The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-03-25
PERSONAL.

Il want 10 ma Old Charlie Van Wycs and take
him by the hand once more aud tell him what I
think OF him, said a veteran who wandered into
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE sanetum to testify to his
appreciation of the great soldiers paper
You mean senator Van Wyck, of Nebraska,
don't your said the E'iitOr, with Washington
ian's respect for those set i'll power over US.
Yes, think he is in Congress in some shape"
replied the veteran, with genuine Western indif-
ference as to whether the gentleman of whom he
spoke Senator a doorkeeper. - want to
see him because believe he was the best Colonel
and finest that ever led a regiment to the
field"
The Editor did notexPreS5 surprise at this. Every
old soldier who comes into the sanctum is likely to
have in his mind some man who was absolutely
the best Colonel that ever straddled horse" and
that hero is pretty sure TO be the man who COM
manded his regiment ut the close of the war.
Il never a man act so well in my life con-
tinued the veteran. as Old Charlie on the 9th of
July, 1864, at Johns Island. We were making a
flank movement on Charleston. It would have
succeeded if Gen. -, of the Regular Army
hadn been drunk Well, at point we stirred
up hornets nest of rebels can tell you We
were on the flank, and got it hot and heavy The
rebels poured out of the woods with their ki-yi-
yi-yi, and came for Us like a swarm Of bees The
regiment in front of us broke and fell back Old
Charlie stood out in the road between the battery
Get ready, boys he said to us; but don't FIRE
gun till you get the word Lieutenant put another
charge of canister in each of your guns
They're already double charged sir said the
Lieutenant commanding the battery.
Damn it, put another dose in; triple-charge EN-
tell you,' yelled Old Charlie. When he gets ex-
cited, you know, his voice gets very fine and high
I'VE all stood there and waited-we with our
rifles and the cannoneers holding their lanyards
taut their hands Draofiy- no rahe ;t,-t
where Old Charlie wanted 'em and then ne yelled
in his fine, high pitched voice:
:" Now give it to EN-, blank 'em. blow 'en down
like stinSweed.'
You never heard such crashing and banging in
ali your life; and how did slaughter 'em. tell
yOu if Old Charlie had been in command in place
of that drunken Regular, we would have gone into
Charleston
Gen. Boynton, the Washington correspondent of
the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, tells this in
teresting story of Senator Plumb. The Senator's
face is pitted from the effect of smallpox though
not to the extent of Disagreement. 1 will tell you
how he came by those marks and in doing so will
tell a tale of rare heroi5m it was told me by an
old Kansas man who was personally cognizant of
the facts
Many years ago, when Plumb had just come to
Kansas from Ohio and settled at Emporia he was
poor ana struggling for living, as were most of
the other pioneers about him. One day he drove
to Lawrence with a load of produce On his way
lie stopped at a little town to feed his team, and
while there he heard that some Ohio people had
been there looking for place to locate and had
passed on, leaving one of their number behind who
had been stricken down with smallpox. Some of
the people had carried the sick out of town to
a shed and left him there alone
Plumb sent his load of produce on and went to
work to find some one to take of the man if it
was found that he still alive. He found at last
a man and his wife living some distance from there
who had had the disease and agreed to take the
Invalid for good pay. Plumb could get no team
with which to transfer the sick man, and finally
in desperation, seized one that was hched in front
OF a store. He got away q short distance when he
was overtaken and the team taken away Finally
after persistent effort and pleading and bitter de-
nunclatlOn OF the people. he obtained team and
drove to the shed and took the poor plaguestrcken
creature dying alone of his disgusting disease, in
ms arms and drove with him to the home selected.
lie LETT all the money he had and promised more
when he could get it for the care of the man if
he lived and his burial if he died
Then he went on down to Emporia and had the
smallpox himself, and came very near giving his
own life as the sacrifice for that of the poor stranger
whose life he saved. That is the story of how
Senator Pluinb's face came to be pock-marked
\ Tichborne claimant has turned up in Washing
ton in the person of an old Union soldier. The
Post of Sunday devoted six columns to telling
about him and his claim. According to his story
he is the veritable Sir Roger. He knows this to be
true, and that settles it. He says that when the
trouble in the Tichborne family occurred he sailed
from Havre, in 1885, and went to South America.
After many adventures nc TO California in the
following year, and in 1856 to New York He con-
tracted a nasty marriage and lived for some time
in Brooklyn, where his wife died When the war
broke out he enlisted in the 18th y. Y, under the
name of Charles Ferris. Later he Joined the Sd
Wis. Cav. n Second Lieutenant. Meeting persons
who knew and recognized him as Roger Tichborne
and desiring to avoid them he resigned and entered
the Navy. Still later he enlisted as private in the
1O6th ~ Y as Charles Curtis, and had ali the fin
gers of his right hand shot away before Petersburg
After the war he married again in New York and
removed to California, where he has undergone
many vicissitudes. He was in San Francisco when
the great Tichborne trial took place in England
which resulted in the claimant Arthur Orton be-
ing sentenced to penal servitude for II years for
imposture and perjury. Some time ago the new
Sir Roger determined to assert his claim to the
1ichborne name and estate, but was without means
Applying for pension on his wound, it was finally
granted, and he received not long ago the arrear-
ages amounting to some $4,000. He is here taking
legal counsel i'll reference to the matter He tells a
straight though wonderful story, and claims to be
able TO show beyond the possibility of doubt that
he is Sir Roger. If he is not, he has woven an ex-
ceedngly ingenious tale.
As expected, the President last week sent to the
Senate the name of Brighten. o. o. Howard to be
Major General in place of Gen. John Pope retired
AS he is confirmed two Colonies will be
promoted to Brigadier- Generals. The friends of a
dozen more Colonies have been actively urging
their claims for promotion. 1t is stated on good
authority that the fortunate ones will be Col
Thomas H. Ruger 18th Inf, and Col. Wesley Mer-
rift, 9Th Cav Col. Kruger graduated at West Point
in 1850, and was made Il Lieutenant of Engineers
In June, 1861, he made Colonel Sd Wis He
was appointed Brigadier-G General Nov. % 1862 and
Brevet Major General Nov. 30, lS6i He was made
Colonel of the 33d q. S Inf in 1866 and transferred
to the 18th Inf. in 1869. Col Merritt graduated at
West Point in 1850, and entered the ID Dragons
He famous cavalry leader during the war,
being made Brigadier-General of volunteers June
20, 1868. and Major-General April l, 1865. In 1866
he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel 9th Cav,
and July l, 1876. became Colonel, 9Th Cav. For
some time he has been the Commandment at West
Point
Miss Maggie Mcleod an aunt of Senator Hayv-
ley, died last week in Wilmington, N c. where she
has lived many years ut the advanced age of 80.
She was in Wilmington when Gen. Hawley entered
it at the head of his brigade She went to the house
of Hon. George Davis, Attorney General of the
Confederacy, took his valuables to a room which
she occupied, and under of her nephews pro-
lection preserved them, much to Mr.. Davis's graft
fication Miss Mcleod was never reconstructed"
and gave her distinguished nephew u scodng for
what sh& was pleased to call his "apostasy." Both
Senator Hawley and Miss Mcleod were born in
Richmond County, n. c.
Col. George w. Williams, one of the very few
who rose a the rank Ofc