The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-27
BREAKING UP A DANCE.
A Sequel TO Woundlng Capt. Arnold and Capturing
nr

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of May % find an article from the pom of Nc
eager Iakey, Co. L, 18th Ill. Cav, headed
breaking Up a Dance" Referring to my
copies Of official reports ] find that we left
Pine Bluff on the 10th of January, 1866, and
returned on the Gath, being nearly six days
out. His version of the affair is substantially
correct, SO far as it goes, but its publication
calls to my mind a little romance connected
Herewith, which / presume has escaped the
comrades memory. t
The name of the wounded rebel Captain was
Arnold, fine.looking fellow, and presume a
gallant soldier, and no ought to have been
| fighting in better cause. But be that as it
| may he was badly wounded having an arm
broken and his scalp split from the front to the
| rear of his Uranium by pistol-shot. We
| caught in our trap that night not only Major,
| n Captain and various JOhDnies of lesser grade,
but doctor. Not the proverbal Arkansaw
doctor of pioneer times, but a regular high
toned knight of the pill-bags by the name Of
| well, we will call him g., as that is truly the
| first letter of his name..
Col. James b. was the owner Of the planta-
| tion and house where we had our prisoners
under guard The Colonel had q very beauti-
full and accomplished wife. The Colonel, by
| force of circumstances, was forced" to be
much away from her.
DR. S. was q great admirer of the ColonePs
WIG, III ERCG, no duEulTeu zoo MUCH, anu US-
| ing handsome man, of courtly manners and fine
address, the admiration was mutual, as after
wards learned, and as the sequel proved. How.
ever, knew nothing of this then, and as Capt
| Arnold was badly wounded, conceived 10 no
more than an act Of humanity to parole the
Captain and also DIR. S., to care for him and
dress bis wounds which he promised me faith.
| fully he would call each day and do.
| Now, IL seems that Col. b., not a little suspi-
cious that all was not right between the chiv-
alric Doctor and the Angel Of his household
had, not long before, notified tho "piily knight
| that his unlimited and indefinite absence from
| his (the Colonel's) house aud premises, would
to him (the Colonel) be more than agreeable
and perhaps prevent disastrous consequences
But the faithful man of medicine thinking
| | suppose, that he was acting under military
orders was faithful to his trust, and visited
his patient regularly, not only once, but sew
eral times each day, uninterruptedly, so Ions
as Col. b. remained away from home. But tn,
jealous Colonel came in unheralded from his
hiding-place in the swamps, one fine morning
four or five days after our departure Hardly
had he bid his fair, frail companion good morn
ing, and taken In the situation, ere he cast hi
eye down the walk toward the front gate, blu
TO behold the hated "saw-boncs" leisurely and
as he supposed, with lnstful intent, vending
his way TO the portals of his lordly mansion
And Col. b. being man of fiery passion ant
uncomfortable temper, seized his murderou
shotgun, and without word OF warning of an,
kind, emptied the contents of both barrels int
the brain Of the inconsiderate, unwise and I'M
fortunate Doctor, literally shooting the top o
his head off, thus destroying the destroyer o
his domestic peace and happiness and the rob
Der of his beautiful wife's virtue. Col b. i'm
modiately fed from the neighborhood anS
came into the Federal lines, hunted me mp ant
related TO me all the circumstances. II was 81
unfortunate affair and could not blame him
but it ended such thugs generally do. Be
fore civil law was established, Col. Is. and hi
wife separated, she going TO her relatives IL
Tennessee who rank among the most aristo
cratic Of the old families of that State. III
died shortly after borne down with misery ant
remorse. Capt Arnold got we'll and went d
his home somewhere in the South, canno
now tell where Maj, Peoples / found to be
heightened gentleman. He Is now praetcin
physician In the same locality where tho abov
occurred. GUERNSEY w. DAVIS, late Major
18th Ill. Cav.