Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-01
Snoxrillf aa'eekly Chronicle.
Letter from a Veteran OF 1912.

dangerous Tor me to remain at my own
domicil in Tennessee, fled in the spring
of that year and went to the East, spend
ing most of my time in Washington City.
In the mean time, in the month of May of
that year, the President of the United
States, Mr.. Lincoln, appointed me WIS.,
itor to the Military Academy at West
Point. Through the courtesy of the board
of visitors I was appointed secretary of
the board, when duties devolved on me of
a multifarious character: First, That of
keeping correct record of their proceed
ings; secondly, of causing the proper at
tention to be paid TO distinguished visitors;
thirdly, of causing the proper attention to
be paid to the COMMUNICATIVE chief of the
American army; and at no time failing
in proper attention to General Scott, the
late distinguished Chieftain of the age,
whom the writer had at all times the hon
or and pleasure of presenting to distin-
guished foreigners of diplomatic distinc-
ton and others.
Here let me introduce an exciting incl
dent, in which General Scott and General
Markle ia visitor from Pennsylvania were
the active participants. 1t being my duty
to first call on General Scott, at his semi
official headquarters near the Academy, to
know from him when il would suit his
convenience and be his will and pleasure
to have the Board presented to him, as
was the custom, which / did, and the time
for such presentation was fixed for the
next day, at Cozen', some three miles from
the Point. At the time appointed, the
Board all attended. After the usual cere-
monies of cards, &C., the General made his
appearance in the parlor. first presented
General Markle, the senior member, The
who ran so gallant race for Governor of
his State in 1874, and which was very
nearly a SUGGEST. When 1 announced the
name of Markle, General Scott repeated
the name, "Markle, Markle, Markle,"
seeming to use an effort to remember a
name that seemed familiar but that had
partially passed away. When General
Markle said Captain Markle, of Lundy's
Lane" at the mention of which General
Scott surrounded the neck of General Mar
kle and wept like child, extracting tears
from the eyes of all present, many ladies
being in the room.
When the scene came to be explained,
Captain Markets company was in
the midst of the conflict of battle and
withstood the attack on Colonel Miller,
actually saving Miller from defeat, as the
General there stated, and afterwards car
ried General Scott from the field of battle
after he was wounded, preventing his cap
ture by the enemy. The day following,
General Scott returned the call of the Wis.,
itors at West Point, and most particularly
called on General Markle, when General
Scott invited the writer, with General
Markle, to dine with him at CoZen's the
next day. During the course of the din
. ner very vivid and interesting converse
ton grew up between the old veterans,
General Scott being as and General Mar
kle s. years of age.) Among other things
General Scott related a thrilling incident
about as follows, if correctly remembered
General Scott stated that he was stationed
or camped in Canada near the residence of
q member of Parliament. The American
soldier, in his predatory excursions, often
trespassed on the premises of the family,
when the lady of the family made the
usual cautious appeal to General Scott for
protection, a thing never unheeded by the
gallant old General. After some exchange
of notes and assurances of protection, the
General placed an American soldier at her
door. In this the General had in view a
proper surveillance of the premises as we'll
as the protection to the family. 1t pro-
dueed, however, a feeling on the part of
the lady of the kindness that was repaid
by many little nick-nacks SO grateful to
the hungry soldiers appetite.
In the due course of time the General
received the card of the lady with the
court of arms attached, with all due
thanks to the General for his courtesies,
with very kind invitation to the Gen
eral with any of his officers to tea with
her on any given day to salt his conven-
fence, and earnestly soliciting a time
TO be fixed, which the General accepted and
fixed for single minute for attendance.
Accordingly the General was in atten-
dance with member of his staff (the wri-
ter things it Colonel Tyson The Gener-
al and his friend was Immediately ushered
into the dining-room, where was setting
a bountiful table covered with viands all
in readiness, well calculated to excite the
admiration of hungry soldier The lady
met the party at the entrance and after
the usual ceremonies, led the party to the
dining-roOm leading through the hall. In
the hall stood a table opposite a window
that opened on forest or grounds heavily
clad with timber. On the table Colonel
Tyson and the General deposited their
military caps. So soon as the party arrived
in the dining room q Ia mode, Colonel
sought his pocket handkerchief. Not find
ing it in his pocket, he rememered to have
left it in his cap then on the table i'm the
hall. Bounding from his position, he
sought his handkerchief in his cap on the
side table in the hall, when he Glanced to
cast his eye on the forest when he espied
the appoach through the forest OF con-
siderable number of red coats and Indians
in some haste. The Colonel followed out,
"Scot, we are betrayed here is the enemy,
run for life ~ Being nearest the entrance,
he threw open the door, Rhen they made
good their escape, and to use the express
sion of the General TO General Markle, ~
made my legs do their full duty and es-
capped unhurt,n and that il was his first
and last indiscretion.
JOHN b. RODGERS
Accounts from Georgia are 10 the effect