Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-01-23
A REMARKABLE CAREER.

The American adventurer, Burgevine,
whose remarkable career in China has been
lately closed by cruel death, was native
of Newbern, North Carolina. His father was
Frenchman, and on officer, first in the army
of Napoleon, and subsequently in that Of
Spain, afterwards coming to America in the
capacity of Survcyor-G eneral of Florida
BE married an American ludy, and died in
1843, leaving family consisting of his wild
ow, two sons, and a daughtor.. The eldest of
these sons is believed to have been briga-
dier-general in the Confederate service. The
youngest, whose romantic life has como to so
tragcal close, went to Washington city in
1S49, where he obtained place as page in
the United States Senate. From his earliest
years he was hard student, and at seven
teen was proficient in the Greek Latin and
French languages, and the higher branches
of mathematics, an accomplished draughts~
man, and acquainted with civil engineering
and naval architecture.
A writer in the Washington Star to whom
we are indebted for these particulars of his
history, says he has often heard him. in his
early youth, speak of his plans for the future
in such terms us would lead stranger to sus-
pect his sanity. To build up an, empire in
Egypt; to unite the nations of the Orient
to regenerate China; to found a new Assy-
ria, were the wild dreams of his boyhood.
In the Spring of 1858, Burgevine, without
a penny in his pocket left Washington, went
to New York, and worked his passage from
that city to San Francisco. Thence he went
to the Sandwich Islands, next to China next to
Australia where he worked in the gold mines
for few weeks with success. We next hear
of him in Calcutta, learning the IIindostdn
language; next on board British man-of-
war as sailor; then, with his head shaved in
the hospital in Naples. From, Naples he
went to London, where he led, for time, a
quiet life, and finally, after moro than four
years OF wandering, returned to Washington
From Washington he removed to Detroit,
where he accepted a position as clerk in the
post Office, and edited the Vindtcator, a Dem
ocratic paper. In 1855 he again left Amc-
RIGA and went to China, with whose history
his life for the last five years has been iden-
titled. He rose to high rank in the imperial
and successful battle, in which Ward, the
General commanding, was killed BY this
event, Burgcvine became commander-in-
chief of an army of sixty thousand discip-
lined men, mostly Europeans and Americans.
In the eyes of Burgevine this was tho first
step to throne. To friend in Washington
he wrote, " In tt0o gears I shall rule China"
For over year he held, with great credit
and distinction, the command of the Impe-
rial army, but having difficulty with the
Imperial authorities in relation to the pay
ment of his forces, and finding his career
hampered, his restless ambition led him to
take service with the rebels. A large re-
ward was offered by the Imperialists for his
head, and after several months he was
captured; butsowing to the protest of our
Consul, his life was not taken; but the I'm
perialists resorted to an old and barbarous
mode of punishment, of kicking open the
wounds he had received in battle, and then
turned him over to the American Consul
Burgevinc then went to Japan, where he re-
manned until he had recovered from the bru-
tai treatment he had received. Some eight
or ten months agohe again returned to China
to try and retrieve his fortune, but he was
very soon taken prisoner by the Imperial
Government, and, as we are informed by late
adviccs from China, was drowned while in
irons.