Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-13

manner
"""t ming conversational powers. She
hPs been noted society beauty tor some
Is, ana many have .worshiped at tie
sH!i1e without sUcc, IS until Gen Buck
ner entered the lists. Mrs. Buckner
- anouJ Y Years of age, while her hus-
/ Dand 10 about 81.
1here are incidents directly and indi-
Iect'y connected with Gen. Buckner that
make ms career interesting far beyond
tae common. lie was always conspicu-
Gus man IN Kentucky society, and when
nc was made General in the Confederate
/ army he vas tue popular idol of the day
throughout all the SOuthwest-a popu-
larlty which WAS intensified even by what
/ was considered his misfortune at Fort
! Donels0n. handsome, brave, with q fine
/ nsure and gallant bearing perfect
/ h'rseman and an accomplished man OF
| me world, he was the typical Young caya-
| her of the South. He was married some
tme before the war TO a Miss Kingsbury,
/ WAC died after few years of married life,
| ana whose brother was au officer in the
! regular army. Lieut. kingsbury and his
sister were joint heirs TO large fortune,
mainly IN Chicago real estate. Before
lsaVing for his Iost with the army in
I tennessee Gen. Buc6ner had an inter-
view with bis brCther-in-laW and made
! over 10 him all OF Mrs Buckner's estate
mis- was to protect it from ccnfscation,
out 1t was verbally understood between
them mat the property was TO be held in
/ trust. II Gen. Buckner survived the issue
! OF the approaching conflict 1t was to he
returned to him. If not, it was to be
made over to his only child, Lille Buck
/ ner.
Lieut.. kiBgsbury fell mortally wounded
IN one OF the first battles in Virginia. Re,
allzlng too late that he had made no tes-
tamentary provision by which Mrs. Buck
neIs property should not 20 in with his
/ own estate, he told to a cOmrade the story
I OF MS agreement with ms sisters hus-
! band. For some reason his dying wishes
/ we're either not communicated to or were
0lsregarded by his wife, his only heir, and
/ she entered INTO possession of the entire
| property. The war closed, gen. Buckuer
came back 70 Louisville and asked Of Mrs.
hlngsOury the restoration Of his daugh-
ter's estate. Mrs. Kingsbury refused to
/ consider the question, and suit Of re-
! c0Fery was brought. It was one Of the
/ great cases of the day, and was finally,
/ after years OF litigation, fully decided III
/ Gen. BucSner's favor. His counsel was
Robert W 0Olev, OF Louisville, a brother Of
/ Col. Charles W 0oley, OF Cincinnati, and "a
| near connection by marriage with Sallie
/ Ward, the famous southern beauty. 1t
/ was said chat his fee was 100000. Gen.
/ Buokner at once began to extensively i'm
/ prove his Chicago property. The fire
/ came and in a dav he was poorer by
! 5000 When, however, his daughter
married MIR. Morris Belknap, Of Louisville,
two years ago, she was one OF the great
heiresses OF the South.
/ Mrs. Kingsbury lived in Newport after
her husbands death. She was beauti-
full and charming woman, and remained
widow only for few years. Then she
married Gen. Lawrence, eldest son Of eX-
Gov. Lawrence, the richest man in Rhode
Island.
1t will be remembered that. after the
peril which the arrival of Gen. Buffers
troops barely ayerted, the cadets and APP
pliances of the Naval School at Annapolis
were removed to Newport. The young
and lovely Mrs. Kingsbury was easily the
acknowledged belle among the impTessi-
bic cadets, and when the class of 1873 was
graduated it was generally understood
that she had engaged herself to Hugh Nc
lee, member of that class from Ken
lucky, and a brother of Maj. George Nc
kee, of the Ordnance, who is now sta
toned at Sandy Hook. Hugh Mckee was
marvellous young fellow in his way.
He was brave to recklessness, with mag
netic elements of character which made
him not only the most popular man OF
his class, but even, without the circum-
stance OF his tragic death, the best re-
membered of the younger officers of the
navy. He was Killed while leading q
small detachment up the walls OF a Co
rean fort during our short but decisive
war with that people some twelve years
ago, and memorial tablet to his memory
hangs on the walls of the Academy chapel
at AnnapOlis-One of dozen commence
rating the most heroic acts in the history
of our navy. The story OF what just pre-
ceded his death is thus told by one Of his
associates:
When Hugh Mckee was ordered to the
Pacific squadron he lett these shores with
the promise from Mrs. Kingsbury that
she would become his wife on his return.
One day, in Nagasaki harbOr, She Ameri-
can mail was brought to the messroOm of
his ship. 4 young Lieutenant looked up
from a letter he was reading with the
ejaculation: "Say, boys, guess who is
marriedw Mckee was standing just
back of him, fronting a classmate who
knew of his engagement. tits Mrs.
Kingsbury," continued the first speaker.
''She was married to Gen. Lawrence a
month ago."
The narrator saws that Mckee made one
step forward, his handsome face distorted,
his teeth set and his fists clinched as if he
would strike the reader. Then he Tecov-
cred himself, went above and walked the
deck all that night. 1t was shortly before
that time that an American trading ship,
the Gen. Sherman, while ascending the
Piengyang river, IN COrea, was attacked
by natives, destroyed, and her officers and
crew murdered. Admiral Rodgers started
with his fleet from Nagasaki Immediately
on receipt of the news, sailing for COrea.
Arriving at the forts In the river Yam,
force of marines and sailors was landed.
Mckee begged TO be put in command Of
detachment, rushed in advance Of his men
up the mud walls Of the fort and fell dead
inside, pierced through the heart by Co
rean spear.
The hapess denouemento Of the marriage
10 Gen. Albert Gallatin Lawrence will be
recalled. Mrs. Lawrence a few years
since eloped with Mr.. Van Ness, an at
taehe OF the Belgian legation TO this coun-
try. Gen. Lawrence procured a divorce.
Mr.. Van Ness married Mrs. Lawrence
and was sent by bis government TO Egypt,
where he died. Mrs. Lawrence still has
a large income from her mOiety Of the
Kingsburv estate-an income which was
not so much impaired by the Chicago fye
as was Miss Buckner's.
A ROMANTIC MARRIAGE.