Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-01-01
A. Wonderful Life.

L MO AOlGSSsA AoOAC C1ICCI III w dIu, C1e
American soldier of fortune who pre-
coded Gordon in command of the
Foreign legion in China, was related
to a New York Tribune reporter re-
Gently by a friend of the soldier, who
knew HIM from boyhood. He said:
"War6 was q most remarkable man
a greater nDaD, in my opinion, than
Gordon, though the hero OF K Aartoum
commands my deep admiration.
Ward was born in Salem, Mass, and
when he Was a boy went to sea with
his father, who was shipsnaster:
When the Crimean war broke out
young Ward enlisted in the. French
army, and became sub-lieutenant.
Unfortunately he became involved in
a quarrel with his captain, and, re-
signing his commission, he challenged
that officer to duel. The challenge
was accepted, and Ward killed the
captain. Years after, when fortune
smiled on him, Ward sent large sum
of money to Paris to be invested for
the support OF the widow and child of
his former captain. Ward 8 next ven
ture was q commercial one. to Vera
Cruz. It proved unsuccessful and he
was then sent by me to the west coast
Of Mexico to buy a lot of brass
cannon which had been con-
delnned. He embarked ON this enter
prise in a vessel which took down to
Central America a lot of Walkers fill
busters. The adventurous character
OF Walkers enterprise appealed to
Wards fancy, but he saw in it so
much to- condemn and so much that
was repugnant to him in thscharacter
of a large part OF those who made up
the filibnstering party that he did not
join the expedition.
Having completed his work on the
west coast Of Mexico Ward went to-
San Francisco and got berth as an
officer of a ship going to China. Hs
received his discharge in China and
entered there the service of the emper-
or. He rose rapidly in favor and
rank, and organized the Foreign legion
to fight for the. emperor against the
Tapping rebels. He married a Chinese
lady of high rank, and was made a
mandarin of their most exalted order
In order to marry a woman of the
rank which he did he was told that he
must renounce Christianity. He de-
clined to do this, and the matter was
finally settled by his marrying her by
proxy. He became a citizen of China
and a subject. of the emperor. Ono
he was seized by the English and
French adrisirals and kept for some
time a prisoner. He was told that if
he would claim American citizenship
he would be liberated This he refused
to do, saying: sTs
'.I was born in America, and love
my native land. but i have sworn
allegiance to the emperor and am a
| Chinese 8 =. -.
He was finally released, and con.
tinued his most successful and brill.
liant military career. He ordered
three gunboats built in America, which
were to GO up the Pekin river and
the canal and fly his mandrain flag
before the gates Of Pekin l was
building the boats for him when he
was killed. He was the most power
/ ful man in China, and had he lived
believe he had the genius and the dar,
ing to have made himself absolute
master Of the Chinese empire. When
/ our civil war broke out he wrote te
me: My heart is with my native land
IN her struggle against rebellion. Were
Tree would return at once to Offer
my life and my sword to my country
But my work is here. He was killed
while rashly exposing himself in q re
connaissance before some city which
he was besieging. He was one OF til.
brayest, most temperate upright ,anc
honorable Of men; 81 boundless am
bition and dazzling genius. &c was Z
young man, only SO or 81 at the tim,
4 Of his death. Though he never re
i ceived q liberal ed ton he MAS on,
of the best informed men ever saw
constant stud lent, . good Iingnist, ans
great reader 81 books Of MI kinds. 7