Wichita eagle., 1889-05-12
DEATH OF GEN. HARVEY.
The Old Indian Fighter Dies in Florida
ReView of His Life.
.ha c,obe nomocr.t Nov m

From the Globe Democrat, May 10.
Dispatches received in ST. Louis yester-
day about noon announced that General
William Selby Harvey (retired) of the
United States army, died at Orlando, Fla,
yesterday morning. General Harvey was
resident of ST Louis from an early period
in the war of the rebellion until within
about two years, when failing health in
duced him to make residence in Florida.
He liked to say that he was born with the
century, and some records place his birth
in 1900, but the Official military record
names Louisiana as the place Of his birth,
and August 1898, as the date. At IS he
was in the army with an elder
brother who was surgeon, and February,
1918, he was commissioned second lieu
tenant and assigned to the lst infantry.
Eleven months lat r he was elevated to
first heutenancy and was commissioned
captain in 1925 for gallant and meritorious
service in the Black Hawk war He was
made lieutenant colonel of dragons in
1886 for gallant conduct at Carloosahatchle,
in the edge Of the Everglades, whittier he
had been sent to arrange treaty with the
Indians, whom the United States de-
SPARED OF driving from their swampy
stronghold, and whom the government
wanted to send to the Indian Territory.
While engaged ON a diplomatic mission of
this sort with only half a dozen soldiers,
including one sergeant as escort, Col
onel Harvey had a narrow escape
from massacre The Indians fell on
his little camp unexpectedly at night,
killed all the private soldiers as they slept
and severely wounded the sergeant, who,
however crawled into the brush and es-
capped. Colonel Harvey, awakened from
sleep, and realizing the futility of resist
ing, crawled out of his tent, waded into
~ Ill 11,r, IoS% DC horh np
up to his neck and so escaped instant
death. However, he came near death by
starvation while threading his way
through the wilderness returning to his
command.
He achieved lasting renown and was
promoted brevet brigadier general for gal
liant and merltorious service at the battle
of Cerro Gordo, where he served under
Jeff Davis, by whom he was regarded with
great favor.
Just before the war of the rebellion
broke out Gen, Harvey was in command
of the federal troops in st. Louis, and was
sent to Fort Scott, Kan, in 1860 to stop the
invasion and the bloodshed that was then
being enacted across the Missourl-Kansas
border. There he met with Gen. d. NJ.
Frost, of this city, who was in command
of the Missouri militia, and whose efforts
We're directed toward the prevention of
civil war. The two commanders arranged
peace between the antagonistic Kansas
jayhawkers and Missourians Oh the Dor
der, and were close friends, though politi-
cal differences existed between them te the
day of Gen. Harney's death.
General Frost believes that had not
General Harvey been called to Washington
just before the capture Of Camp jackson,
that tragedy would not have been enacted.
However, the pacific attitude of General
Harvey toward the people of secession ten
denotes gave rise to a belief in the mind of
Secretary Stanton that Harvey was not a
proper person to command federal troops,
and after brief service as military peace
maker on the MiSsouri-kanSas border, he
was placed on the retired list with the
rank of brigadier general, and pay $1,000
year.
In 1882, after the Black Hawk war, Cap
tain Harvey became acquainted with Miss
Mary, daughter of John Mullanphy, of
st. Louis. They were married in 1883,
the bride bringing her husband a large
estate. Three children, one son and two
daughters were born to this union. A
separation afterwards occurred between
Harvey and his wife, and the latter re-
moved to France. One of the daughters
Count du Noue. The former is now dead,
but the latter the Countess de Noue.
is now living in Italy. The son, John
Harvey, lives in San Diego, Cal. The
first Mrs. Harvey died in 1864. From that
time until three or four years ago General
Harvey remained widOwer, residing in
St Louis. He was, however, quite feeble,
and was provided with nurse, a widow,
Mrs St. Cyr. whose husband, Captain ST.
Cyr, had served with General Harvey in
the Mexican war. The Harvey family as
well as General Harvey became very
greatly attached to Mrs st. Cyr because
of her assiduous devotion to the
general, but no one fOresaw the mat
union that was afterward
effected by the widower and widow. The
ceremony was unexpectedly performed at
the cathedral without the knowledge or
consent Of the second generation, and was
the cause of mnch ill-feeling and some
property litigation. 1t is said that General
Harney's memory has for several years
been very defective, that at times ne for
got that he had married Mrs; ST. Cyr, and
that he often referred to her as his nurse,
Mrs. st. Cyr.