Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-24
John Il. Magruder.

Buried III an obscure spot in the grave
yard at Houston, Texas, a subscription
is now being taken up to enclose his grave
and put something upon it in the shape of
a token that he is still remembered by the
people among whom he fought and died.
Magruder was Il wonderful man. lie
stood feet 4 inches in height, and had
form which the men envied and the
women adOred. His nerves were all iron.
Foreign travel and comprehensive culture
had given to his wit n Zest that was
always crisp and sparkling. He never
lacerated. To the sting of the repartee
he added the honey of the clover. He
could fight all day and dance all night.
In the morning glass of brandy and a
good cigar renewed his strength and
caused the cup of his youth to run over
with the precious wine of health and high
spirits.
He loved magnificent uniforms, magniti-
cent horses, magnificent riders and mag
nificent women.
Gifted and graceful in conversation, he
was pet in the bOudOir and lOgician in
the barracks. He had studied French i'm
Paris, Italian in Rome, and Spanish in
the halls of the MOnteZumas. His horse
manship was of the English kind, that is
to say, not graceful, but impossible to be
surpassed for firm riding and endu-
rance. He wrote little love songs that
were set to music; one of them, elmo
gene,' had in it the plalntive repinings Of
a soldier lover and the sad rhythm of bu-
rial bugles. In the Crimea he astOnished
the French officers by sleeping at the
front with the Chasseurs under fire. In
Mexico he sent back to the Archbishop
lady's perfumed glove he had found in his
palace when the city was won, and with
it note which read: at is pretty enough
to have belonged to queen. Would she
have pardoned me if | had appropriated
itT' AS the Archbishop sent him the
next day basket of delicious wine, it is
supposed that the fair owner of the glove
must have looked leniently upon the
handsome American soldier.
Later and he was riding with General
Scott down the long street OF Iturbide.
General Garnett joined them, and Magru-
der drew little back, for his superiOrs to
consult. A white puff of smoke curled
out from an open window, sudden re-
| port followed speedily and Garnett and
! horse went down together. An ounce
ball, intended for Scott, had broken Gar
nett's thigh, and killed his charger. Fear
| ing another fire, Magruder gallOped to the
| side of his chief and covered his body with
| his own. The old mans eyes never
dropped nor his voice changed an intOna-
ton.
Chow long will it take you to batter
down that house?" He spoke curtly to
| LlCubChelhb 0uNS uucls pOlnllHS Will d
sweep of his finger to the nearest, and
from which the bullet came. '|An hour
| by the watch, General" 'sThen open fire
at point-blank range, and leave not one
stone upon another" 1t was done, and
well done, and those who saw Magruder
soonest afterwards noticed that he had
another bar on his epaulettes; and had
been made a Captain. War was his ele-
ment, the bivouac his delight, and the
| battlefield his perfect inspiration.
Prodigal, fashionable, foolishly brave
sometimes, spendthrift, generous,
| true friend and stanch comrade, the sur
render of AppomattOX made him an aged
man in his prime and wrinkled his fea-
lures grieyously which had before re-
| sisted all the attacks of time.
One who wandered far and long with
him in other lands, and in sweet, sun
| shiny weather, relates how, from Vera
Cruz to Chapultepec, he went with Ma
gruder all over the battlefelds Of the
Mexican war. The light came to his eyes
! and the fire to his face when telling Of