Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-29

From the Hartford Courant.l

We all remember here in Hartford Colonel
Henry G. Ward. He came here unknown, but
rapidly made friends, and finally became assist
ant adjutant general of the state. He was man
of popular manners, of fine address, and, though
of petite form, was well proportional, and his
gray hair and beard set him off to good advan-
tage and made him, altogether, what good judges
would call a handsome man. When the twenty
nth regiment was organized to go to the war in
1852, he was first sergeant Of Co. A, commanded
by Mason G. Weld In August, 1868, he was
promoted TO be adjutant, and in November, 1864,
took command OF the thirteenth regiment, col
ored volunteers, and came home from the war in
November, 1885, at the head of that regiment,
and as he rode through the streets at the head
OF his darkey veterans, he was an object of ad-
mlratlon, for he made a splendid looking SOL
der. We remember him then as a sutton for the
hand of contiding girl here, and have not for
gotten how he married her, was arrested on his
wedding tour, and then deserted her. In Hearth
and Home for March 90, there appears as cor
respondence, under the head of Gan Accom-
plished Villain" and dated "Anywhere, March,
1871 the following narrative, and in ola
CrolX1 we again recognize the polished gentle
man, the magnificent soldier, and the unbush-
ing rascal:
The winter of 1872 was rather lonesome
and tlresome one to those of us who lived in ST.
Peter, on the banks of the Minnesota river. 1t
was the first year of the war, and there were ex-
cltements enough, but we had no railroads and
no telegraphs, and the rivers were frozen so that
they made the best of highways for bob-sleds
and cutters, but we had no steamboats,. The
Trent difficulty threatened war with England,
and all minds were turned to military affairs,
and so, just to while away the time we organ
lied ahome-guard, "not to leave the state except
IN case of invasion" ThecOmpany afterward did
good service against the Sioux Indians, but not
under the captain that we elected.
1t IS about this captain thatI want to tell In
the summer preceding there had arrived in the
a fonfIt. .s,,I,
temen of thirty, who gave his name as W. II.
La CroiX. He brought no letters, but neither
had any of the rest of us brought letters. Every
man is on an equality on the frontier. And no
man IN the village needed letters so little as La
CroiX. His manners, which were those of an
accomplished gentleman, were introduction
enough to our most elite society. For even in
ST. Peter, at that day, there was an upper hum
dred, and tip-top ten of the upper hundred
Mr.. La CroiX gave it out that he had money and
was anxious to enter into partnership in some
mercantile firm, and soon his name was
coupled with that of most respectable trades
man in the firm of Crier and La Crox. But
the money, for some reason, did not come.
| do not doubt that he expected to oct
money from some source Otherwise If is
hard to divine why he entered the firm He
gave it out to his friends that the Joint prom.
erty of himself and his brother Etienne La
Croix and the other members of the family was
10 stock in the Chemical bank of New York
tndJ us IilG OIlef members OF the tQmi-
~ were at the south, IL had been seized and was
about TO be contiscated. But he had engaged
counsel and would ultimately be able to recover
it. AS there was a delay about it, he retired
from the firm of Crier & La Croix, but continued
to keep the books for Mr. Crier He was per-
feet bookkeeper, and ought TO have been able to
command the largest salary in that calling. But
bookkeeping was not the only thing he did well.
He spoke French so perfectly that one was al
ways ashamed to converse with him in French,
for fear he would privately laugh at the accent
or bunders. / never could decide which Ian
guage he spoke the most perfectly, French or
English. He was faultless in either. ] am told
he danced with absolute grace aud ease, and
could not imagine him as awkward at anything.
His skill in drilling our hOme-guards was so
great that we readily believed his statement that
he was an exempt member of the New York
seventh regiment. He often alluded TO his old
friend and commander, Colonel Duryea. In
deed, he had habit Of abiding TO various
friends and acquaintance in the most natural
way in the world.
do not like TO represent myself as one of the
toldyou-so kind, but did suspect that all this
sweetness would not be thrown away in from
ler.town without purpose, And yet what were
any Of us doing there2
Evidently Captain La Croix had come TO stay.
nc married an estlmable lady soon after his ar
rival, rented pleasant cottage and furnished
| u, olten drove out with his wife, and seemed a
| most devoted husband. He was soon emploved
| as CONFIDENTIAL clerk by the leading capitalist Of
tne place, and as spring came on reported that
ms stock In the Chemical bank was in a fair
way 70 get out Of limbo. II was very necessary
tnat be should be in New York at once But.
IKE devoted husband, he waited on account AZ
his wiie's Illness. The morning after the birth
Of his son, he called on the doctor, asked him 10
SHOW his wife every attention, and left her In
the bands OF good nurse and the physician.
He borrowed three hundred dollars from his
employer, who tried TO press more upon him,
left for New York, only stopping to cash draft