New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-02
ONE OF THE BIOGRAPHIES.

ahnodaptly-in quantity If not in quality. For
hose who merely crave sensations and are not
troubled with delicate paates or squeamsh stomachs,
It spreads al ample board. If news cannot be had
Iegitimaiely, it can be concoced. If events will
not happen they can I've invented So too of
biographies. If any one, like Lord Byron,
wakes up in the morning and finds himself
famous, let him look in The Herald, and ten to
one he will fud sketch of himself in it's columns
full account Of his parentsge, br,h childhood, and
subsequent career. To be be may not always
recognize the sketch, and may read his own life ar
people sometimes look at their own bad portraits,
with a vague suspicion that there is mistake some
where and that they themselves are not themselves
after all, but somebody else. Such, fancy, must
be the sensation of the gallant Major Zsgonyi on
reading the following account of his life in the
editorial columns of TIE Heyald day or two since:
i. - bristty .Jis.rbed hiaIssf sgsSst the
sOSe Rs6sls srIsysd Inc Of battle in front Of Springfield
No young Of Sb thirty, six feet in night Of very
6ne pEcportions Snd,veTy hsudoHe lie captain OF
our ru,rIe Win the son.h He srrised in New ok in
o. miade of jane last ard started for Washington with the
s.pped siong the POicmso De q lie
ssioDs liz him ofcs iG the talsn army tepdered tsesr
syiees Cameron. hiesnw bile the battle Of Bull Run
eccuTrd effect most favorable 90 our tsian friends
esi.Sed oaser. aud sioni a. hi, c61npanions
ssubordinste officers to Fremont who just then
orsorng the army Of the We.;. He has since been pro-
NOTED rsnk Of Mayor and appointed to the command OF
Capt Charles Siccon though quite has already seen
yret, deal Of ervce tie Secobd Lieutenant OF Ar
I,Ty tie battle o. Buos Bridge in toe late ssmpssn Of
that he received dtcoraen ifo hs hand o. iet9r EnsI
uel hmset who II s & SJs P,,rS,,a os, y b
principal officers Of Gabsid aud sccomr Anied MIN 8 DE
Lac d SIs snS s " assd S shsins the solder Of
Yrsrcs IL along the bsnks Of the VOuTpO. After the taking
T.V he vert TO Genos and sailed CITY the United
staies he a.sd here wh HE breyet Of esPsin sign-d BY
she Minister of War Tun aud with several ettes OF re-
oommendaOn estfying 10 he capacity a 81 ocer and to
nis ch1sc;er as gentleman, mere are ism | [ S,s az
shan Charles SiceonL'
This il in the true Herald style-fu, precise, par
tcuar and positive Nothing could be better. II
tells us ell we want to know, even to the age, the
sature and the personal appearance OF the hero OF
tho hour. We learn precisely when be arrived in
SRis country" about the middle of June" Then
we are informed that during the Italian war he was
Second Lieutenant of Artillery at the battle Of Buf
fslora Bridge, where be brilliantly distinguished
himself that be received decoration FROM the hands
Of Victor Emanuel hmself-that he subsequently
served under GarbalG was present ct the taking OF
Cspua fought against the soldiers Of Francis III.
along the banks Of the Volturno and after the sur
render of Gaeta aad the restoration Of peace in Italy
went 10 Genoa and sailed from that city to the United
States bringing with him his breyet Of Captain
signed by the Minister of War at Turin, and with
seyera' letters of recommendation, &C., &c. And
finally we are told that "there are few officers on
Gen. Fremonts Staff elegant in manner or bet
ter educated than Charles Sieconi."
Nothing could be more timely, nothing more salts.
factory than this biography, which we dare cay was
swallowed by the hungry readers of The Herald with
the same strong appetite, savory relish and easy d.
gestion that they bring to the other good things daily
set before them. There are, however, we regret to
say few slight mistakes and Omissions in the sketch,
which We may venture TO Indicate merely for the
purpose OF Illustrating the value to the public Of the
bogryh hical department which forms 20 conspicuous
sfeature Of our enterprising ootemporary.
In the irSt place, then, Major Zagonyi is mol Cbas
Sicccni and is not an Italian, but Hungarian Sic
conf ia an Italian name, invented We suppose, by |
The Herald, while zagonyi is genuine Magyar
word. Major Zagonyi was not Captain Of Artil- |
lery, but Captain of Cavalry. He has never served
under Garibaldi nor under Victor Emanuel and in
fact has never been in Italy at all. He was born in
1926 in Szatmar northeastern county Of Hungary,
and on the outbreak Of the Hungarian revolution, in
1913 entered the patriotic army, aud served under
/8em in Transylyania. He was engaged in the
most brilliant affairs of the memorable campaign Of
lS49 aDd, among Others, the capture of Herman
stadt. For bis gallant conduct in several battles he
was promoted TO the rank Of Captain Of Hussars and
At the end of the war followed BEN into Turkey
where be shsred the imprisonment of Kossnth, in
Kutayah. From Asia Minor he came, by way OF
England TO this country, about nine years ago. He
promptly took steps 70 become nstursized, and has
beer for several years citizen Of tie United States
and Is married 10 an American lady. His residence
lately, was at Hoboken. On the fall OF Sumter, be
prompty offered bis services to a cavalry regiment
in process of formation in this city, bot though be
presented the highest recommendations as to fkill
and character, from Kossuih and from eminent Hun
gsrisa officers, be could get no employment except
ins very subordinate position. He was offered a
ssrgeariey by men who could scarcely sit in sad
dle. Gen. Asboth, who knew ais value, introduced
him to Fremont, who promptly gave him suitable
rank in bis army.
From Ais authentic account Of Major Zagony it
viii be seen that his biography in The Herald is a
mere fiction, made ont Of whole cloth, in the impu-
dent determination to 30 " enterpsisng" at any rate
and 70 gull the public with false information rather
Chan TO seem totally ignorant on the topic Of the day.
MOI in single particular, even the smallest, is The
Herald correct It's article is not merely disfgured
by bluaders, which all newspapers are liable, but
ns entire statement IL deliberate fabrication from
oeglrning 70 spd-s lie, with circumstances and par
ueulas invented for q special purpose. Even the
se'.npuea OF zagonyis personal appearance Is as
ncuuoos AZ the rest Of the romance, He is not six
feet bigh, he is not tall and he il more remarkable