Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-17
Com. Meade and G. Ia. Landis.


"Thst have ta'en away this old mans dsugh-
ter,
II is most true; true, have married her;
The very head and front of my offending
Hath this extent-no more -OTHELLo.
To the Editors of the Neao York Express,
SIRs: As numerous reports have been pub
lished in the papers giving an incorrect state
ment OF the case of Commodore Meade; and rs
nv own name has been made more prominent
than the truth of the circumstances fairly ad-
mits-in short that | had Commodore Meade
arrested on criminal charge, and that when
he could not be held under that charge, had
him iucarcerated in a lunatic asylum, upon the
certificate OF two TombS' physicians Il beg
the liberty of setting myself right before the
public. | have heard of men in olden times
attacking castles and taking their wives by
force. | have heard of them taking them out
OF third story windows, and have also heard
of their quietly walking away ana getting mar
ried; but never heard before, in history or
fiction, of man first coD6Oing his intended
father-n law in a lunatic asylum, and then lm-
mediately marrying the daughter: and | am
not ambitious to be one to start such pre-
cedent.
| first met my wife at the COMMODORE own
house, in Washington, last January. L was
then told that it was worth as much as man 8
life to pay any attention to his daughters OF
the number OF suitors who had been actually
driven away by force of arms. Upon further
inquiry | ascertaiued this to be fact. When
/ had decided to propose to my wife, sent
formal notice to him, and request for his con-
sent. His answer to this was peremptory Or
der to desist from attentions to his daughter,
reiterated by another letter threatening Sc
rious consequences ia case l continued those
attentions, and placing the grounds or his OBJ
lection as follows: First, my age; second, my
religion; third, being an utter STRANGER
Being at the time thirty-iour years old, was
at loss whether he meant that | was too
Young or too old; did not care about adopt
ing any new religion and being fully his equal
in birth and education and having lived tor
eleven years upon my own estates 10 New JET
sew, with my banners Ou the outward wall,
| could not possibly sympsthise with the last
objection In respect to the last letter, con-
suited his son, Lieutenant Commander II. w.
Meade; Father Franciol, of Brook yn, formerly
his priest Admiral Hiram Paulding, the father
in law of two of his sons; Charles A Melgs OF
New York, his brother In law, and other men,
bers of his family, and they all advised me to
pay no attention to it; that the Commodore
was suffering under alteration OF mind. aDd
had been in this state for some time. This
fully believed, as | knew that the Commodore
had suffered great injustice from the Govern
ment, in being kept out OF claim, amounting,
| believe, to millions OF dollars, even after the
legality and Justice of the claim had been fully
established; and also that from personal Jeal-
ousies he had suffered injustice IN his court,
martial for the loss of the San Jaclnto, aud had
not been awarded the rank and promotion which
he deserved-which, TO an officer, Is worse
than death. The letter itself was incOherent.
Alter this was informed that the Commo-
dore was watching around the Staten Island
ferries, that he might shoot me at tho hrst op-
portunity. / continued my attentions the same,
and would have blushed at the thought OF any
thing like personal danger influencing my con-
duct For some time previously my marriage
was appointed to take place on the 14th OF
October, at the residence OF my wife uncle,
Charles A. Meigs, ESQ.,, of Staten Island. a
few DAYS before received warning that the
mind of the Commodore was disturbed, ana
that he would shoot me for certain IN case ne
saw me. | decided, however, that on the I4th
of October | would cross the ferry IN open Day
light, in an open carriage, and stand any am o9nt
of shooting that was necessary. telt tnat
men had often risked their lives for objects
less worthy than mine. On the l4th L crossed
the ferry safely in company with my father,
my sister, and my chief secretary, Mr.
John l.. Burk, and arrived at the resi-
dence of Mr.. Meigs. Lieutenant Commander
r. w. Meade Immediately informed me tnat
they had performed melancholy task the pre-
ceding day-that of placing the Commodore 10
the Bloomincdale Asylum; that for months
past he had been threatening different people
that he had threatened the lives OF Mr. b. +.
Corlies, Mr.. MeigS, Secretary Welles, OF the
Navy, and his own; that upon his person ssV-
eral revolyers had been found, and four more
revolyers In his valiSe, and that he hao
gang of ''roughs" engaged to commit Vlo-
lence upon myself in crossing the ferry. 1n-
stead of this being done in order to promote
my marriage, it was done only from motives OF
humanity, and it was expected that upon such
a terrible occurrence in the family l would
POSTPONE the marriage or break 1t OF. 1he
family was also of this disposition. request
ed, however, that the marriage should take
place. My affianced was not responsible Tor
this heart-rendering misfortune: and, oesloeS'
if she had lost her beauty, or met with any
other misfortune, or if all the family had be-
come lunatics, | would have been all the
more anxious to have the right and power TO
protect her. | married her, thank God ana
with His help, mean to stay married, ana
shield her all her life from every evil that may
threaten.
My marriage has received the appreciation
of every member of my wife's family, except
ing the Commodore.
Relative to the Commodore confinement,
had no hand in it, nor had my wife, nor did L
know it before the morning OF my marriage
but have seen letters from from Secretary
Welles, of the Navy, and from General Geo.
G. Meade, and others, approving OF the con;
fnement oe the Commodore upon the ground
Of humanity, and expressing surprise that 1t
had not been done long before.
The Commodore was placed in confinement
by his son, Lieutenant Commander X. w.
Meade, who is now in the Pacific ocean, IN
command of the United States steamer Sagln-
aw, and consequently was not present at the
trial in New York, but was simply represented
by counsel.