Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-15
CUPID IN A QUANDARY.
An Ex-COnfederate Navy Captain SOL
Distsnt) Caught between Wind
and Water.
Prominent Kentuekian in New Role.
From the Louisville Ledger, Feb. 10.

AAA q WV AsOACs
From the Louisville Ledger, Feb. 10.
Three O'Clock of yesterday afternoon
found Frankfort all agog over such a sensa-
ton as rarely falls to the lot of inland vii
lagos, considering the amazing suddenness
of the thing, and the prominence of the
principal characters who filled up the drG-
mats persona thereof. 1t does seem that
some men are born to matrimonial for
tunes-provided the cards are judiciously
stocked; others come into the world, so to
speak, with wife Teady-made, while other
poor unfOrtunates find all their efforts at es-
tablishing the foundation for a well-regIlat-
ed family completely unavailiDg.
A few months since there came to this
State Capt. SamEel Adams Lee, an ex-of-
icer Of the Confederate navy, having lost
one foot by the premature explosion of
shell aboard the Merrimac in the Hampton
Roads unpleasantness. Capt. Lee made
Eminenca, the literary center of Kentucky,
his headquarters, circliDg found now and
then on divers and sundry lecture tours, in
which he achieved considerable local repu-
ton for the eloquence of his dictiOn and the
graces of his oratOry. While in Eminence,
be formed the acquaintance Of Miss Hawks,
a teacher in Mr.. Giltner's seminary, and
the mutual literary tastes and accomplish
ments of this twain begat a felloW-feeling
which soon ripened into love.
Whether or not the cOurship ran smooth
matters little in view Of the sequel. Capt.
Lee was acceptable to the lady, and also to
the lady's mother, who, from her home in
Rochester, New York, dispatched the mes
sage which indicated her willingness to
take upon herself the arduous, yet agreea-
Bile, duties of a mother-in-law. This much
accomplished Miss Hawks returned to the
maternal roof, prepared the wedding para
phernalia, and signaled to the gallant Cap
tain to meet her at 3 O'clOck-more or less
in the parlor of the Merriwether House,
Frankfort, with license and paTson on
hand.
Up to this date everything had gone on
swimmingly enough. But just as the cou-
pie took their places on the floor, and the
minister was repeating (for the mere form
ality of the thing) the usual conundrum:
''If any one knows any reason why these
twain should not now be joined together
after the holy ordinance of the Scripture in
the bonds of matrimony, speak at once or
forever hold your peace" in came several
well known gentlemen, who had very start
ling communications to offer. Gen. John
C. Breckenridge, Col. J. Stoddard johnson,
Col. Ed. Taylor, and perhaps a half dozen
others appeared, and declared that the
bridegroom was an imposter, and that they
would not permit a young lady to
be deceived by a person who had
passed himself Off for some
thing which he was not. 1t was announced |
that in divers parts of the State S. Adams |
Lee had represented himself as the son or |
nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and had
thus obtained a social recognition he was
not entitled to, and had abused the conf |
dence extended to him, having done Gen |
out of $50 by claiming to be |
near relative of Gen. Lee, when in fact |
be was no such, nor any relation to the |
great chiehain. Col. J. thought the Cap |
ain an out-anG-Out impostor, and they all /
believed it to be their duty to a respectfully |
connected and handsome young lady to !
warn her against the cheat. These intina- |
ions that everything was not all right were |
packed up by Mr.. Matthews, of EminenCe, |
who had followed the couple to Frankfort, /
md was, really, the first to give the alarm. /
Then and there was hUrTying to and fro, |
md an utter and irretrievable confusion of /
IL the plans of the young couple for the /
uture. The lady refused to proceed with |
he ceremony. Mr.. Matthews took her in |
charge, and Captain Lee was warned to
axe the next train, which was even then in
light, for Eminence, as the gentlemen i'm
concerned ''would not be respOu-
ible in such KuKluX region for his SAT
V if he remained in Frankfort over night
Hence the sequel was rather more hastily
,otten throughlwith than might have been
he case under tie old-cOach regime, and
captain Lee, with rueful countenance, got
.bOard, a sadder, even if a more single man
han he had expected to be.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION.
The train had not crossed the wire bridge
,efore the Captain was surrounded by a
,uzzing set of gOssipers anxious to give
10Th sides hearing. He is a spare, smooth
sced gentleman, almost five feet eight,
lressed in a gray suit, a slick cap, and arm
ID with crutCh as partial substitute for
he foot which was cut off Just above the
mike by the exploding shell. He is a
Gentleman Of more than ordinary inteli-
,ence, and claims that he has seen very IN
airly and unjustly dealt with. He says he
las never claimed to be other than a Sc
ond cousin of Gen. Lee, and a great grand
Vi IICuGIN 1ACA4A AACSJ VI 4CNOAAIAOAA-
nv fame. He states that the papers in va
iOus localities have announced him as
loosely related TO the late Gen. Lee, but
hat he has, in so far as he was able, taken
aims to correct any such impression. He
lever, he says, got but ten dollars from
len. Breckenridge, and che viii not say
yer told him, or wrote him that L was a
lephew of Gen. Lee"
n, ohnruad frrrO fhran I
ouies in blue and gold, TicknOr and Fields,
f Leigh Hunts works, edited by himself,
nd prefaced by lengthy and critically writ
en- Introductory letters. He claims to be a
tranger in a strange land, misunderstood,
nd uniustly accused, and took his sudden
iscomfture very hard. He had exp aimed
0 the lady, prior to their engagement, all
be circumstances of his life and fortune,
nd had never deceived her in any respect.
lie suffers constantly from his wound, he
avs, and during our interview took from
is pocket tin snuff box, filed with gum
plum, and rolling out six or eight pills,
waIowed them down to drown his
roubles. He gave utterance to but one re-
ret: 81 wish l had taken her to Louisville
instead of Frankfort"
We, of course, assured the Captain that
e could not, in the future, possibly select
better locality for such business, for even
ailing here, Jacksonville and New Alba
" were close by, a couple of enterprising
tiles more notorious for tying folks to-
etherthan, perhaps, for anything in the
yorld, except untying them again; and we
cknowledge to having proffered the
dyice that if ever he could muster up
ourage enough 10 try it again to come to
bis goodly city.
II is gratifying to learn that the Grand