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2 The coat of arms of the Cleburnes is thus described : “On a field argent, three chevronels interlaced in base, sable. A chief of the last. Crest —A demi-wolf sable holding in its dexter paw a blue battle-flag, with a white moon in center. C rest mot to—“ For ward. ” Shield motto-’ ‘CI ibbor ne Sceame’ Cleburne’s boyhood. General Cleburne’s father was Dr. Joseph Cleburne, an eminent physic ian of “Grange,” Pallincolliz, in the county of Cork, who married Mary Anne, daughter of Patrick Ronayne, Esquire, of Annebrook, in the same county, by whom he had one daughter and three sons, the youngest of whom, the subject of this sketch, was born in Grange on St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th of March, 1828. Os Cleburne’s early years and the progress of his educa tion we have but little knowledge. As a child, he is said to have been silent, shy and reserved; but he very early manifested the promptitude, decision and courage that marked his military life. He sought enjoyment in the quiet pursuits of home, and cared but little for the approbation of others ; yet his natural kindness of heart, his sound sense and sterling principlesand his soft but solid nature attracted the good-will and gained the confidence of all with whom he was brought into so cial intercourse. There was nothing remarkable about his school and col lege life except his aversion to the ex act sciences and his ardent love for poetry and history. For the latter he had a natural fobduess, and there is no doubt that the histories he delight ed to read fixed in his mind that oppo sition to tyranny in all its forms which he carried through life, and which es pecially influenced him in his career as a dutiful soldier. He enjoyed poe try with keen intensity, indeed a deep vein of poetic sentiment coursed through his nature. The poetical ele ment was so strong that it served to color his inner life, though his literary efforts in this direction were limited and intended only for his own pleasur able recreation. His mind was singu larly constituted for such a nature, and its leading feature was concentrative ness. It was this imperial quality that en abled him to bring all of his strength of character to bear upon any import ant occasion, and may account in after life for an abruptness of manner and an impatience of every thing which could impede the execution of his or der or hinder the accomplishment of the object he had in view. He had a wonderful power of analysis and dis crimination, and in consequence he was often made an arbiter of the dis putes of his comrades with whom he was always a favorite. I'htse qualities, together with self-reliance, tortitude and truth, which were prominent traits in his character, made up a very strong and potential individuality. HIS EARLY FAILURE. The death of h’s father at a very ea Iv period in his youth deprived him of parental counsel and control, and this affi ction fell heavily upon him. That father, “the good master of the Grange,” however, left behind him a noble memory. His thirty years of practice, large benevolence and devo tion to the suffering poor, had endear ed him to ho-ts ot friends. High and low, rich and poor, did honor to the “poor man’s friend,” and many who had enjoyed the elegancies and open hospitality of the household at Grange and the friendship oT its genial and accomplished master, were ready to advance the interest of his son. Young Cleburne being destined for the medical profession, was placed under the preceptorship ot Dr. Justice, of Mallow, and for several years he wea rily waded through a course of pro fessional study, in which he had little heart. Aware that he must be the architect of his own fortune, and im bued with a natural spirit of inde pendence, he applied himself dili gently to his studies, and prepared himself to the best of his capacity, to which medicine was uncongenial, for the rigid examination of “Trinity.” Passing briefly over this part of his career, which proved to be the turning point of his adventurous life, it may suffice to say that he failed, and deep ly mortified at the result, discouraged and disappointed, in an overwelming fit of despondency, he startled his friends by enlisting as a private in Her Majesty’s Forty-first regiment of infan try (the “Prince of Wales’ Own ’) then stationed at Dublin. A PRIVATE SOLDIER IN THE ENGLISH ARMY. It was in the humble position of a common sldier in the British army that this well-born gentleman of royal lineage laid the foundation of his suc cess and shining fame as one of the most brilliant generals of a great war. Modest and reserved in his manners and bearing, he gained the respect and good-will of his comrades, and the con fidence and esteem of his officers. He entered thoroughly into the spirit of his work, and in this practical and in valuable school of the soldier he mas tered the minutiae of the profession, and gained experience that stood him in good stead in the crucial ordeals of our civil war. In the ranks of the Forty-first he learned the wholesome rules of regularity and prompt obedi ence, and practiced those lessons of self-control which so admirably fitted him to govern others. He learned ex actly what a soldier could do and ought to do, and in his after career he never imposed a duty or exacted a sac rifice that he was not willing to under go himself. The thoroughness of his mastery of all the details of a soldier’s life marked him f»r promotion, and he was soon advanced to the grade of non-commissioned officer. Speaking on one occasion of this promotion, he said: “I was prouder of my Cor poral’s comnfssion than that of Major- General.” While in th- Confederate army, in a convocation with Col. Freemantle, of the British army, he alluded to the useful lessons he had learned, and pointed, with a laugh, to the white facings of his general’s uniform, which, he said, his Forty-first experience en abled him to keep cleaner than any other Confederate general. The Forty first regiment wears white facings, and so did the generals in the Confederate army. REDUCED TO RANKS. An amusing incident lost for a while Cleburne’s newly acquired honor of a Corporal’s commission. His reg iment wa« ordered out for drill with knapsacks, and as he had been unwell for several days, and did not feel equal to the task of carrying through the tiresome drill a knapsack weighii in between thirty and forty pounds, he substituted a pillow for the several contents, and thus went on parade. His consternation may be conceived when he heard the command given, “Inspection knapsacks!” But there was no help for it, the pillow was dis covered, and he was reduced to the ranks. I his reverse, instead of de pressing, stimulated lys.. .energies, and he quickly regained the promotion lost by his luckless mishap. His health, which had greatly improved under a regular course of drills