The Morning herald., 1876-05-27
GRANGER THAN FICTION.
Can Francisco Chronicle ]

Alyo. sat ont to follow the United iorces,
ral he' rononel Cronan with others to bury
ea0lhs :, md care for the wounded. Among
ne aeau taah,sd on the Confederate side was
pc a,sad amamed smith, who had lost an arm IN
lan ,u..la ,'n and was strongly suspected OF
he Oas''I' Union spy. A council of officers
eng ad tn decide the status of the sus-
Fas n''u whrn Cronan, dissatisfied with the
sc,eu' NO gave of hineelf, insisted OIL his
cconn, .hnt smith, cool, bold, and astute,
ene s.os' .oJ tbe council with the air of an
a;nred 'r'ts man, pointed to his shattered arm
W s,ked: '"Was it thus tnat spies y ex-
u' u",sd the behcsts of their employers WAS
'",,u "Snal with spies to bear the 6runt OF DAT
~ aS" Was It thus that Lee expected the
w. ne,c,aorate wounded to be treated! Col
Con''1s, o., rronan retorted by observing that
onsa ,a. MT upfreauently mingled in battle to
pn' q, susniciop: that the accused had been
,e ,,.octsd in making inquiries respecting the
u'.,a .uo,nants of commanders, which at the
lo,sn ", were calculated to arouse suspicion,
'na .AI, ,hat finally his explanation OF these
'nsniriols circumstances was doubtful ana
unsp,tisfactory. At last vote was taken as
~ %. ,ui,t which resulted in his acquittal,
" C.on.n "o casting his ballot for condemnation.
''sT WThe fortune of war" changed, the stars
.stha Irnon were in the ascendant, and the
y, c."r.Jnr,tes ,"s were pressed on all sides by
Grant, and il befell Cronan to taste the oit-
tsr life of war he was captured and sent Win
siaht ' others to Florida. where they were
rnsr]ed by colored soldiers. The prisoners
ssslieved from the toll ofwar occupied them
sslyps with plotting to effect their escape
'r Tho colored women around the prison,
.rsnce as It may appear, were the most de-
ro,sd ','T friends. They procured for them all
!, comforts they could command, gave
all the intelligence they could obtain,
snd in short, were the contidents, advisers,
and secret messengers OF the prisoners
Constantly plotting, manruvreing, d'ssim-
Mating, the prisoners occupied themselves
hrtwo months, when one night, at sig
mi from their female friends, they resolved
to,ry fortune. It was midnight, and black
a, Ercbus. Rain poured down in deluge
the thunder crashed, the angry and inces,
sapt lightning rent the sky, illuminating
the heavens with momentary glow OF lurlo
]Igbt, and then abysmal darkness enyeloped
the earth. 1t was one OF those awful nights
when nature covers, and the bravest expc-
renee an underlined sentiment Of fear. The
American race is naturally superstitious
and it was no wonder that the colored
nards became direlict and took to cover
This was the moment for the captives
Frustrating themselves on the ground they
wriggled, ake-like, by slow and silent
movement toward the guards, with bated
breath and glaring eyes. Through the
thick darkness they could barely see then
scattered here and there in the shelter O
trees and other objects which afforded se
curity from the remorseless storm.
Noislessly they crept on. When they wer'
within three feet of the sentinels they paus
ed to concert simultaneous action, and thel
with a sudden bound they sprang on them
disarmed and gagged them, and then held
council as to their next procedure. 1t wa
fearful crisis in desperate adventure
Some cohnselled tying the guards to trees tt
prevent them from spreading the alarm
others to put them to death as more ef1ica
eious means of insuring their silence
while Cronan, with characteristic original
ty, proposed to seize the guards as fugltiv
slaves, lwho were beyond the pale OF laV
and protection, and to carry them OIL to Cu
ba. This was exactly the kind of plan t.
secure the concurrence of his desperate com
panions. They Icaught the idea at once
and marched sthe tired and gagged colore
soldiers down to the seaside, seized
schooner In the harbor, and by dayligll
we're sailing for Havana with their lat
guards tied down in the vessels hold
marketable slaves. Arrived at Havana
they sold the schooner and their seve
Slaves" for $2,700, which sum being ever
ly y.divided, Cronan with his share OF tn
spoil come back to the South, got marie
and went into business with a partner !
New Orleans. Nemesis pursued the evil
doer, and Cronan, instead of attending
his business, took to gambling as moi
rapid as we'll as more easy way OF recrul
Ing his shattered fortunes. Losing in pla
he drew surrepitiously from the funds
the firm, hoping by turn of luck in cards
be able to restore the distracted money an
thus save his honor. u,
But Nemesis would not have 1t thus. III
revengeful goddess decreed that ne shou
drain the cup of bitterness to the dreg
When the guilty man saw detection
hand. rather than abide his fate or seek r
fuge in suicide, he left his wife and friet
aul buslLlcb6 ttuu tuoh hisoho5 "'A'''so
San Francisco in 1866.
Cronan was in every way an extraord'l
ary man-tall, of soldierly bearing, and
fine presence, he was withal highly accon
pIshed. A brilliant conversationalist al
Splendid lingrist, he could converse
French, Spanish, Italian and German,
well as in English and Celtic. He was al
mathematician, could steer ship, co
Sruct fort on the most approved prime
pies of engineering; was an architect,
machinest, excelled in chirography, was
frst-class bookkeeper, musician, singe
and skilful feDcer-in short, he was
many respects second Admiral Crich'o
He arrived in San Francisco without d.
lar, and was glad to get job at shovelil
sand. With his other natural qualities al
qualifications he was gifted va.sssssa cheerf'
hopeful disposition, which nothing cou
liStu.b. He did very well at sand shov
Ing, and, though ambitious, was contc'
When he had been about three months
the city he began to make acquaintanc'
not among the hOOdlum classes, but WI