Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-12
THE BYRON SCANDAL.
revelations by Major George Cor.
don De Luna Byron.
A Great Criminal Lawyer to the
Rescue.
Byron's Verses TO his Sister
Augusta.

While at Bafnum'S Hotel, IN 81.
Louis, in the fall of the year 1861, we
were attracted by the name of Major
George Gordon De Luna Byron
entered upon the register. After some
inquiry the Major was pointed out to
US, dressed in the uniform ola Federal
officer. He was a man advanced in
years, but erect and vigorous, with
close curling auburn hair tingled with
grey, prominent nose, clear grey eyes
and a general resemblance to Lord
Byron, sufficient to arrest the atten-
ton of any one familiar with the
portrait of the poet.
son investigation we learned that
he was one of the many foreign Off
GERS who Joined Fremont ON his TAX
ing command of the Western Depart
meht. An introduction and an inti-
macy followed which is among the
most pleasing of u past recollec-
tons. His familiarity with the
cOtemporaries of Lord Byron, and
general acquaintance with English
literature was extraordinary. Know
ing that no one entitled to the name
of Byron was then alive, we fOrbOre
to press him as to his family, but
were informed by him that he was
born in Spain and educated in Eng
land, where he had relatives. he
was formerly a Major in the East
India services. Going to England
from Spain, he presented his claim,
under the circumstances of his birth,
to the representatives of the Byron
family, who, to save the embarrass-
ment that might ensue from the
prosecutions of his intentions, pro-
cured him d pension and he went to
India, where he IA made a Major OF
native troops, and was thus not
entitled to the register of his name on
the rolls of the British army,
upon the subject of Lord Byron
he was enthusiastic, familiar with
many passages OF his life not gener-
ally known, and cOnversant both
with his works and the occasions
which brought them forth. He ex-
hibted to US many relics of Byron,
manuscripts and otherwise. He pro
fessed to have been present at the
destruction of Byron's Journal, which,
he said, contained illusions to the
causes of his separation from Lady
Byron, which, according to his ac-
count, were a follows:
During RyrOn's first visit to
Spain, he met, loved and married 8
Catholic lady of good Spanish family
The marriage was secret, upon the
pledge that it should be revealed OF
his return to England. The frs
Grecian beauty that he met on his ar
rival in Greece, made him Unfaithtu
to his Spanish bride. Absence anC
forgetfulness followed, and after hi
return to England he declared his in.
tentiOn of disavOwing a marriage
void at the time, both under the eX.
isting penal laws of England and thC
laws of Spain. The marriage wa,
kept secret by the deserted wife
whom pride would not allow to prose
cute an unavailing suit. On this mar
riage q son was born. Our infOTman'
states that Lady Byron, ware of hel
husbands many intidelities, ilSdnetl
Jealous Of his sister, in an unfortunate
hour discovered Il portion of the cor
respondence with his Spanish wife
She then determined to leave him for.
| ever, burying in her own bosom the
secret which, if revealed, would make
her morally, if not legally his para
mOur.
Though Mai. Byron never claimed
to be the son born in Spain, from
other conclusive evidence We were
/ convinced of the fact. His recita
made a deep impression upon Us, re
yived by the occasion of this article
The student of Byron will find in hi
letters and poems many cOrrObOratine
proofs. His poem addressed his son
on page ISL of the edition of Oliver S
Felt, sc Walker street, New York.
| which Moore declared inexplicable,
can be thus solved, as also the lock Of
hair he sent to his mother at Seville,
received "frOm a woman of character
whom he loved"
"Maj. Byron was married to an
English lady, who bore him one
child, a daughter, both of whom ac-
companied him to this country, and
with whom he lived, after leaving st,
Louis, at the corner of Thirty=fOurth
street and Sixth avenue, New York.
He was possessed of a number of me-
mentoes of Lord Byron, several early
| engraved portraits OF the poet, now
out Of print, locks of his HAIR, speci-
mems OF his manuscript, with many
memOrada of his own visits to locali-
ties celebrated in ByrOn's poetry, and
the place of his death. He had COM
menced a lengthy HISTORIC of the Byron
family, three volumes of which were
printed and seen by the writer of this,
though the history was brought down
TO tine time Of the poets grandfather,
and the publisher failing about this
time, the prosecution of the work was
suspended. Soon after this he came
to America. Besides his remarkable
facial resemblance TO Lord Byron, he
was not unlike him in many other
respects.
"That which we would enforce in
this article, however, is not so much a
history of this scion of the great poet
as the prominence of his statement
that Lady Byron was extremely jeal-
Gus of her husband, that passion even
eXtendingto ByrQnIs halfsister, Mrs.
Leigh, and also to another, the most
prominent feature of this revelation.
1t is we'll established, independent OF
Mrs. Stoves statements, that, preVi.
Gus to her separation Lady Byron
wrote to DIR. Washington asking his
advice in regard to it. DIR. Lushing=
ton advised against it; but subsequent
~, 1t Is stated, after an Interview
with Lady Byron, the Doctor advised
her to the step which she adopted,
which was a separation. This GdCies
iCdS based on q secret rereidtiOn made
5Y Lady Byron. Now, while Mrs.
Stowe contends, indirectly, that this
.oxvoIokicp xr-oa fbo e,,bsFoooo IF tho 20
voting story she has told, we think
Maj. ByrOn's revelations plainly indi-
cate that it was the fact Of Byron's
previous marriage. At any rate, it is
most probable that SO Intelligent q
man as Maj. Byron showed himself to
be, and searching as he was for any
and every fact connected with the
great poets history, would have
known something of the secret motive
of Lady Byron's separation, had it
been founded in so mOnstrous an ae-
eqseti9n as Mrs. Stowe impqtes to
Lady a."
GEN. B. f. BUTLER IN REVIEW OF
MRS. STOVES DIRTY STORY.
The New York EreniRg Aoa OF
Tuesday says the Byron scandal has
brought a new and formidable dispu.
tant into the field, in the person OF
Gen. Benjamin i, Butler, who occu-
pies a broadside Of the boston Jour
nal with a labored attempt to demOl-
ish the sensational and awkwardly
constructed story of Mrs. Stowe.
Without any particular prejudice in
favor of the eminent lawyer and sold
ief, we must say that he has conducted
Lord Byron's side OF the case with a