Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-01
WARD.
The story OF the commandcr-fn-
CHIEF Of the Imperial Armies of
Ghsnn

The story of the Commandments
Chief Of the Imperial Armies Of
China.
George Alfred Townsend in Chicago Tribunel.
The story of Ward, as Captain Nash
told it to me, was as great drama in its
way as that Of Narses, the Eunich, or of
Henry Morgan.
He was a good sailor" said Captain
Nash, bred up here TO the BASTARD,
Salem-way; his parents poor people,
raised by the water-side, and they we're
not able to give Ward any schooling.
He was illiterate to the last, and could
do no more than read, if he could do that.
He put to sea right early, made several
voyages to the Indies, TO China, and to
the whaling seas, and was always re-
markable for his consuming ambition.
He was a good mate, when he got so
high, and there was no work too arduous
for him. Tpeared like as if he was
never so happy as when he was fussing
about something. He was allus talkin'
about war; hopin' there'd be war with
England, and saying what he meant to
do in such case. He had wonderful
confidence in himself OF course, we
didn't think much about his notions be-
fore we began to hear of him in China.
We thought he was one ofthose illitePate,
peculiar, dreaming sort Of fellows. He
married poor girl, like himself, if
remember right, but left her home; and
then he went out TO China TO boat up
the rivers. was in China at the same
time, and, like Ward, | carried cargoes
for the Emperor party in the civil war
there; moved troops, carried stores, and
got good rates for my ship. After a
while l had a good offer to sell my ship,
and / got rid of it and came home to
Rhode Island.
"When / went out again found Ward
commander-in-chief Of the Imperial
armies They gave him whole city,
which he took for the gift of it. He had
married the sister of the Governor of
Shanghai, and had about an hundred
wives. He had adopted their religion,
was Prince, rolled in money and
authority, and was the idol and miracle
of all that part Of Asia. The admirals
and generals Of the European powers
there looked at his success with amaze
ment An illiterate Yankee sailor who
could hardly write letter, and had
come there without recommendation or
introduction, he was the widest known
European in China. Still there didn't
seem to me anything so wonderful IN
this, because the Chinese are supersti-
tious any way, and man ike Ward had
self-resources and audacity enough for
anything.
! went to see hun, and he was as
cordial as ever. lie made me SIT down
and take glass OF grog, and he told me
how it had all come about.
You see, he discovered that the EN-
peror had all the money and the rebels
all the success. lie was New England
man enough to look out for the money,
and he had confidence enough to risk
his life against any odds. FIRST, he
went out and showed that he was tight
ing man. Then he got it spread about
that he was a man who had a charm
which protected him against any danger
in battle. lie was a pushing feilow, and
his success justified his pretensions, and
finally they promoted him through sue
cessive ranks to be commander-in-chief.
He had too much ambition to be scrupu,,
lous about particulars ana he paIn9Hnoed
both his family IN America and his re-
lgion-though he hadn much oil that
to be married ana made Chihese.
why said j, ward, You am
changed much IN appearance, for al
your dlsnr,lon Ot II & you oo% ts get sae% san
ship against the English yet says L:
NoW y99 take ny advice salt down
some OF Your money ana sup away irom
tRIs. 10 to q CIVILIZED country country get your
wife, and be man Of consideration
Says he: Nol l don't want money. !
want power, | mean to be Emperor OF
China, % rule the Emperor. There no
bullet that can M me- ,it vas lhiatn-
atom, you see, lie was qeag-set 70 Pc q
ruler ot t9e earth. Rhode Island wan I
RlS GnoAgf fag hlm.
Welll as was 2 comm foYn. TO the
pint WardEhe spread ana spread.
u The hptiog he hegar about being
charmed and proof against BULLETS he
got to believe IN himself
lie lacked edieation, you know. lie
couldn spell ana, therefore, his speH
bust The spell was bigger than the
steiier.
" After fghtin' and 6ghtin', and wnsck.
ing the rebbils every time, Ward was ap-
pointed to attack fort, the last strong
hold Of the rebbils He led the vanguard
Of his Chinese army. He had to move
III front lie iseg biz sword as usual,
and said:
" Come on; I have charmed life
Few that follow me can be injured.
They burrahed and went after him
like heathens. directly FIVE hsls went
chock-a-block through him. He said: !
I'm shot bad this time. Take me to
the rear. (All this happened down
about Ningpo.) He was dressed then,
and always, in plain, rough American
Clothes, like farmer, aud he had never
worn UNIFORM. Thag -Gi a notary and
at his request, and he
scratched off as much Of will as he
could dictate in his condition, and then
ne died. ! saw him after death, and he
looked weatherbeaten, brown and rough,
N his old worn clothes, grizzly asleep
and full OF scars. lie bad hFed this
desperate and perilous life nearly IN
vain. The Chinese government claimed
all his property on the ground that,
having married in China, he was no