The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1886-07-08
COLONEL c1S6cR.
An Incident in the Career Of a Galan. UniJn
Soldier Wildly Portrayed.
VICrOR'S GREAT LEAP,

District OF MOntan
ThsTe was living here at that time Col. +.
j. Conser, a man who was every inch u sol
der, and "a genial, courteous, God-fearina
gentleman. In the whirl of war he found
his proper place at the head Of a cavalry
regiment.
Ensting rs "A lieutenant in u compopv
rom Fremont, Ohio, as an iniantryman.
he rose rapidly in promotion until Ia.
landed in the saddle OF lieutenant-colpncl.
in actual command of the regiment. oi
which Detective Gcn. Baker was the nnHii-
maj colonel. This regiment, the First West
virginia cavalry, was composed of com
panies from Maine, New York, Ohio and
West NIreinia. During the latter part Of
| the wir Cen. Baker employed the regiment
IN his Ile al detective service-kepDinr il
around Washington.
| In this business hc found Col. Congcr an
able and efficient aid. 1t was a trivial Incl
dent IN the duty OF Col. Congar. whiie be-
was an infantry captain in charge of u for
aging party in Maryland II year or two
before, that led to the trail and capture of
the afsassins OF President Lincoln.
Col tongcr was the moving spirit and
leaderoi the detachment that hunted down
Booth and his associates.
Inc story oI that raid and capttir. has
never been told in print and will un. b.
until tol. Congcr tells II himself Boston
torbett has posed as the hero in the ease.
Lieut.. Doughcrty. rs commander of ,he
New York squad in the detachment has
claimed the honor, and lately Gath. I'm a
magazine article, has shown how littl, he
knew about IL. The facts in the cast rest
entirely IN Col. tonger's knowledge and will
not he made public until he does il himself
or empowers some one to do it for him lie
iliis told me the story repeatedly. / know
IL AZ wen as he does himself but unti he
sancl ions its revelation | must remain
silent.
Col. Coneer was shot from end to end
wounded by bullet aud sabre; nothing but
wonderful, viriie constitution inherited
from = ion--ived, virtuous ancestry brought
him through.
As It Is, he is carrying through life a liv-
ing death with him.
y smashing bullet drove spicul.e of bone
into the spinal cord in the region OF the
hips. This has produced partial parnlvsis
oi the right leg. and consequent atrophy of
thiit, member but has not brought II com
pensafing relief from pain in the shrivell
hmhsS Ihat pain IL terturing, Ingenious
ana levilish
y bit ot bone pressing on the sacral pexus
causes II shrivelcd leg and foot to undergo
the tortures OF he'll. lie would feel the same
torment were the leg and foot in the grave
from the iact That the irritatcd stump of
a nerve in amputation gives the senss of
irritation IN the extremity of the limb or
other parts supplied by the nerve From
this heiiish pain it is only natural thnt "a
mortal man should ask surccnse
'oi. tonger WIS appointed by prcsid mt
Hayes one of the associate judges of n lIi-
tana territory. This office he filled with
satisfaction to all ior nearly three ycars, !
when "A cloud OF aspersion came over his |
administrat tion Of affairs.
have never heard, explicitly, with what |
he was charged, but | will stake mv life. as |
his friend, and one who knows his mental |
bias and physical condition az well as one |
man can know another that his fault. |
whatever it was had no cement of any
thing that could y" construed into criin- |
habty, but that il shah appear that any |
alteration from the strdightcSt and strict I
est line oi moral rectitude will be found in |
MS attempt to seek relief from his intol,r-
"ble thysicii suffering. WHAT would man
not give To appease this devil of pain?
think this is due him because many
who saw tlr charges against him did not
see the complete eSoncration of him AT the
hands of AtturneN-ticneral Brewster
Vel, we ami our families were lett ncarlv
alone during he cholera time. and as lonely
as II lot Of eats in burnt district. In the
of visits, when we whilrd away
1 he long, mopU!it August NIGHTS until lato
bedtime, that man edited us with his war
experiences. lie was better than n bnok-
an encyclopaedia of varied Incidents, comic.
pathetic, dfamat tic and tragical.
Like true raNairNman, he was u lover
and Judge of good horse.
lie rode daring tine service an entire son
ui the lannon's Kentucky Gr.y Elglc--a son
that never uiSsitced his sire. cougcr never
tired oi rccoiintlu. the ieats oi his splendid
Victor. rs hc called him. As a sample.
chow Z the mcttle of naa and hug>c, let
!nr tell the following incident:
Ca one occasion ia Virginia and in the
early pJrt of The War, while "a cavalry scout
ln ip4cc was bivogackrd along the Rappa-
lnnn"rk ri,cr waiting ipr the stream. .'wpl-
i'u oy recent rains, t. r-rtde to f1,iing
some Oi the Officers Of the dill
Ierent commands were practising or train
in- their horses Ia jump over u pole spiked
la tWp r.n" tr"t5. AMplg the btS' jumpers
wct" hree or four inluortel Irish foX-huut-
'r- brought over BY some uohby Ner Yprl.
captains. rhc-o had easily distaucad any
p the native stucs euiy Ia the trial, amt
Zoe competition had nurruwrd down t.
themselves. The pole bad Le,.u knocked
town and nailed higher time aft,r i'nir
iutH n had reached. bltahnrck hritiit in .
Ae eyes oi an ordinary Hoi>'ulan. ~ last
& remained fixed with only one horse g.
,iw-b"uyd, ious-Hr'heG. stockiug-lrs-,d.
iHHs-iah"d. 't1i"aF ~,rfai; r.dd0u by .. :
lfie, virv matur pl the same r4uu'ali.r
3 n", ai,rr his sucr. --iul vault SHOOK t..
irFr us token pl defiance. iu tar li,.. pf
Ae officers present. jus! at this Time Com
%. th"n Il ienfrHpnt, aud Ills hruth0r. !
tIl. HHacl uf .'r, who ra~ kiiiri dry
D. two aiterNa .le. came ou tine ground q
.ud LIEUT.. tou-.i took in the situation nt G
NEE. Ia reply 20 the majors chail-nsc hr ,
uid he had hlisc that could leau higher
han that, and he told Che erc.imrntnlbltrk- :
mith to knoeo Che pole down and rai-. IL
oar Ithf, higher. ar the same tiue turning