The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-09-04
ROMANCE ON

manned and surrendered Fort Donel-
son to Grant after Floyd and Pillow
ran away, was married at Richmond
recently to Miss Della Claiborne, one
OF the society bells OF that city. He is
55 and she % years of age. Some OF
the Incidents directly and indirectly
connected with General Buckner's
reer are full of romantic interest.
They are thus sketched in the New
York World.
He was always a conspicuous man
in society and when he was made a
General inthcC Confederate army he was
the popular idol of the day through
out all the Southwest popu-
Iarity which was intensified ever
by what was considered his misfor-
tune at Fort Donelson. Handsome,
brave, with a fine figure and gallant
bearing, a perfect horseman and an
accomplished man of the world, he
was the typical young cavalier OF the
South. He was married some time be-
fore the war to q Miss Kingsbury, who
died after a few years of married life,
and whose brother was an officer In
the regular army. Lieutenant Kings
bury and his sister were Joint heirs to
a large fortune. mainly in Chicago real
estate. Before leavingforhis post with
the army in Tennessee, General Buck
ner. had an interview with his brother
in-law, and made over to him all of
! Mrs. Buckner's estate. This was to pro-
tect it from c~onfiscation, but it was
verbally understood between them
that the property was to be held IN
trust. II General Buckner survived
the issue of the approaching conflict 1T
was to be returned to him. III not, it
was to be made over to his only child,
Lille Buckner.
Lieutenant Kingsbury fell mortally
wounded in one of the first battles in
Virginia. Realizing too late that he
had made no testementary provision
by which Mrs. Buckner's property
should not go in with his own estate
be told to a comrade the story of his
agreement with his sisters husband.
For some reason his dying wishes were
either not communicated to or were
disregarded by his wife, his only heir,
and she entered into possession OF the
entire property. The war closed, Gen.
eral Buckner came back to Louisville
and asked of Mrs. K~ingsbury the re-
storation Of his daughters estate.
Mrs. Kingsbury refused to consider
the question, and a suit of recovery
was brought. 1t was one of the great
cases of the day, and was finally, af-
ter years of litigation. fully decided III
General Buekner's favor. His counsel
was Robert Wooley, of Louisville, a
brother of Colonel Charles Wooley,
Of Cincinnati, and a near con-
nection by marriage with Sallie
Ward, the famous Southern beauty.
1t was said that his fee was 100000.
General Buckner at once began to ex-
tensively improve his Chicago proper
ty. The fire came, and in a day he
was poorer by half a million dollars.
When, however, his daughter married
Morris Belknap, of Louisville, two
years ago, she vas one OF the great
heiresses OF the South.
Mrs. Kingsbury lived in Newport
after her husbands death. She was a
beautiful and charming woman, and
remained a. widow onlyfor a few years.
Then she married General Lawrence,
eldest son of Ex-Governor Lawrence,
the richest man in Rhode Island.
it will be remembered that, after the
peril which the arrival of General
Buffers troops barely averted, the
cadets and appliances of the Naval
School at Annapolis were removed to
Newport. The young and lovely Mrs.
Kingsbury was easily the acknowl-
edged belle among the impressible
cadets, and when the class 1878 was
graduated it was generally understood
that she had engaged herself to Hugh
Mckee, q member of that class from
Kentucky and a brother of Major
George Mckee, of the ordnance, who is
now stationed at Sandy Hook. Hugh
4 Mckee was a marvellous young fellow
in his way. He was brave to reck-
lessness, with magnetic elements of
character which made him not only
the most popular man ofhis class, but
even, without the circumstances of his
tragic death, the best remembered of
the young officers ofthenavy. Hewas
killed while leading asmall detachment
up the walls of a Corean fort during
our short but decisive war with that
people some twelve years ago, and q
memorial tablet to his memory hangs
on the walls of the academy chapel at
Annapolis-one of a dozen commem-
Grating the most heroic acts in the
history Of our navy. The story Of
what Just preceded his death is told by
one of his associates.
When Hugh Mckee was ordered to
the Pacific squadron he left these
shores with the promise from Mrs.
Kingsbury that she would become his
wife on his return. Oneday, in Nagas-
aki harbor, the American mail was
brought to the mess-room Of his ship.