Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-29
w. d. WALLACH.
GENERAL MAGRUDER.

IDENTIFY an officer Of the army, furnishes some
amusing personal items in relation to General
Magrudsr, now of the Confederate army:
This is letter about J. B. Magruder, Brig.
Gen. Confederate States of America, COM
manding at Yorktown and the country round
about In the Dictionary of the Army of the
United States, edition of 1858, he is defined a.
follows:
"Magruder, John Bankhead, (virginia,)
Cadet '26; bvt sec 1t infy l July, 80; in l
arty Aug. 'Sl; ast. com. subsis Dec. '35; 1st
Lit March '36; Capt. June 46; bvt Major for
gal. and mer. eond. In battle of Cerro Gordo,'
Is Api: AZ; July '4S;) Comd, Int. battery with
Pillows Div; bvt. Lit. Col. 'for gal. and mer.
oond. in battle of Chapultapec' 19 Sept, AT
July 49, in VII. wound"
This is pretty well, but to make the picture
complete . few words may be added. Mr..
Magruder is not much less than sixty years Of
age, 10 q tolsrsbly good looking man, though
spects is an excellent officer. He has some &C.
centricities which, had he fourished in any
other age or country, would have made him rs
famous as Beau Brummel Mr.. Msgruder, /
must say, il the most accomplished humbQg in
America. For bis abilities in this respect he
is known In the srmy-for these he ought to
be famous. He has the reputation Of rather
hard man Of the world.
When he entered the army he had about
10000. This lasted him something less than
Eve years. He Is especially gorgeous in mess
furniture, and extravagant in his cuisine, by
which means he has ruined very many young
officers. He is also somewhat fantastic in re-
spect to personal adornmsnts. When he was
in Mexico he came out magnifcently in blue
trowsers with red stripes Of enormous width
the stripes being In their turn striped with
gold. The officers had a debating society in
the camp, and this one Of the questions over
which they vexed their minds and exercised
their oratorioal powers: Whether John B.
M1grnfer' tro users are bIue tctth red stripes,
or red tCpth blue stripeS' Tradition does not
give the decision. but I understand that the
members Of the society were taken 80 to view
the premises" In one Of the battles be was
directed to send q section Of his battery to q
designated point on the field. So he detached
q young second lieutenant. Having given the
young subaltern his orders, he added:
"You want brevet, don't you?"
"0f course, sir"
well, then, let me give you little advith.
When you get there don't you mind whether
there's any Mecthicanth or not-you fire like
the deauth. Then they'll all think you're q
devil of fellow-take my advith, and you'll
get your brevet-"
The young officer deserted no "Mecthi-
canth, >" but be followed his superior's advice,
got his brevet, and Is now in q responsible DO
sition In Washington. Gen. Magruder was
wounded at Chspultapec, the record says So
he was; struck by spent ball. A cut across
the back with q riding whip would have in
hicted greater injury. But the occasion fur
nished an opportunity for q sensation, and
was not to be lost. Drawing forth his hand
kerchief, he treated the wound gently, and of
course elegantly-put on look of heroism,
and was evidently about to call for brandy and
watsr-he had taken the precaution to ill one
Of his timber boxes with wines, brandy, cold
chicken and the like, before going on the field
when a corporal stepped forward and offered
hsr,r frNrn ThA Hanfa 81
ped little, and handed the appendags back,
with
"Thsnk you, Corporal; / make you q thar
geant on the thpOt for your confederation"
Magruder once got up q mess, more gor-
geous and extravagant than any which had
preeeded Ii. He invented q mess jacket, un-
like any garment ever before created since the
days Of the father Of all ships. 1t had gol-
den arrangement, in form not unlike break
fast rsll, In the place usually occupied by
shoulder straps. 1t was otherwise of q most
extraordinary character in respect Of Ormen-
tadOn; and without il could no man enter the
mess room. Everything about the mess was
magnihcently grand-it was all that John
Bankhead Magruder could desire. Very many
young officers, after exhausting all their own
means and the purses Of their friends, in sup
porting the dignity of the army, were COM
pellsd to resign, and are now among the list of
civilian graduates Of West Point, to which the
After awhile the regiment was ordered to
Platsburg. All the plates, all the mess jack
cts, and all the rest Of the traps were duly
packed and transported. Arrived at Platts-
burg, number Of officers frsm the Coldstream
Guards, then stationed near Montreal, made
call upon Magruder and his commander. De-
parting, thew invited their American cousins to
visit their quarters and dine with them. ave
must return their call, ," said the Americans in
discussing the matter" but we must not dine
with them, for We have nothing to show that
will compare with the magnifcencs Of the
young noblemen, We will return the call-sx-
cuse ourselves from dining-inyite them to
dine with us-of course they will refuse, and
that will be the end Of it. OF course we can't
expect to set 9 table ft for noblemen to sit at"
And this sort Of talk was about to carry the
day, when j. B. N. brought his brilliant genius
frightened, said he, "We'l dine with 'em-
can't Tooth that-snd I'll fcth it all right
mutht cultivate the fellows, you know" And
following his "savith" the whole party ac-
eepted the invitation, and upon an appointed
day proceeded 70 the quarters of the Coldstream
Guards, and were duly dined and wined. The
affair passed OF very pleasantly. At the close
Mr.. Msgrudsrscordiaily-and to the horror,
! may say, Of his associates-invited the Eng
lishmen TO "dine with his meth-come any
time-whenever you pleathe-haven't got our
meth furniture-get here about two weekth
henth-but never mind, drop in and dine with
uth-ve'H do the hstht we can with what we
got" The Englishmen assured him that they
should be most happy TO accept the invitation.
John B. and his friends returned. John B.
proceeded to "fcth it all right by sending to
New York at once for Q caterer and all sorts of
elegances in the way Of edibles." {" /" 81. L. H"
was the direction he gave the messenger, and
the telegraph operators among your readers
well know what that means. The response
was prompt.
Immediately o number Of sentries were sta
toned on the heights north from Plattsburg,
and they we're instructed to communicate by
signals whenever any red coats were seen to
approach. In day or two the signal was
given. Two hours afterwards the red coats ar
rived. They were conducted about the camps.
They were entertained as soldiers who visit
camps expect TO be. An hour or two later they
were ushered into tho msss- room, whore din
ner In the best style Of the best caterer Of New
York, laid upon table elegantly ornamented
with silver and gold, met their somewhat as
tonishsd eyes. " II, said they among them
selves, "thsse fellows can get up such spread
before their baggage arrives, what must they