Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-10-26
Letter from a Veteran of 1872.


Letter from Veteran Of 1919.
EDITORS CHRONICLE: I hope you will
not regard it as arrogant in me for detail
ing, as best can from memory, incidents
detailed to me of the war of 1872.
In the year 1862 the rebels made it so
dangerous for 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, | was appointed secretary OF
| the board, when duties deVOlved on me OF
multifarious character: First, That of
keeping a 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 commander-in-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 dlstin-
guished foreigners of diplomatic distinc-
| ton and others.
| Here let me introduce an exciting incl
dent, in which General Scott and General
| Markle "a 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 it 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 a race for Governor OF
his State in 1874, and which was very
nearly a success). When announced the
name of Markle, General Scott repeated
| the name "Markle, Markle, Markle,"
| seeming to use an effort to remember
name that seemed familiar but that had
partially passed away. When General
| Markle said Captain Markle, of Lundy's
| Lane,u 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
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
Il - 4, l. nf OJc fhn
next day. During the course of the dim
ner very vivid and interesting converse
ton grew up between the old veterans,
General Scott being IS and General Mar
kle So years of age) Among other things
General Scott related thrilling incident
about as follows, if correctly remembered
General Scott stated that he was stationed
or camped in Canada near the residence OF
a 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, 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 well |
as the protection to the family. 1t pro- |
duced, however, 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 time |
to be fixed, which the General accepted and
fixed for a 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
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 table opposite a window
that opened on a 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 CO LG mode, Colonel
sought his pocket handkerchief. Not find
ing it in his pocket, he rememered to have
left 1T In his cap then on the table IN the
hall. Bounding from his position, he
sought his handkerchief in his cap on the
side table in the hall, when he CHANGED to
cast his eye on the forest, when he espied
the appoach through the forest of a 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, when they made
good their escape, and to use the express
sion of the General to General Markle, 81
made my legs do their full duty and es-
capped unhurt," and that it was his first
and last indscretion.
JOHN b. RODGERS.