The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-11
RICHARD REALF.
The Strange History Of the Late Re-
puted Son of Lord Byron.

A dispatch from San Francisco an
nounces the suicide of Richard Realf. He
took morphine at the Windsor house, in
Oakland, the cause of the act being, it is
said, ill-health and domestic trouble.
The career of Richard Realf was a
strange and romantic one. In the year
1856, when the war 40 inst slavery begun
in the territory Of Kansas, and the strug-
gle between the "border ruffians" and the
"free state" men were in active progress,
a young man, who made his appearance
in Leavenworth among the multitude OF
adventures and champions of liberty
who gathered in that wild region, attract
ed notice. He was at the time possessed
of rare personal attractions, and whispers
of mystery and romance soon arose in
association with his name. The remarka-
BILE beauty of his face, the softness and
delicacy of his expression, the charm Of
his manner, the exceptional culture of
his mind, his poetical qualities, and his
large knowledge of English society and
literature added attraction to his courage
and heroic conduct. He was evidently
an Englishman, perhaps 80 years OF age,
and his resemblance to the portraits OF
Lord Byron in early life, together with
the peculiarities of his mind, and his
tendency to romantic and chivalrous poe
try, cave color to fanciful stories that
soon got afoat, to effect that he was re-
lated by blood or very nearly connected
with the hero of Missolonghi and the
author of 'sChilde Harold" It was be-
lieved by many, even, that he was an IL
legitimate son of Lord Byron, and the
likelihood of his connection with the
poet was increased, in that he was in re-
ceipt, from time to time, of remittances
from England, which were sent, it was
alleged, by one OF the then denizens OF
Newstead abbey.
He was regarded as one of the most
heroic spirits and most intellectual young
men on the free state side. He took part
in scores of warlike adventures against
the "border ruffians," was always ready
for foray or song, fitted from part to
part of the newly organized territory
wherever danger was to be encountered
associated with John Brown in his ad
ventures at Ossawattamie and along thu
line of the Ossawattamie river, cam
paigned with Jim Lane on horseback anc
on foot wherever that wild and haggarc
and dare devil frontiersman found a foe
and often and again was he seen in I'm
coatn uniform, with a Sharp's rifle owe
his shoulder, smile OH his face, and
chanson on his lips, gay as the trouba
dotr touching the guitar OF the romanza
One Of his many exploits was at the de
tense OF Mount Dread, in the vicinity O
Lawrence, which all through that tjm'
was the centre of danger for the fire.
statesmen, when with few kindred
spirits looking from the rude fort on tn
top of the hill, he saw the red-shirte'
Missourian enemy approaching from tn
river. The song with which he commemo
rated that exploit thus opened:
All night within our guarded tents
Until the moon was low,
Wrapt round as with Jehovah's smile,
We waited for the foe.
His intimacy with John Brown led ths
old ironside to take him into his conf
dence when preparing the Virginia &C
venture that eliminated at Harper's Fer1
and on the galloWs-tree of Richmon
He was one Of the conspirators who. vii
Kagi, formed at Ossawattamie the pls
of Campaign in the Virginia mountain
by which the southern slaves were to
armed as preliminary to their risign
bloody hostility to their masters. Viii
engaged with Brown in this work
travelled from one place to another, pr
viding ways and means, seeing the frien
who could be relied upon, and guardi1
the secrect the revelation of which wou
ruin. He was so gentle in his name
and go kindly in his ways that he was t
last man who would be regarded as bel
ing part in such warfare. Final
when John Brown had drawn up
scheme of government, and chosen
officers of state for the administration
a new condition of affairs in Virginia,
appointed Richard Realf to the poiti
of secretary of state in his remarBa
cabinet. About the time that Brown c
appeared from Kansas, on his way
Virginia, Relf, as we'll as Browns OF
followers, also disappeared from Kans
and those who are behind the scenes 8
posen he would be participant in
conflict as well as an adjudicant OF
government. News came of il
Browns fight against Gen Robert e. :
at Harper's Ferry, and the names OF tn
who in the first dispatches were repor
to be killed was the name Of Relf.
body could not be found, and it was
r. ported that he had beed pursued by &c
Of the Virginia troops, wounded,
driven into the Potomac, where he
drowned. . -...
As time passed on, however, it
learned to a verify that Realf had
perished in the fight, had not been
John Brown at Harper's Ferry, {
though expected to join him there.
somehow failed to do so. The SUSPECT
of the free state men of Kansas '
aroused, and charges were everywl
made that Realf had turned traitor
John Brown, had sold out to the Virg
state government or to the federal s
eminent, and had all along been nott
but spy in the camp Of the invad