The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-03-26


The Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune gives the following inter-
esting "reminiscences of the Key family, and
OF the earlier life of Phillip Barton Key,
who, it appears, persuaded Miss Swami, OF
Baltimore, to break her engagement with
Col. May: .4s8
The Keys are family unfortunate in
their personal differences. have referred
to the case of an elder brother oe Mr.. Key,
who was killed in O duel about twenty years
ago. 1t has been enormously stated, in a
Washington print, the quarrel was about a
woman. It was a boyish caprice, and
yet the cause and course of IL were char
aeterized ON both sides. SherbHrne and
Key We're young midshipmen together
They sailed in the same ship on one of the
long and fruitless cruises prescribed for the
exercise of our navy. Mr.. Sherburne was
from New Hampshire, quiet and unobtru-
-siye.tf, Mr.. Key was a Marylander, connected
with the most aristocratic families of that
State and Virginia. He took a dislike to
Mr.. Sherburne, and pursued him with cease
less insults on board ship. A party of
young midshipmen attended an evening
party given by Congressional mess, at a
fashionable boarding house here in WASH
ington. The middies took wine together
but Key was observed to leave his wine un-
tasted. He was called on for an explana-
ton, and gave it bluntly by saying that
Sherburne was coward for not resenting
the indignities he had before inflicted on
him, and he could not drink with him.
The poor young man was at last aroused.
He looked steadily at Mr.. Key, also setting
his glass down, and said !: understand
you; you have made mistake; you ought
to have known me better; will correct
your mistake" He then bowed to his COM
panions, excepting Key, drank to them, and
retired. The next morning Sherburne sent
a message, which produced meeting at
Bladenshurg. Key was shot through the
kidneys, and fingered two days in intolera-
bic anguish.
Keys marriage was also attended and
preceded by evidences of the same strong
and erratic temperament. Col. Chas. May,
of Palo Alto celebrity, had courted the beau
tiful Miss Swami, of Baltimore, and been ac-
cepted by her. He introduced her to Key as
has intended bride. The two fell in love at
first sight, and the gallant captain of dra-
goons was Hleft to mourn the INCONSISTENCY
of the female heart. He, of course, chal-
lenged Key. The affair produced an awful
tumult in Washington Key and May were
pursued by the police. They barricaded
themselves in separate apartments, and de-
fled the civil power; but of course the deed
was prevented. The captain went to the
wars, where he achieved fame on the field,
and Key, having married the beauty, was
appointed, through family influence to the
office which he held at his death. This
lady, ons of the loveliest | ever saw, died
two or three years ago, and it is thought by
some that Key, from the oddity of his dress,
and the singularity of his behavior after
wards, became partially deranged by the be-
reavement. e. But this was an unfounded
conjecture. His friends had known him
always to possess an unbalanced and ex-
travagant mind, in which violent anger and
passionate tenderness alternated.