Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-04-11
GEMS. HALLEcK AND CULLuM
A Romance in the Lives of Those Distin-
guislled Army Officers.

guished Army Officers.
Somewhere about the year 1886 there
were two cadets at West Point who, in
way which was to again emphasize
the axiom that truth is stranger than
fiction, were even in their young man.
hood making history. 1t was not to be
a cold, prosaic, date-upon-date record of
events, but strikingly interesting ro-
nance, with incidents of love, disap-
pointment, marriage, death, and heart
burnings running through it, ending at
last in beautiful sequel to three hon
orable and useful characters.
The persons who figured conspicuous
ly in this romance were Gen. Henry
Wager Halleck, Gen. George w. Cullum,
and Miss Hamilton. OF Halleck's boy
hood it is known that it began with a
struggle, followed by manful contest
for the achievement of great career.
General Cullum's early life was not un-
like that of his brother officer, and the
military achievements of his later years
were scarcely less brilliant than those
of the honored Halleck. Miss Hamil-
ton was descendant of Alexander
Hamilton, the great federalist, and add
ed to the beauty and harmony of pure
domestic life the testimonial of intel
lectual and generous charity by donat-
ing a large sum of money toward the
founding of the cancer hospital in this
| city.
While Halleck and Cullum were busy
with their studies and warm in their
friendships for each other at West Point,
they discovered one day that they were
both dcvotedly in love with the same
young woman. She was the Miss Ham
ilton just referred to. Even the strong
est friendship of man has rarely been
able to Withstand the strain of love for
beautiful woman. There are instances
in plenty of martyrdom for love in fic-
ton; but in plain fact, with authentic
record to sustain it, such occurrences
are as rare az original masterpieces of
art in dime museums.
Halleck and Cullum, if they did not
actually quarrcl-and there is no record
obtainable that they ever proposed to
settle their love affair by resort to the
code-gradually became estranged.
Both were equally loyal ard devoted to
Miss Hamilton, and upon her devolved,
whether by mutual consent or other
wise is hot material, the duty of making
a choice between her gallant admirers,
or dismissing them both. She chose
Halleck, and the two young men, hav-
ing previously graduated with honors,
drifted apart.
Hallecl1's life, from the time of his
promotion to captaincy and his associ
alton as secretary of the then new state
r ~. Z.
generally familiar. OF his domestic
life little is known beyond that it musl
have been happy. Had it been other
wise the story would have cropped ur
long ago. There never yet was closet
tight enough to conceal domestic
skeleton in the homes of prominent
people. AS the years multiplied neither
Gen. Halleck's home life nor the activ
ity of the life which he had as lawyer
soldier and author SO occupied his mint
that he forgot his former comrade a
West Point.
Indeed, he seems to have kept hin
we'll in mind, and his confidence ap
pears to have increased in the integ,it,
and manliness of his fellow-cadet a
time went on and hair grew sparse mt
tell-tale wrinkles came to mark tn
fight of years. At all events, ther
came a time when these two comrade
were to be brought again together an,
to renew the old friendship which evel
the estrapgement caused by youthful
rivalry in love could not break.
With the progress of the rebellion
very early in it, in fact-Gen. Hallecl
was promoted, step by step, both be
cause of meritorious services and tn
intei ccssion of Winfield Scott, the
standing on the brink of the grave, bu
still the commander-in-chief of tn
union forces, until he reached the grad
OF major-general It'was now that h