The Washington critic., 1886-10-20
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 20, 1856.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Lawrence, Kan, at the time of the
Quantrell raid, but such Is the fact,
and in conversation with Colonel Ayres
of the Kansas City Times the other
day he gave him the following &C.
count of the affair and his own remark
able experience. II was In Lawrence at
the time" said Mr.. Bruce, "and my
life was saved by miracle. Quantrell's
ban certainly would not have spared
a colorcd man. ] was born In Vir.
ginia and taken while slave to Missis.
sippi when mere lad. From there |
went to st. Louis, Mo-, and after the
firing on Fort Sumter and the opening
of the war of the rebellion, concluded
l would cmancipato myself. SO
worked my way to Kansas and became
free man before the emancipation
proclamation was issued b. President
Lincoln. / had fortunately man.
aged TO pick up something
Of an education during the
period of my slavery, and finally set.
tied at Lawrence rs n school teacher.
The night before the Quantrell raid
had been watching and nursing sick
friend, and when the day broke heard
firing which indicated that trouble was
brewing. Looking out of the window
i saw armed men riding by firing pis-
tolls and Immediately realized that the
enemy was upon us. To remain with
my sick friend would have been to in
vite certain death, so | bade him adieu
and with no clothing on my person but
shirt and drawers. watched my op.
portunity, got out of the house and hid
t,t Ia, kv,,o hnh tn1 \
the fighting going on and the
guerrilias rode by without discovering
me, although they pursued every man
in sight. AT last | had a clear field
ran down to the Kaw River as fast as |
could and jumped in. My flight was
observed, and several armed men rode
furiously toward me. Fortunately,
keeping my head under water, man
aged to hide beneath hedge of vines
and roots close to the shore. The
troopers rode to the river, searched
everywhere without discovering my
retreat, although they came within a
few feet of me dozen times. Finally
they rode away, and / remained con-
ccaled in the river all day and did not
venture to emerge from my harbor of
safety until after nightfall when the
town had been sacked and burned and
the guerrillas hastily evacuted with
their loot"
~
At the retreat from Moscow so many
years ago, says the Philadelphia Press,
brave young French lieutenant
fought desperately, and for create r
part of the encounter fought bootless
in the snow. The young lieutenant is
Salvador NIilon, and he will be 100
years old next year If he lives. He is
spending these last days of his life in
the second story of the dingy little
brick house at 1888 Julianna street.
Salvidor Milon was born in Nice, Italy,
in 1857. lie served ten years in Ma
poleon's army with honor, and for his
conduct at the battle of Polotsk, where
lie was wounded, he was given the
Cross of the Legion of Honor, which
he still holds sacred He was captured
at the retreat of Moscow and stripped
naked. He escaped and after runnin g
many miles through the snow, arrived
at the hut of q Polish woman, who took
him in, saving his life. He was an &C.
complshed musician, receiving much
of his education at the Naples Conser.
vatory of Music. He came to America
in 1917 and has taught General Scott
music and General Mcclellan mathe.
mates. He never went to the polls but
once, and that was to vote for the latter
general. He was an orchestra leader at
the Arch Street Theatre here. and sew
eral years ago was in an orchestra of
the opera "Pinafore" during its sue
cessful run. Many of Philadelphia s
most prominent people watch over the
old soldiers health constantly, but for
the past six months his memory has
been failing him, and sometimes he can
not recognize his most familiar friends.
He is man of powerful frame, broad,
determined face and high forehead.
His popular title in Philadelphia is the
"Old Colonel" Thc,"Old Colonel's"
wife, who is very clever Irish
y woman, was asked the other day what
her husband thought of Napoleon. She
replied enthusiastically: "He knows
no god but him."
The fuss which Allan Thorndyke
Rice Is having with Minister Phelps re-
calls my visit to the American Lega-
tion in London, says Carpenter in his
last Washington letter to the Cleveland
Leader. / wanted card admitting
me to the House of Commons, and /
had letter of introduction from Sec.
retary Bayard TO the diplomats and
! consuls Of the United States, asking
them to pay especial attention to me.
found the offices of the legation not
far from Westminster Abbey, and after
the ringing OF several bells and the
presentation Of card, was ushered
into the presence of one of the most
snobbish, cockneyied Anglo. manacs
have yet met. 1t was straight and
well made young man, with a dainty
moustache. well.trimmed, with rosy
checks, and with hair parted very near
the middle. 1t had on suit of Eng
lish clothes, and white over. CATERS
covered Its shoes, which were de
cidedly English. 1t talked with q
marked English drawl, and 1t Informed
me that either Itself or Its wife, don't
know which, was related by marriage
or otherwise to Secretary Bayard. II
made II long apology about not
being able TO furnish me what
10 tell me that though 1t could not ge
me into the House of Commons 1
thought 1t might be possibly able to Sc
cure me an admission to see tn,
Queens stables. thanked 1t. l ther
asked II as to the whereabouts of Min
lister Phelps. 1t replied that Phelps
was on his sixty days leave for TIN
summer. thought that the Minister
i had better be in London during tn,
time when so many thousand Ameri
cans were abroad, and international
complications might at any time en-
Ian0nr tbnir ofpiv | did not saw sn