Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-08-21

Is Ton as to whether he. was much
regarded. BY those of his off.
q GERS who had received his favort
|. and knew him intimately he was
n lamented, but, by, the general
' public and by public opinion,
think not. y e..-
: "Had not Van Dorm figured
notably in the WARP"
81 "Oh, yes | be, rose very rapid
in the Mexican war from a Sec
fond Lieutenant to be Captain at
| Cerro Gordo and Major at
Cherubusco. From the very be-
: ginning he was one of the most
q dauntless officers in our army.
/ think / am in error about his
: age. ] believe he was born in
1923. In 1853 in an attack on the
J Comanches he killed fifty-six In
] dians and was dangerously woun-
ded in four places. No man in
. the old army was more intense
In his devotion to slave property
on, account of his family, mar
riage, birth and temperament.
| He was one of the earliest native
sons of Mississippi As early as
January, 1861, he resigned his
commission, became Colonel in
the lConfeder service and took
aleading part in Texas in capt
uting other regulars. He took
the Star of the West steamer,re-
ceiyed the sword of Major Slb-
ley, and almost Immediately be-
came a Major General, when he
vas put in charge of the Trans
Mississippi District. He fought
bis leading battle, which was a
reverse, at Pea Ridge.y
"What was he doing IN Ten
nessee?v
"Well, Van Dorm was a fa-
yorite of Davis, and he had COM
mand in the battle at Corintll,
which was also a reverse to the
Confederates.S He was court
martialed at that time, and / can
mention an instance to show the
firmness of his character. Old
Sterling Price and Colonel Bow
en-, of Missouri, ], got mp a scheme
to put Price again in command
Of the. Texas-1Iississippi. De-
pal'tmcnt-and to effect:it, mn
dertook to s2haye Z the Missouri
troops withdrawn fron5the COM
federatc army by multiplying :,
the rolls of sickness. : 4 was the
medical director of Van Dorm, Z
and when I saw those large rolls
of sick=comeup every day I re-
fused TO Jet them pass; on the
ground that We could as well {
disband the army as to concede
sicknessto SO many men. Char
ges were then made against me
and sent to Van Dorm. With, Z
out saying .a-single word to me
ON the subject, he coln,tersigned if
the charges against me 'Myt
staff is selected ON my best judg- I
ment, and 1 never interfere with
any of my officers in the dis s
charge of their duties. In Cor
inth, when he was court-martial- c
ed, they made one of the charges
against him that he had been Sc t
we're With the men on my ac-
count" 'oz ras u
"Now, as to the murdcr?"
"Well, VanDorn held his head o
quarters at Spring Hill several
weeks. / am of the opinion that 4
criminal had happened P
between ,1mself and this woman,
though l do not acquit hilu of n
possible bad intentions. The q
woman, however, but recently
to Peters, had sufficient
ly inspired his mind with the i
dea that a criminal intrigue had Il
commenced. Peters then delib- "a
erately arranged the assassina-, s.
tion Of Van Dorm and bis own O
He arranged relays of n
horses TO carry him into the Fed Il
eral lines by rapid fight He Fl
went from his house down TO "
Van Dorn's quarters and say t.
ing that he had, some business il
just inside. of the Federal lines, f;
would like to. haye-a pass to get Il
I Probably glad to get "
him out Of reach, with that in il
teresting wife behind him, Van d
Dorm cheerily consented and b
leaned forward On his desk to "
write the pass, and signed his C
name to it. AT this moment DIR. G
Peters, leaning on, the desk on Il
his left hand, drew his pistol as c!
Van Dorm was leaning forward t.
over his signature and shct the a
General right through the spinal 81
the hack Of the head. a
The ball did not enter the brain d
but produced paralysis, and he 81
lied in two hours. Peters seized u
HE pass, got on his horse and fl
was far on the road to the Fed h
cral lines before it was discover S,
ed that Van Dorm had been shot. ii
One Of his staff coming in, found ii
him leaning over the table NUT
tering incohercntly and bleeding.
They placed him on a lounge j
and heard him saw, ssPeters has g