Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-21
aninn aud gispateh.
AFFECTING STORY.
Romance i'm Real notwithstanding
Divpree Case at New Orleans.

Romance i'm Real Life-InteresiiRg |
Divoree Case nj New Orleans.
From the New Orleans Times dec. b.
On tbs 18th OF August, 1866, plaintiff,
Clara II. Sprigg, widow Of Charles n.
Flower, Of the parish Of Rapides, and wife
of Eastace Surget prayed the Sixth Dis
trict Court 70 grant a decree Of divorce
sundering The tie between herself and hus-
band. The reasons Of this prayer arc
stated almost in the very words Of the
plaintiff. At the lime OF her marriage
with Eustace Surget he held the position
Of Lieutenant Colonel in the Confederate
army, being chief Of STAFF to Lieut. Gen.
Richard Taylor. Tire headquarters Of the
General we're, dnriDg great portion Of tie
war, az Alexandria, La, but before her
marriage were transferred to the east Of
the Mississippi river. The acqu lintance
Of the plaintiff with her husband began in
the month Of August, 1862, period about
two years before their marriage he, with
other officers Of the Confederate army, frel
quented her house and enjoyed the hospi-
talities Of her abode. From the attachment
and devoiion exhibited By Colonel Surget
toward her during all that time, she became
20 satisfied both Of the sincerity and perma-
nency Of his affection, that she returned his
love. and consented to the marriage. They
were married. Col. Surget, now her husband,
being under orders 70 Join his command at
Meridian, left his newly married wife on
the second day after sheir marriage, and
proceeded 10 his destination. Some months
after he LEFT he continued TO write TO her
letters Of devoted tenderness and affection.
He sent to her congratulstory letters from
his relatives, and his young wife received
them with great pleasure and qualification.
Suddenly the wife ceased 10 receive Letters.
RBm0rs, vague and daplE,- reached her ear
Of a change in his affections. Unable 10
account for this painful silence, the young
wife refused TO believe The Injurious, and,
10 her, painful rumors. But at length a
letter was received from her absert husband
that TO her was cruel confirmation Of
these tidings. The letter contained the
cruel confession Of the loss Of his affection
for her. Il stated that he bad long loved a
lady who reciprocated his affection 50 fer
vently that his marriage with his wife was
bringing This lady to the grave. Notwith-
standing her agonized and outraged feel
ings al This insult upon her affections, her
attachment 20 him Wassuch that she fondly
hoped lie might be under some temporary
hallucination. Supervising her humiliation
athiscondnct, sounfeelingand cruel, she i'm
plored him by letter not 90 abandon her
whom he had promised and sworn at the
altar TO love, cherish and protect, and With
her 10 abandon his unborn child. She por-
trayed her loneliness and misery should
he persist In his abandonment She pic
tured the disgrace which, without the
slighies fault on her part, would attach 70
her proud name, the name Of her children,
the honored name Of her family. To this
earnest and ahectionate appeal, on the
sncoess Of which hung the last hope Of her
crushed heart, Col. Surgei responded: He
acknowledged the deep guilt of his conduct
TO her, the depth Of misery 10 which il
reduced her, without any fault of her own,
but said that fate had fxed his woe 80 IN.
alierably elsewhere that, come what would,
his separation from her was then final and
forever The shock that the wife received
al this last cruel treatment was so wound
ing 10 her feelings as woman, so hurt
ful 20 her affection rs a wife and hoping
mother, that she pinned under the blow,
screwed and sickene,i for months. AZ
length the death Of her stillborn child, in.
duced by her mental and bodily anguish
severed the last tie which bound her "a
her faithless husband.
This was the story pIaintive, heart
wringing, that the wife told 90 the Justice.
She duplicated for the laws of her coun-
try 10 come 10 her relief and prayed that
the bonds of matrimony between herself
and Eustace Surget might be forever sun
dered. On the 22d Of November, 1865,
the Fat of the court was pronounced let a
separation from bed and board, between
Clara III. Sprigg, widow Of Charles A.
Flower, and Eustaoe Surget take place.
The Judgment was issued and promulgated
on the 2sth Of November, 1865. Album
dant evidence c0rroborates the simple story
OF the plaintiff, and from il certain portions
are selected.
Tia whole story Of she case is told in
the above lines The facts are yeuched Cor
in near thirty letters that passed from Sur
get 20 his wife These letters, previous 10
the time specified, breathed the most ardent
affection for his spouse, but tell no more
facts than what has been represented Col.
Surget renounced in the presence Of wit
nesses all right and all title 10 the estate Of
his spouse. The marriage certificate showed
that the two were made one on the 9Th Of
August, 1854. The statute amending the
code provides that one year AFTER the decree
Of separation is pronounced, and on proof
that no reconciliation has taken place be
tween the parties, decree Of divorce may
be granted Hysms and Jonas attorneys
for plaintiff, appeared in the Sixth District
Court on the 10th of November, 1866, one
one year after the prayer for separation,
and prayed for judgment of divorce. Fyi-
dence showed that no reconciliation had
taken place. Now, on the 9TH Of Decem-
her, 1865, Judge DuplAntier aecreed di-
vorce between the parties.
The marriage tie between Clara H..
Flower, nee Sprige, and Eustace Surget is
forever mlndered by the laws.