The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-24
See Spanish Fortconcrt programme.
COL. GRASTY.
An Epit0me Of His Eventful Life and
Military Career.

An Epit0me of His Eventful Life and
Military Career.
Col. q. T.. Arasty, who was engaged La the
recent tragedy at Atlanta. of which tele-
graphic account was published in yesterdays
papers, Is well known Id this city as person
OF remarkable life and OF some rare endow-
ments Of mind, character and person.
We trust that further accounts may modify
the damaging character Of the circumstances
under which he became involved In SO des-
perate an ARRAY as that described wherein
he displayed that marvellous prowess which
characterized his wonderfully eventual career
as d soldier, inf1icNng mortal wounds on two
Of hts antagonists.
COL Grasty Is native Of Danville, w., the
gon Of wealthy gentleman OF this town. who
Ii an elder In the Presbyterian Church
The son was q graduate Of the Military. In
stitute at Lexington, Va, and with his selen-
accomplishments, especially La languages,
ancient and modern was regarded as one OF
the most distinguished and promising OF the
eleues Of that institution.
At the breaking out OF the war, he was an
officer III the DanVille Artillery, aud bore him
self through the campaigns In Virginia. with
brilliant courage. Several times wounded, he
was, In one OF the battles, left on the field as
dead-two balls having passed through his
body. Falling Into the hands Of the enemy
he slowly recovered from his wounds and was
taken, as a prisoner, to Boston. Escaping
from prison, he managed to Disguise himself,
and secured employment as travelling agent
for q newly patented coifee.pot., which he ex,
fluency Of speech and impressive address.
succeeded in attracting the attention Of crowds
and securing large sales OF the new patent,
In the course Of his travels In this interest,
NJ. l...I l1R yhtrn
be abandoned bis mission and, pass
ing through the Federal lines.
succeeded In reaching Morgan's command in
South Kentucky and joined Gen. Basil Dukes
brigade. In the stirring campaigns OF Nor g
and tighter than Grasty. Captured ia Ohio,
with Morgan's whole command Grasty sue
ceeded in escaping from the Ohio peniten-.
tiary by remarkable presence OF mind and
desperate daring. Again captured, he was
he did not long remain, but by selling the
musket Of the guard and telling him to the
earth. managed to escape. His third capture
brought him to Fort McHenry. from which
Staying the sentinel, AMI when outside Of
iss ss the eu'eof PotoRac m at pui nsh
he comne.ied some negroes to row him across
to the Virginia shore. The boat bearing him
encountered Federal ship, and not hating
II
| men we're killed. Grasty managed by pad
ding what was left of the sklff and by swim
ming to reach the Virginia shore. He reioined
the Confederate army and fought through to
| the end Of the war. After the war he left the
country and was next heard OF as o commits
stoned officer in the Spanish army, where, by
virtue Of his familiar use of the Spanish Ian
guage and his thorough military knowledge,
| he arose to the position of military instructor.
| Disguised with the slowness OF the life Of d
Spanish officer, Grasty resigned and
joined an expedition to Mexico =
survey the valley over which the
famous mountain Of Popocatapetl towers. It
was III this excursion he made the descent
into the crater Of that famous volcano, and
was the hero of the exploit discussed some
| time ago In an interesting contribution tC
tScribner's Monthly who escaped 50 narrowly
from sutfocation. Returning to the United
States Grasty settled down to business as d
railroad agent, fixed his residence Id Balti-
more, where he purchased house and owns
some property.
/ Or late he was Id the employ Of one OF our
| largest grocery houses, and In this business
he was on d visit to Atlanta, when the IN.
happy tragedy occurred which was tele
graped to this city on yesterday. It would be
cause Of infinite modification to his reat
tives and friends IL the rumors as to the
causes Of the affray In which he manifested
that remarkable prowess so often displayed
In honorable and justifiabIe encounters and
perils should prove to be well grounded. Il
| Is but just to suspend, until both sides of the
story are automatically heard, the public
Judgment on his conduct.
L