and exercises, THE KENNESAW GAZETfE. began to give way under excessive de votion to duty, and from exposure on guard he became afflicted with acute rheumatism. It was during these painful attacks, while confined to the wards of the mil itary hospital, at Gravesend, that he had ample time to indulge his poetic taste, and to acquire that accurate knowledge of the British poets which made him so apt at quotation. The Muses, however, did not occupy all of his leisure hours, though they formed his principal vocation, for a well thumbed copy of Blackstone attested even at that time his interest in the law. The t arly stirring of his legal ambition was caused by the knowl edge that the greatest misfortune of his life had been the want of a fixed aim. It was necessary for him to think seriously of some profession, for it was evident that he could not stand the exposure of army life, and the voca tion he had ultimately in view was the law. The chief difficulty in the way was that his term of enlistment had not expired, and it required a good deal of influence to get him out of the armv. He was bought out by his friends, and then decided to seek his fortune in America, with which coun try the fame and fortunes of a branch of his family had been associated for over two hundred years. HE EMIGRATES TO AMERICA. On reaching the United States he made a short sojourn at New Orleans, but his objective point was Helena, Arkansas, a small but stirring town on the Mississippi. This place had been recommended to him as a residence, and he found the climate suited to his constitution, and the town was rapidly increasing in wealth and population. Here he commenced upon his success ful career. After entering upon an extensive course of reading in ancient and mod ern history and general literature, he began his legal studies under the di rection of the Hon. Thomas Burke Hanley, Chief-lustice of the State, and under the able tuition of this pro found jurist, he progressed rapidly, prosecuting h’s >t- dies with great as siduity, till he c< mpleted a very thor ough training in ancient and modern law —inequity, civil and criminal ju risprudence. After admission to the bar he set tled in Helena, and devoted himself with so much earnestness to his profes sion that he soon enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. He never shunned responsibility, and imposed upon him self the most intense labor in the thor ough and careful preparation of all cases intrusted to him. His fidelity to the interest of his clients, together with his accurate and sound legal knowledge, gave him an enviable rep utation and a large business, which he further increased by a copartnership with Mr. T. C. Hindman, in whom he found a capable partner and a devoted friend. NEARLY KILLED IN A PRIVATE DIFFI CULTY. He was on the flood tide of prosper ity in 1856, when he became involved in a serious difficulty that nearly cost him his life. It was during a period of considerable political excitement that Mr. Hindman, his partner,, was grossly insulted in Helena by some friends of Hon. W. D. Rice, 'then a candidate for the State Senate. The insult was of such a nature that Mr. Hindman felt obliged to demand sat isfaction in the vsual maimer, but his assailants declined to give him a chance and planned a concerted attack upon him. One morning Mr. Cleburne and. his- partner were ivalking down the street on their way to their office, and they were fired upon from an adjacent store. The inside of the store -was too dark at the time for them to distinguish their assailants, but they instantly turned, drew their pistols and fired at one of them, a man named Merritt, the instigator of the plot, who was in stantly killed. After firing once Mr. Cleburne fell fainting to the ground from the excessive hemorrhage caused by a bullet which entered the back of his right shoulder-blade, and had to be extracted in front about four inches lower on the left side. A physician was promptly in attendance, examined his wound and pronounced his case hopeless. The wound was desperate, and his sufferings were so great that he almost prayed for death as a merci ful release. After a long illness he recovered. The leading traits of Cleburne’s char acter were conspicuously shown in this affair. He had the sympathy of all goo . citizens, and when the storm of public indignation was at its highest he generously abstained from prosecuting his opponents. He came forth from this trial stronger and better for the conflict morally. It was some time be fore he gained his health. After his return from North Mississippi, where he had gone to recuperate his strength, he wrote a letter to his family explain ing his action in the Merritt affair, and in answer to a remark deprecating his use of firearms on that occasion, he characteristically said : “I had either to defend myself or run, and you know’ that I was trained in a school where running formed no> part of the accomplishments.” HIS POLITICAL VIEWS. Increased popularity now added largely to Mr. Clebu ine’s practice,.and he was urged to enter the political arena, but though his principles and associations were Democratic, yet he loved his independence better than party, and he never sought advance ment in the turbid stream of political life. He adhered tenaciously to the creed of the Democratic party, and as a determii eel State’s rights champion he advocated the conseivative princi ples ot State sovereignty and strict con stitutional construction which he never failed to assert against any and every opposition. Politics having no attrac tion for him, though he was admirably fitted for that arena, he determined to remain in Helena and practice the pro fession in which his fortune and fame had to be won. But his peaceful pur suits were soon to cease. The war was brewing. The signs of the times were watched by no man with more intense interest and anxiety than by Cleburne. He was among the first to predict the evil consequences of a resort to arms, but true to his principles and devoted to the interests and rights of his adopt ed State, he was ready to take his part in the arbitrament of the sword to set tle the great question before the coun try. Ihe existence of slavery he re gretted, but regarded it as a necessary evil. Fully sensible of the embarrassments that ivould result from emancipation, he planted himself upon the great doc trine of State sovereignty, and denied the right of the General Government to interfere with the peculiar institu tion. of the South. He would have put off the evil day, but finding the torrent of secession about to ingulf bis own State,, and utterly unable to stem the tide of public opinion, he believed that the time had come for him to take a decided part in the coming contest. Hitherto he had distinguished himself only in the intricacies of the law, but the occasion had arrived for the dis play of those hereditary military