The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-09-28

sion. 80 far ~ R0llnilry A.d llltplll-
gcuco constituted claims To ,his posi-
tion, no ono could present 81 'orgel
prctcnslons than the ho'Oic Lieutenant
Colonel Of The celablnlod First MISS s.
slppl Rifles, who scnlcd tie terrible
Black Fort at Monterey, The lirt man,
and fell within the wnlla, severely
wounded in several places, Whether
lac possessed the other qualifications for
military command need not be dis
cussed.
But this was the last throw Of Me.
Clungs die. He had been appointed
to one Of the South American charge.
ships by General Taylor, but remained
only few months ut his post, when
he resigned and went 10 Mississippi,
which, with all lts terrible associations,
possessed II strange fascination for
him. He then became n candidate for
Congress against Colonel Singleton,
but was bcntcn. Always morose and
melancholy, McClung, after these dis,
appointments, became more dlssipated
and reckless, until the formation OF
the new regiments produced moment
nry niciScr of hope in his bosom, pnd
induced him TO "hold up for II brict
period. His claims were strongly
backed by many cmineht men, include
Ing some Of his political opponents IN
Mississippi. Ills superior the colonel
of the First Mississippi Rifles, was See,
retury of War, lie and McClung had
been hostile. Two such anl0gonistic
spirits could not move tremendously IN
the same sphere.
Davis was not merely hero, Il sol
dicr of sentiment, gnllantry and glory,
but practical and thorough discipli'
MARIAN, martinez, and ctcpo of West
Point They had been rivals for the
command Of the regiment, ana dnring
their service together IN Mexico the
feelings between them were far iiom
or confidential, The deVo-
ton of Davis to the fame aud honor OF
the Rifles, il Wa thought, might IN
duce him to forget the old grudge, and
TO support the prctensions OF McClung,
But IL was suggested by those who
knew Davis high sense Of duty, how
could he, under such influences, orany
other Influences, sanction an appoint
mcnt Of Il person of such uncertain
temper and habits, so little qualified
for the practical duties OF communicate,
so unfit IN cXemplar for ihcy0ung oilt-
GERS and soldiers under him? Whether
he exercised any influence or not in
the matter, ii is certain that McClung
was passed over aud did not receive II
commission. This disappointment left
him no hope in life, and the gallant,
hut moroSe and unhappy gentleman
quietly prepared To leave II world which
to him had been one OF turmoil, blood
shed, strife and gloom.
Taking bath and having shaved
and dressed in his ncatcst and best
suit, carefully adjusting every part of
his dress and arranging his hair, rs If
for ball, he took an ailtc-
iioliate leave of the fow-the very few
who dared to be his friends, and re-
tired to his ROOM There he remained
for some time. In this awful interval
what were the thoughts Of this unhap-
by man? He had slain several of his eel
iow-men in combat. Though morosc,
and ut times misanthr0pic and over
benying, he was known to be II man OF
sensibility, of high intelligence and
vivid imagination. II could not be
that such man, standing on the brink
of eternity, with the ghoslly images of
his victims fitting around him ant.
filling his imagination with scenes Of
gloom and sorrow, should
take that awful leap, without a prelude
OF the bittcrest agonics to which hui
manlty is subject.
How gloomy arose to his excited
fancy that cold, dismal picture of the
meeting curly in the morning, when
the world Is clothed in virgin pp' 'ty
and freshness, before the quiet scenes
of Nature have been withered by the
poisonous breath of man; when the
fresh air, purified by the cool dews,
and laden with the fragrance of the
forest and the field, bears such joy and
hopcfulness to the senses md the
mind! At this hour, in that retired
nook, with no other sounds but the
sweet natural notes of Natures chorls-
tiers to break the solemn stiffness of
the morn, may be seena small assem-
bly, of men ''in Gods own image;n
men of youth, of talent, OF GoJ-like
presence and heroic bearing, but over
whose humanity fashion has drawn AZ
icy veil of affected misanth opy, of
calm insensibility, of stoical GOODNESS.
In whispering accents, the two knots
into which the party is divided, make
the NECESSARY arrangements. Like
inurderels, each actor in che tragedy
ever and anon peers through the dark
forest, or glances over the surface of
the broad Father of Waters, as II in
fear of arrest or interruption. Quickly
the plot is contrived and two sta,wart
men, in the full vigor of manhood
stand q few feet apart, glaring ~ one
another, with the deadly pistol la the
hand of each.
"Arc you ready, gentlemen" calls
out one of the friends, standing few
feet from the center of II line batween
the two antagonists. Two affirmative
responses are promptly given. Then
slowly, the words, "Fire-one-twon
the last word is lost in the report of
the pistols; and all other words and
sounds are lost 10 that unhappy man
who, leaping in the air, falls heavily
to the ground, II CORY corpse, shot
through the heart. He is quickly sur
rounded by those s0-called friends,
whilst the homicide hastens with
friends through the woods to road
where a carriage awaits them. They
get in siad are soon on their way to
their friends TO receive their congratu-
lations Oh the result. Alas how many
such scenes have been Witnessed by
that calm, noble old stream, whose
banks, the rich gift Of this great bene-
factor Of the valley, have been REDEEM
ed by tine blood of its early settlers
poured out, not in battle, in the de-
Tense of home and life, of property
and liberty, but In the savage combats
of men ofthe same race and lineage
provoked by the simplest
causes and instigated by the most ar-
bitrary and unreasonable demands Of
u brutal custom.
Such scenes were too fresh in the