The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-07
GENERAL MACKENZIE.
The Career of Brilliant and Promising Man
Cut Short by Insanity.

Inc career OF n Brilliant and Promising Man
Cut Short by Insanity.
Special to the Indiana polls journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. G.-The announcement
that General Ronald Mackenzie had beer
afflicted with mental alteration was received by
officers of the army and others who knew him,
with feelings of genuine sorrow 1t was only
little more than one year ago that this gallant
young soldier given the star of brgadier-
general, and his distinguished services in the
late war, united with his well known abilities
and qualifications made it certain that his future
would have resulted in adding additional luster
to his name, and that his services would have
been valuable to the country His sad affiiction,
however destroys all prospect for future service
in the army and makes his retirement painful
necessity The War Department has carefully
guarded the details of General Mackenzes
affection and thus far nothing has been made
known touching the extent and nature of his
malady.
A private letter received from an officer of the
army serving in Texas, furnishes some facts on
on this subject. This officer says that General
Mackenzie is insane, and that at times. before
removal from Texas he became so violent that
it was found necessary to maintain constant
guard over him. His dementia first no
tced when he made large purchases of diamonds
and silks in the piece at San Antonio, assigning
as reason for making such purchases that he
was about to be married These purchases were
not only large in quantity and costly in price,
but were so frequently made that the attention
of his brother officers was directed to them, and
their suspicious as to his sanity excited 1t was
decided to maintain a strict watch over him. and
| !
from leaving his quarters One night he eluded
the vigilance of his soiicitous friends, and, pro-
ceeding to the outskirts of San Antonio, got into
a wrangle with some Mexicans, during which
! the General assaulted the party with chair. Sc
nously iniurng one of the number The Mexi-
cans turned upon Mackenzie, beat him pretty
badly and then tied him to "a tree, in which posi-
ton, stripped of most of his clothing, he was
found the following morning. From this time
he was kept under close surveillance until orders
were received from the War Department reliev-
ing him from command directing his removal to
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, New York where
he is now under treatment. General MacKenzie's
affliction is not of the maniaca type. He is IA
tonal at times, and on many subjects will con
verse as clearly as though his mind was not af-
fected; but his affection is of such character
that it is believed he will never again be as
signed to the command of troops, and for rea-
sons that must be apparent to all intelligent
people.
The physicians at the asylum will furnish no
information touching the Generals condition
One of them, in a conversation with a friend,
on Thursday last said: I'm the case of General
Mackenzie gunshot wound is the cause In
IN
but by a slow wasting of brain matter 1t is in
sdious, and generally is present for years before
even the most intimate friends notice it. The
patients first peculiar acts are usually charged
to some ecceutricity. and it is not until the in
sanity becomes self-evident that rigid treatment
is adopted BY that time the patients are sell
dom violent, are rational on many questions,
and, until the hobby, as you may term it, is
touched upon, an outsider would never believe
that they were of unsound mind"
General Mackenzie graduated from the United
States Military Academy in June, 1862, and was
commissioned as second lieutenant of engi-
neers. He was promoted to first leutenaney
March g. 1863, and captaincy November of the
same year. In July, 1864 he offered and
accepted the colonelcy Of the second Connecticut
Artillery, from which he rose successfully to be
brigadier and major general being mustered out
at the close oe the rebellion with the last named
rank. Upon the reorganization of the army in
1867, General Mackenzie was made colonel of the
Forty first Infantry and in 1869 was transferred
to the Twenty fourth Infantry, from which he
was transferred the year following to the Fourth
Cavalry his favorite arm of the military service.
His services on the Rio Grande against lawless
him