The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-09-02
4 Pen Picture of Gen. I.Orlng.
lSt. Augustine Cor. Chronicle and
COnstitutiOnalist.l

find an old soldier and COnfeder-
ate General whose varied and ro-
mantle career must make him
anywhere an object of special at
tentiOn apart from his charming
cOlloquial resources. l refer to
Gen. VIM. Loring. | never met
him before and have enjoyed his
easy, unaffected, intelligent talk
ever so much, especially upon
those subjects within the line of
his experience. The crisis in Egypt
afforded a theme of much inquiry.
No American is probably better
informed upon the points at Issue
there, and the characters of the
parties involved, than Gen. Lor.
ing, for he was virtually at the
head of the military department
there for ten years ending in 1879,
when a new order of things led to
his return home. His views throw
much light upon a situation diff
cult to understand on this conti-
nent. Arab Bey, now about thirty
years of age, was a pupil of his in
the art of arms, with whose char
acter he seems to be very familiar.
Though man of some gifts and
cultivation, he doubts that Arab
will have the nerve and steadiness
of purpose to carry out what
would now seem to be the ambi.
tious, patriotic and religious aims
of the rebellious Egyptians. The
General spent his infancy and boy
hood here, and feels consequently
a peculiar attachment to these
scenes, coming frequently from his
present home Mt Gainesville to
spend u few weeks in the enjoy
ment of the past and the salt air.
His conversation is replete with
interesting "reminiscences of times
when Spanish customs and fash.
ions were universal and then of
the Indian epoch of alarms.
lie left his home here at thir.
teen years of age armed in defense
of the settlement against the Sem
inoles, Immediately after the mas
sacrc of Major Dade's command
in 1885. In this war he received
an Indian bullet in the neck, which
broke his collar bone. Receiving
a commission in the Federal army,
we next find him in Mexico--losing
an arm in the struggle around the
gates of the City of Mexico. Re.
signing his commission in the tn.
mutt of secession, we AGAIN see
him true to his chivalric record on
many bloody fields of the civil
war. Again, with other Confede-
rate officers, we find him training
the military spirit in the decayed
East, in the land of Sesostris,
shadowcd by the historic monu-
ments of the Nile. Finally, in
well.preserved condition, he re-
clines under the vine and fig tree
of his dear native Florida, serene
and affable--at peace with all man.
kind, shedding the light of his
kindly smile upon all around him.
The General is still q bachelor.
He is of q stout, short, compact
build, with well-shaped head, COW
cred with iron.gray Hair, worn of
good length, brushed behind his
ears. His eyes are brown, with
a merry light in them. Nose aqui.
line, almost Roman. His smile is
exceedingly soft and sweet, and
the whole expression of his face
indeed of the ensemble of the en-
tire man-is full of unaffected gem
tleness and manly beneyolcnce.
Free from egotism, he only dis.
courses of himself when pointedly
questioned, and then in that easy,
Indifferent, modest fashion that
leaves a most happy impression of
him as a man of sound sense, re-
markable intelligence and classic
simplicity, and as a model soldier
with an almost continuous military
career of over forty.iive years.
As / look upon him, ! feel pride
in contemplating in him a typical
hero of the old South.