The Wilmingtonian., 1824-04-15
TOM BENSON

chool we occupied the same rooms I'D coheRe
We shared our studies, our amusements, our hir
ations, Our .ollIes, our disslpa'ions together.
nore honorable or upright creature never exlstea
Wen, sir, he had an uncle leutenant-coionei OF q
avalry regiment, and 1T the request of lofn
bought O. corne,cy in the corps. lremenoer ths:
grand looking fellow strutting about IN the iuii
splendor of his yet unspotted regimentais' the ey"
nosure of the bright eyes OF the country town ia
which he resided. lie came TO london, and men
inined his regiment. Az was we'! l1r G mnh~ ris,
but he had always an unfortunate Itch for pisy'
In our little circle it did no great harm; but ms
new companions played high, and far too skiully
for Tom-perhaps there was roguery, OF perhaps
there was not--I never enquired.
At all events, he lost all his ready money. He
then drew literally on his family he lost that toos
in short. popr Tom at last staked his commsslons
and lost It with the rest This of course could
not be concealed from the uncle, who gave MN o
severe lecture, but procured him commission IN
an infantry regiment, destined tor SPAIN he
was 10 Join it without delay, but the infatuated
fellow again risked himself, and lost his Infantry
commission alao. He now was ashamed or sfraid
To face his uncle, and enlisted, for he WAS sPieh
did locking Young man, and was instantly sc'
cep,ed AS a private soldier in the twenty sixth
foot. | suppose that he found his habits were
too refined and to firmly fixed to allow INN 10 be
satisfied with the ,canty pay, and coarse 1000, aho
low company Of an infantry soldier
1t is certain, that he deserted IN fortnight az
ter enlistment. The measure OF poor iom's oeN
gradaton was not yet filled up. ae hao not .
farthinp when he left the twenty-siXths tie went
to his unce's at an hour when be knew that ne
would not be at home, and was with d,fflculty
admitted by the servant, who recognized hims
He Dersuadcd him at last that he meant to throw
himself on the mercy of his uncle, and the man,
who loved him--every body of all degrees VINO
knew him, loved him--consented to his admis'
=. aIavp IN Ncyrn
open his unc,as escruoir, and took from it what"
ever money it contaned---an hundred pounds or
lthereabouts--and SUNK out of the house. Hea.
vens what were my feelings when heard TINS
when saw him proclaimed in the newspapers
as deserter and thief! thief! Tom benson
a thief! could not credit the intelligence OF my
eyes or riy ears
lie whom knew only five months before--fcrr
go brief had His career heen--would have turned
with scorn and disgust from any action deviatlng
hairs breadth from the highest honor How
he spent the next months ofhis life, knew noti
but about the end of that period letter was iefs
at my door by messenger who Immediately ,is'
appear, d. 1t was from him 1t was coucheo III
terms of the most abject self.condemnation, ana
the btterest reriorse. He declared he was ruin"
ed man in character, in fortune, in happiness, IN
every thing, and coniured me, for the sake OF tor.
mer friendship, to let him have five guineas,
which he said would take him TO place OF safety
From the dc escription Of the messenger VINO rom
told NE in his note would return IN an hour'
guessed it was himself When the time came,
which he had put of to moment OF almost com.
pIete darkness, opened the door to his fearful
rap 1t was he j knew him at glance as the
lamp flashed ever his tace--and uncertain as was
the light, it waa bright enough to let me see ths'
he was squalid, and in rags ; that teroclous sus,
picun which spoke volumes as to the lie lie hsd
lately led iurked in his sike looking eyesi those
| a., I,l hsf,,
and courage, and that premature grsyness had
covered with pie.bald patches tile once glossy
black locks which struggled over his unwashed
face, or through his tattered. hat.
| had that he asked--perhaps more--.in apaper
in my hand. pat it into his. had barely time
to say " o Tom" when he caught my hand, kis'
sed il with burning lips, exclaimed "iion't speaS
TO mel am wretch !" and bursting from my
crasp with which wished to dctan him, He'd
with the speed of an arrow down the street, and
vanished into lane. Pursuit, was hopeless. Ma.
ny years elapsed and heard not of him--no one
heard OF him. Eat about two years ago l was at
a coffee-botse in the strand, when an officer OF
what they called the Patriots OF South America,
staggered into the room. He was very drunk.
His lawdry and tsrnished uniform proclaimed the
service to which, he belonged, and all doubt on the
subject was removed by his cunvcrs- -ton.
1t was nothing but g TISSUE Of curses on Bolivar
and his associates, who, he asserted, had seduced
hiIn from his couutty Tuined ms prospects, loO-
bed him, cheated him, and insuted hnt. How
true these reproaches might hare been know
not, nor do care, but thought struck me t'at
Tom might have been of this army, snd enqnir-
ed as indeed did of every body con'ing from
foreign country, if he knew any thing q. man by
the name of Benson. do yon" :" stammered
out the drunken PARROT do" was my reply.
Do you care about him!'' asain asked the OH
Ger. . did, do" again retorted Why
them said he, take short sick III your hand,
and step acruss 10 Valparaiso, there You will lind
him two feet under ground. sn'lgly wrapt DIP ina
blanket i was his sexon myself, ard had NOS
time to dig him deeper grave, and no way q
getting st0uter coffin"
II will do just rs well. Poor fellow, it was all
the clothes he had tor many day before. l was
shocked at tue recital, bat Holmes was too much
intoxicated to pursue Ike subject an! farther
called on him in the morning, and learned thar
Benson had joined AS priya,e soldier in this des"
perate service under the name uf Niaberly-thts
he speedily rose to commsnd--swas Distinguish
cd for doing desperate actions. IN which lie seeHl'
ed quite reckless q. .te-hsd however been treat
ed with considerable ingratitudc--neser was paid
doiiar--.iad lost his basgage-was a'm,eiled to
part with almost all his wearing apparel for sub
sisence, and had Just made his way u The Sc.
side, purposing 10 escape 20 ta,na:a., ~hen h=