The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-12-22
General j. Bandhead Magruder as a
Soldier,


4 We take the following extract from
brief sketch Of the late General Ma
gruder.
Magruder was wonderful man. He
stood six feet four in height, and had
form men snvied and womon adOred.
His nerves were all iron. Foreign
travel and comprehensive culture had
given to his wit a zest that was al
ways crisp and sparkling. He never
lascerated. To the sting Of repartee
he added the honey to the clover. He
could fight all day and darce all night.
In the morning glass of brandy aud
strong cigar renewed his strength
and caused the cup of his youth to run
over with the precious wine of health
and high spirits.
He loved magnificent uniforms,
magnificent riders, and magnificent
women. Gifted and graceful in con-
versation, he was poet in the bOudoir,
and logician in the barracks. He had
studied French in Paris, Italian in
Rome, and Spanish in the Halls Of the
Montezumas. The sabre exercise he
learned from Turk. His hOrseman-
ship was of the English kind, that is
to say, not graceful, but impossible to
be surpassed for firm riding and en-
durance. He wrote little love songs
that were SET to music-one of them,
"Imogene." had in it the plaintive
melody of a lover and the sad rythme
Of burial bugles,
In the Crimea he astonished the
French officers by sleeping at the
front with chasseurs under fire. In
Mexico he sent back to the Arch
bishop O. lady's perfumed glove he had
found in his palace when the city was
won, and with it nOte which read !:
alt is pretty enough to have belonged
| to O Queen. Would she have par
doDcd me if had appropriated it ?"
AS the Archbishop sent him the next
| day a basket of delicious wine, it Is
supposed that the fair owner of the
glove must have looked leniently
upon the handsome American soldier.
Later, he was riding with General
Scott, down the long street Of lturbide.
General Garnett Joined them, and
Magcuder drew little back for his
superiors to confer together. a white
puff of smoke curled out from an open
window, a sudden report followed
speedily, and Garrett and horse fell
hard aud bloody. An ounce ball, in
tended for Scott, had broken Garnetts
thigh and killed his charger. Fearing
another fire, Magruder gsllOped to tn
side of his chief and covered his body
with his OVID. The old mans eye
never dropped nor his voice changed
an information. GLOW long will il
take YOU to batter down HAT house -
he spoke curtly 70 Lieutenant M1gru
der pointing with i sweep Of lis fin
ger TO the one nearest and FROM wiiicl
the bullet came. An hour by tn
watch, General THEN open fir
at poiut blank range, and leave no
one stone upon another 1t wa:
done snd well done, aUi t'I">e Wit
saw Magrudor soonest Afterwards no.
ticed that he had another bar on hi
epuletts he had been mad Il Captain
War was his element, the hiYOuac hi
, delight, and the battle his perfec
happiness. Reckless, lrodigal, fash
ionahle, foOlishiy brave sometimes,
spendthrift, generous, true friend ant
staunch cOmrade, the surrender at Ap
p0mattOx made him an aged man ii
the prime, and wriuk'ei his features
whiGh had bcfO-e resisted all the AT
tscks of time.
The brave, fond heart IS puIseleS
now. The form OF the stalwart soldir
is dust in its far away grave. Tn
laulrels that he gathered and wore s.
well are faded and gone. Back from
the unknown land no voice will come
to tell Of what rank be takes in thu
spectral columns, closed up ard silent
waiting the resurrection day. We
God deals gently with a soldier
When he Is brave, and no5le, ant
courteous, he has those attribute
which assimilate Heaven, and, there
fore, Is he foreorda!ued to happiues
after death.