The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-01-05
CHE 90arietta 8OurnaL.
Marietta, Georgia. january S. 1879
AUTHOR OF BEAUTIFUL SNOW. "

| pcdutIlul RIlON, ol"tlLS llldl II1C
author and the subject character
was the same ; but an esteemed cit
izcu furnishes the following version
of the story, rcputins the authorship
to Maj. Sigoumcy, and that it was
his wifo's history he SO wildly paint
ed in such singular pathos
The account given, of the death
OF the poor woman, substantiatcs the
report that Maj. Sigourney is the
author of "Beautiful Snow" when
we read in said poem the concluding
lines Of one of the verses
40 be and to die in nay Terrible woe
With a bed and 5lroud Of beautiful snow.
"a few years ago, there appeared
in an American paper published in
one of the Western States an ex,
quisite poem, entitled "Beautiful
Snow" The beauty Ct the compo-
stion secured its republication in
numerous journals, and At length it
found its way to England, accom-
panied by the tale that the original
had been discovered upon tho person
of a young woman who vas frozen
to death in the streets of St. Louis.
For long time the author prc8erv-
ed his lncognd0, while numerous
claimants sought to establish their
right to its authorship and the
honors appertaining thereto. Some
one, who knew the true history Of
the poem, knew also the cause of its
authors reticcncc in giving the
name to the world. Some months
since the secret was revealed, aud
Major Sigourney, nephew Of the
celebrated poetess of that name, be
came known as the writer. The
April number of Harper's Magazine
contains companion poem, entitled,
"Beautiful Child which is marked
by all the elegance of diction and
deep religious feeling characteristic
of its predecessor. Who could have
thought that in a few weeks its gift
ed author would fill suicides
grave? Yet such is the case. On
the night of April 22nd, Major w.
II. II. Sigourney was found dead in
the outskirts of New York, under cir
cumstances leading to the belief that
he had shot himself. He had in
early life married a Miss -, a la
dy of great personal attractions, and
with her made voyage to Europe.
During their absence runners unta-
vorable to her character reached the
Sigourney family. The reports
seem to have been well founded, for
shortly after her return to New York
she showed that the curse of the
nineteenth ccntury--tho demon drink .
had added another name to the |
list of victims. She abandoned her
husband, became an outcast, and .
was next heard Of asan. inmate ofthe !
peutentiary on BlackwelPs Island.
Her husbands love was still sutfi-
GENTLY strong to iaduce him to make
an effort to save her, and through
his influence she was released, on y
again to desert her home. In the
winter Of 1868 the papers spoke of
young and beautiful woman having
been found dead under the snow in
disreputablo street in New York.
Something seemed to tell Sigourney
that the body was that Of his wife,
Upon IN aking inquiries he found his |
surmiscs were but too true, and after
claiming the remains lie had them
inferred in that picturesque "silent
city" which overlooks the busy har-
Dor Of New York. The story OF that
errlng wife was told III the touching |
language of beautiful snow
What wonder that he Stunned the
publicity that its authorship would
have conferred! Henry j. Ray
mond, then editor of the New York
Times, was for years the friend of
Maj. Sigourney, and obtained for him
employment as journalist, which
failing health compelled him to
abandon. The circumstances con
nected with his death remain mys-
terry, Not even his child, for whom
he always displayed the tendorest
affection, can throw any light upon
it. The las! effort of his genius is
displayed in the poem already refer