the time of the assassination of Lincoln.

In 1869, he was transferred from the command of the division of the
Atlantic and assigned to that of Dakota, where he remained until 1872,
when he resumed command of the division of the Atlantic. His last public
appearance was when he commanded the military forces w