Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-15
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
From the Washington Correspondent 81 the DOG
tom Gazette.
cor aNRI IEITENSDOFER.

tom Gazette.
COLONEL LEITENSDOFEH;
You will perceive by the reports OF the Na.
tional IntelIigencer and Globe, that MI. Dentoh
is making strong effort to gel an aPpiiS1Ps Sol
tion for Can't Eugene Leitensdorfer an oid ooi,
dier. who served with the late unfortunate ano
most injured General Eaton. As it is my lot
time TO quarter with this venerable soioieI, !
have taken some pains to enquire INTO the me
rits of his case. and am satisfied that something
liberal should be done for him, altnougn us
like the whole system Of pensions. Col beh.on
has asked too much for the OLD soioleI, anu na
been compelled to take part Of II back ne OH,
ginally proposed that Capt. Leitensdorier snou,u
receive a gratuity of 800 acres of land, IN aaai-
tion TO 800 given him in the year 1871, ana Tue
nav of a Colonel for life. This was asking 100
much: the Senate would not listen 10 the proPo-
stion, and the originator OF the Bill, al ,he sos
gestion of several members, withdrew tnat par
of il which made provision for pension.
cannot have doubt that the individual, VINO II
is proposed to benefit by the bill, is worthy DIG
soldier; but do doubt if his claims are sum
GENTLY strong to enttle him to the bequest wnich
Col. Benton would make for him out OF the fea-
sury of the people. The bill was opposed Dy
Mr.. Poindexter; and thought that Mr.: Wep-
ster was inclined to give it his dlsapprooauon;
for heard him remark very slgnincanty, 'na'
General Eaton had not at any time IN MS lie re-
ceived any appropriation of the public lands
In all this | certainly did not discover any thing
like party feeling; and, for the honor OIL human
itv could hope, that party strife would not De
nermitted to interpose between the claims OF
mercy and even handed justice. The story OF
Capt. Leitensdorfer, il it be CORRECTLY tolu, Is
most eventfuI one, and is full ofthe wild and the
wonderful. According to the version OF 1t g.
ven by Col. Benton-and of the correctness OF
MIR. Benton | cannot entertain solitary DOUBT
the CAPTAIN had witnessed all the varieties
and yicisstudes of fortune. In the language OF
Col. Benton, I" Educated for the Priesthood, ne
betook himself 10 arms at the age OF hiteen, ana
was cadet of hussars at the siege OF Belgrade:
under Marshal Laudohn. At the breaking out
of the wars of the French Revolution, he serv-
ed under Marshal Clairfait, in the Low Coun-
tries; afterwards under the Archduke Charles,
on the retreat Of Moreau. Then he served IN
Italy under AlvinZi, Wurmsur, and Melas.-
Forced to quit the Austrian service for duel
with brother officer, he ran for TOUR years
career of adventure, embracing Europe, ASA
and Africa, almost rivalling in reality the fabu-
Ions inventions Of the Arabian Nights.-A ped
Ter ofwatches in Switzerland, Capauchin friar
in Sicily, a pilgrim at Jerusalem, and at Mecca;
the keeper of cafe in Alexandria; traveller
in Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia; Turkish der
wise at Bagdad; physician at Trebsand; his
various fortunes brought him to Constantlnople,
where he took service in the Turkish army, oes-
tined to Egypt, to reduce the Mamelukes; and ar
rived at GrandC afro in 1904. At this point, his his
torv connects itself with that of Gen. Eaton & the
expedition to Derne, and is known tc the Senate.
After the completion Of the expedition against
Derne, he turned his eyes to this country, and be-
lieying that it would afford him an asylum, he
succeeded in reaching our shores, AFTER sea-
son of almost unequalled hardship and danger.
AS it may not be convenient for your readers to
peruse the whole story of Captain Leitensdorfer,
=. l. To inf
claims to the gratitude of this country, found
in the danger of the services he rendered Gene.
raj Eaton; and agree with Col Benton, that all
he has asked, would be but an inadequate
compensation for the risk and trouble of jour
ney from Grand Cairo to upper Egypt, in search
ofthe exile dbashaw. Hamet Carama, of Tripo-
ii, an enterprise in which the petitioner had a
double danger to encounter-of death from
the Turks. as a deserter to the MameIukes I'M
der Elf Bey. then at war with the Sublime Por-
te. and death from the Mamelukes, as spy
from the Turks" When his services were no
longer required by General Eaton, and that
gallant and much injured soldier had been com.
peled to abandon him and the unfortunate Ha-
met Caramalli to the fury ofthe proud Toes, Cap"
tain Leitensdorfer, in his attempt to escape 10
the United States, had to contend with unnum-
bered difficulties, the recital OF which IS pes! CIV
en- in the language Of Col. Benton, who informs
us that he " had a son in the Tyrol, the country
of his nativity, and il was his intention to bring
that son Of America. In attempting to reach
him, he encountered new misfortunes. AT Velo-
ma, in Dalmatia, he was recognized by the
Turks, seized, and made slave. Escaping on
board an English schooner, and totally destitute,
he entered as a non-commssioned officer in
Count Froburg's foreign regiment, at Malta
At the end of six months he obtained his dis
charge, couched in terms of peculiar respect
and honor. Returning to Sicily, he embarked on
board an Imperial vessel to sail for America
Here new misfortune overlook him. The Aus
tan vessel was captured by French prvateer,
and himself again stripped OF every thing: Fl,
nay, by assistance of Mr.. Appleton, the United
States Consul at Leghorn, he was enabled to
reach the country"
After reaching the United States, he visited
General Eaton, and received from his gallant
commander the highest testimonials of praise,
together with evidence of the importance OF
his services, and with these in his pocket he pro-
ceeded to Washington, and being pennyless, he
was allowed by Mr. Latrobe, to occupy one OF
the vacant rooms in the capitol, where he for
some months existed, sustaining himself by the
Iabour ofhis own hands, cooking and preparing
his own meals, and enacting for himself the part
of laundress After ten years importantly, ne
anccoeded in getting grant of 800 acres OF