Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-02-03
AN ARMY OFFICERS CAREER,
A Story of Elopement, Marriage ana
shame.

A Story of ElOpement, Marriage ana
shame.
From the Troy 81. W Times. Jan Is.
The doors of ithc Albany Penitenti-
airy, yesterday, closed upon a man
whose brief history is, indeed, a sad
one. His name is Virgil S. Eggleston,
and he fell from one Of the most re-
sponsible and honorable positions in
the army of the United States. Born
OF greatly-respected parents in the vii
lage of Palmyra, in this State, he re-
ceived a good education, and was pro.
pared to discharge with credit and in
telligence the duties of q worthy il not
prominent member of society. He
possessed influential friends, who
secured for him position in the Pay
master Generals Department of the
army. While residing in Washing
ton, and performing with fidelity the
duties of a clerk in the employ of the
Government, he became acquainted
with the daughter of Henry Wilson's
landlady, and eloped with her. They
were married, and returned to the
maternal domicil. Mr.. Wilson now
interested himself in the young man,
whose character was excellent, morals
unexceptional, and intelligence superb
or. With the assistance of other
friends, Mr.. Wilson procured for
young Eggleston the position Of Pay.
master in the regular army, with the
rank of Major. His appointment was
one of the last acts of Andrew John
sons Administration. The fact that
ne had been taken from civil life and
given . position in the army which so
many Lieutenants and Captains Gov
eted, caused Eggleston to be regarded
with . jealous eye, and from the start
ne was unpopular in the service.
However, he was sent to Oregon, and
went thither, taking with him his
young wife, a giddy, thoughtless crea-
ture, over whose shameless career sub.
sequently VIC will draw the veil of al.
lence. Major Eggleston was in the
Modoc war, and was one of the first to
enter the lava beds after the cruel muir.
der of General Candy. His heroism
gained him some favor with the off,
GERS, and his military career now be.
came moro promising. The subsc-
quent discovery of his wife's bad con-
duct made him desperate, and, 70. the
first time in his life, he became reck.
less and engaged in life of wild dis.
order and dissipation. The more be
tried to do for her the worse she grew.
Debts multiplied, and sorrows filled
hiscup to overlooking. Atlast he be.
gan to Use the public money to meet
his own and wife's extravagances.
The sum Of $4,000 had been embez.
lied and squandered, when he was. ar
rested, tried by court-martial, and sen.
fenced to be cashiered, and imprisoned
in the Albany Penitentiary for the
period Of five years, and to remain in
confinement until the amount Of mon
ey embezzled was restored to the Gov
eminent, which practically amounted
to q life-sentence. President Grant
approved the proceedings of the court,
but, with generous Endorsement re.
garding Eggleston's bravery in the
Modock war, fixed the limit of the i'm
prisonmcnt at ten wears.
esterday Colonel John Green, OF
the regular army, and Captain M. G,
Wilkinson, of General Howard's staff,
committed Major Eggleston to the ten
der mcrcies of General Pillsbury. His
history ia a sad one, and there is great
sympathy felt for him by wide circle
Of friends.