Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-15
WHITE AND BLACK.
Lieutenant Won Blank and His Lost Wife
and Child-An Ex-Paymaster's Yarn.


Lieutenant Won Blank and His Lost Wife
and Child-An Ex-Paymaster's Yarn.
They met. not exactly by chance but, the
usual way-a group of healthy survivors
of wars perils-in a place of public re-
sort in st. Paul, a few days ago. The bev-
erage they unanimously preferred reminded
some ono of the party of the old "commis-
sary'' he WAS permitted to drink in 1861 and
a remark to that effect brought on food of
anecdotes aud "reminiscences of army life.
When the tide of talk had begun to ebb,
the ex paymaster gained q patient hearing
by ordering another round of "straights''
and fresh cigars, and told the strangest
story of all. at is all true-every word of
it," ne eaid-"and there are many officers
who served on the Pacific side who know all
the facts. Besides you can look in the
army register and find the name and dates
just as l tell them.'' His story ran about
IS follows:
Lieutenant Won Blank was handsome
and popular, though dissipated young officer
of the king of Hanover's guards, about the
time our war broke out. Early in 1862 he
had drifted to New York, where he enlisted
as private in one of the volunteer regi-
ments of that State. Ills military training
in the old country, his courage, and his at
tractive bearing and manners, gained him
quick promotion to captaincy, which rank
he held for three years, until his regiment
was mustered out after the war was over.
Subsequently, through the friends he had
made in the volunteer service, no obtained a
commission in the regular army, in one of
the cavalry regiments, and was in action and
won official praise for good service, the day
after he joined his company as Second Lieu
tenant. In due time he became First
Lieutenant, and had leave of absence, which
he improved for celebrating his promotion
by having good time among civilized men.
He had been steadily in service in the Indian
country for two or three years, and no man
who knows. what that service
is-in Arizona and New Mexico-will
blame him for going on spree in San Fran
cisco. But it was an unlucky spree for him.
He had drawn three months. pay before
leaving Arizona, aud threw it all away In San
Francisco and, before be was sober, sold his
pay certificate for three months to banker
with whom he was slightly acquainted.
When he did sober up and realized that he
was liable to have two pay certificates pre-
sented for the same three months, he went
to the banker, frankly explained his action
and obtained his promise to wait three
months before presenting the certificate.
Then Won Blank devoted the rest of his
leave of absence to visiting his friends in
New York, after which he returned to his
company in Arizona and was Immediately
ordered out on scout. He had barely time
before starting to see his friend, the pay
master, and counsel with him as to protect
ing the banker and yet avoiding exposure of
the fact that he had sold his
paw certificate for three months
already advanced to him. The paymaster
Jour story teller, concluded that the error
could be corrected and covered if the cartifi-
cate could be kept back for another three
months, and sent Won Blank away treasured.
Time passed. The banker, in response to a
letter from the paymaster, had agreed not to
use the certificate if he was paid at the time
agreed. But the scout was a long one.
Won Blank was IN the wllds of Arizona and
New Mexico, chasing Indians for four months.
Pay day had come and gone. The banker
had sent on the certificate, and it was Off
cially known that Won Blank had sold his
pay account after having drawn his pay. AS
consequence be was put ozt of the army.
The official record has been kindly changed
to say only that he went out of service.
Then Won Blank went East, and to Wash
ington, seeking to be reinstated, and for a
=. L. 49,, Ia 9TH
from him.
Two or three years after his leaving the
service it happened that four of his personal
friends met in Washington. They had
learned that he was still in that city and
that his petition to be reinstated had been
formally considered but had never been
acted on. These friends ware Gov. David
OF Oregon, Gen. Wind of Oregon, a we'll
known volunteer officer, Count Krupp of
Kansas City, ex-secretary of state of Mis-
souri,, and the paymaster. They concluded
that they could get Won Blank restored to
the army and that they would set their plans
to that end in motion before hunting him
up, so as to give him pleasant surprise.
For that purpose they called on Gen. Logan.
then chairman of the Senate committee on
military affairs and explained to him the
facts of Won Blanks case and the extenua-
ting circumstances, with which they were
all familiar. Gen. Logan became in
terested, promised his assistance, and
sent them to the secretary of war to obtain
certain records of the case, and to secure his
cooperation. At the war department great
surprise awaited them. Gen. Belknap as
sured them that he had carefully gone over
the case, and seen the proof that Lieutenant
Won Blank did not intend to wrong any Que,
end that he was probably unaware of his
error when it was committed. On that
ground and because of theaieuteuant'ss plen-
did services in both the volunteer and reg
ular army, he had determined to recommend
and urge his reinstatement, when he learned
fact which made it impossible to befriend
Lieutenant Won Blank in that direction.
What was that dreadful fact? He had mar
RED, and was living with, negress. 1t was
not generally known, but would become no
torious if movement should be made to
restore him to the army. The friends were
both surprised and grieved. They feared
that Won Blank had sunk very low IN dissi-
patton, and WAS lost to them and to the army