Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-08
T + r VI S:
IANDRIA GAZETTE
Gen. John IL. Magruder.

III,
stood six feet four inches in height, and had
form men envied and women adored. his
nerves were all iron. Foreign travel and COM
prehensve culture had given to his wit zest
that was always crisp aud sparkling. lie never
lacerated. To the sting of i repartee ne added
the honey Of the clover. lie could hight all
day and dance all night In the morning a
glass of brandy and strong cigar renewed his
strength and caused the cup Of his youth TO
run over with the precious wine OF health ana
high spirits. He loved magnificent uniforms,
magnificent horses, magnificent riders, and mag
niicent women.
Gifted and graceful in conversation, ne was
net in the boudoir and a logclan IN the par
racks. He had studied French in Paris, ltal-
ian in Rome, and Spanish in the halls OF the
Moutezumas The sabre exercise ne learned
from Turk His horsemanshlp was OF the
English kind that is to say, not graceful but
impossible to be surpassed for firm riding and
endurance He wrote little love songs that
were set to music one of them, 'lMogene,
had in it the plaintive melody OF lover and
the sad rythm of burial bugles.
In the Crimcl he astonished the French Of
icers by sleeping at the front with the chaS-
scurs under fire In Mexico he sent back to
the archbishop lady's pertumed glove ne
had found in his palace when the city was won
and with it note which road: 1T IS pretty
enough to have belonged to Queen. Would
she have pardoncd me if had appropriated
it?' AS the archbishop sent him the next
day basket Of delicious wine, 1t Is supposed
that the fair owner Of the glove must have
looked leniently upon the handsome American
soldier. Later, and he was riding with Gen.
Scott down the long street OF lturbde. Gen.
iarnett Joined them, and Magruder drew a
-, = to tOppthor.
\ white puff Of smoke CURED out from an
open window, a sudden report followed speedl-
", and Garnett and horse fell hard and bloody.
An ounce ball, intended for Scott, had broken
tiarnett's thigh, and killed his charger. Fear,
ing another fire, Magruder galloped to the
side of his chief and covered his body with his
own. The old man eyes never dropped, nor
his voice changed an intonation. How long
will it take YOU to batter down that house
he smoke curty to Lieutenant Magruder, point
ing with sweep of his finger to the one near
est, and from which the bullet came. AN
hour by the watch, general. "Ihen open
fire at point blank range, and leave not one
stone upon another.
1t was done, and well done, and those who
saw Magruder soonest afterwards noticed that
he had another bar on his epaulettes-h nc mao
been made captain. War was his element
the bivouac his delight, and the battle his per
feet happiness. Besides. prodgal: fashionable,
foolishly brave sometimes, spcndthrift, gen
erous, a true friend and Stauncl comrade, the
surrender at Appomattox made him an aged
man in his prime, and wrinkled his features,
which had before resisted all the attacks OF
time. . =.
One who wandered far and long with him IN
other lands, in sweet sunshiny weather, relates
how, from Vera Cruz to Chapultepec, ne went
with Magrudcr all over the battle fields OF the
Mexican war. The light came back to his
eyes, and the fire to his face, when telling OF
Contreras and Cherubusco, and Perote, and
NIolino del Rcy, and the Bclen Gate and Cha
pultepec and the City Of Mexico. Ills talk
was never ended Of Scott and Twiggs, WOOL
and Worth. Smith and Pillow, Taylor and
Quitman, and all the young subordlnatess, WHO
afterwards played such bloody parts IN the
greatest of American dramas. vi McClelIan
he told this incident among thousand : he
fire from the hill of ChapuItepec was terrible:
Fifty pieces of heavy artillery were massed
against my four-g gun battery at polnt-blank.
range, and in the valley below regiment OF
Lanccrs were forming for charge. Our hre
had been slackened and the men were lying
down. 4 young man sat beside one OF the
guns amusing himself with picking up pebbles
and shooting them out from his hand The
Lancers came nearer; called to the young
officer whom had noticed, and he sprang up
s,lutinr Your name % Lieut.. George b.
Mcclellan Very we'll, Lieutenant Take
command of one of these guns and disperse
those Lancers." The gunners rushed to their
pieces All the great cannons about Chapul-
tepec went to roaring. The battle began anew
Worth was sweeping up the accllvlty, the Ian
GERS were routed, and the next l saw OF Nc
Ccllan he was smoking cigarette IN the pal
acc of Santa Anna, his face as black as pow
der keg, aud an ugly wound in his arm.
What a book his life would make in the
hands of some men. tie once Intended to
write an autobiography. Whether it was be-
gun or not, we do not know-most certainly II
was never finished.
THE BLACK CRooK-The "Black Crook
is one of the most memorable of dramatic sue
c.sses. 1t is an error to suppose that the pros
perity of this production was due to the mere
tricious attraction of it's incidental ballets; IN
point of fact, that feature of the production
was decency ITSELF compared with the scant
dressing and voluptuous posing OF the Mont
plaisir Troupe, which visited this country IN
1850, or of the Ronzant Troupe OF 1896. Inc
Crook succeeded principally because IN all
essential features of spectacular display, It's
dazzling plctorHtl e.c'|S' .'' sup: oo,t,ost
Of color and it's splendid combinations oflights,
it was the grandest and most graceful pag"aan! ant
Known to the American stage. Its cost die
NOT exceed in actual outlay SIS, 900, yet com
pared with all previous theatrical experiences
that outlay seemed fabulous. Its aggregate
profits may reasonably be estimated at al aoop eu1
$l75,oo0, which were equally shareo 10y .n'
three managers, Messrs. Wheatley, fame' 3s:
and Jarrett. TO the latter well-known baltl
morean is chiefly due the credit of originating
the production.
The Crook" had run of 405 consecu
tive performances, and was Immediately follow
ed by The White Fawn. far more expen
sve production. But sequcls seldom !
ever attain to the success of the original work
and the "Fawn,' after an uuprosperous caree
of Us e,formances, was fually withdrawn. l
occasioned the managers loss of at least $780,
900,