The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-22
BATTLE FOR LIFE.
The Story of Thomas H Benton's
Successful Fight Against
Consumption.
fCro6ut's letter.

Ioncs said to Mrs Fremont that II was
fortunate she was the possessor OF such prime
health, as it had enabled her to be Of 80 much
help first to her father then to her husband.
"No, you mistake me- she replied. "Un-
fortunately have no secure health. be-
long to consumptive family and inherit
strong pulmonary tendencies. In fact, l
have bled at the lungs myself and saved my
life only by fight Of years."
As expressed much surprise, she said:
Eyes; my father was a man Of tremendous
energy and resolution, and people generally
suppose him to have been robust. He never
was. He belonged to family Of eight chill
dren, Of whom five died Of consumption be-
fore they were 81"
asked her how Col. Benton got out Of "ths
line Of promotion"
"When he was 3 years old his father died
Of consumption, and when his brothers fol-
lowed, one after another, it set my father to
thinking. He was studying law in Tennessee,
practising, perhaps. by that time. The doc
tor told him that he had consumption OF
fatal variety, and must dia He rebelled
against this destiny, and said he never would
perish in that ignoble manner; he would die
on the battlefield. So he raised q company
dt was in the war of 1879 and started with
detachment for New Orleans to join Jack
son. In the march from Memphis to New
Orleans he walked most of the way, lending
his horse to others. He marched In the
rain. He waded streams. He lay down In
his wet clothes and slept, and marched on.
He ate like bear. He gained in strength.
His hemorrhages diminished in number and
finally ceased altogether. He always at
tributed his escape to outdoor air and ex-
posure.
swell, after was married, my life was
despaired Of, too, and the doctor intimatsd
that my time had come I quit civilized
life at once and went and joined the general
on the plains That kept ME alive undoubt-
eddy.
$50 il was with our youngest boy, Frank
He went into law, and had much ambition In
its study, but suddenly the old symptoms
came upon him, and the doctor told him he
must quit the law office if he would live.
Reluctantly he took the hint, and went into
the army, where he can live out Of doors as
much as he likes"
l said that Col Benton was such an inces-
that had supposed that his life must have
been mostly sedentary, especially during the
years when he was editor Of The Missouri
Inquirer.
"He always kept up the habit Of free ex
eroise in the air" said Mrs. Fremont, ubut Il
made him comparatively strong, so that b,
could pursue long studies. remember read
I ing through to him in French, the sixteer
volumes of the Causes Celebres Of France,
while he made an abstract of the cases."
REFLECTED that perchance, the multitude
nous duels that "Old Bullion" felt compelled
to fight in those good old days, when it wa
considered the proper thing for any man Il
kill an editor, must have given him goo
deal of exercise, and may have had some in
fuence in keeping him alive. l asked Ger
Fremont the other day if John Bigelow's a
fusion to his duels in the Campaign Life G
'56' repealed the Quaksrs from him, and
said: Not at all, am sure The Quakers al
sensible people. When / gathered that fin
army Of $4,000 around me in Missouri, sewers
Of the foremost young Quakers Of Pennsy
vania Joined me, and put on the uniform an
took up the sword at the risk Of expulsio
from their church. Probably some Of ther
actually were expelled"
| ~ remember" said, "when we thought
was rather hard for you to be relieved Q
your command in Missouri for taking tn
very same attitude Of hostility to SLAYER
that Lincoln himself was compelled shortl
to take"
u don't allow myself to talk much aboy
my old disappointments," said the general.