Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-05-14
GEMS. HALLeck AND cuLLuM.
A Romance in the Lives of Those Distin.
gulshed Army Ofhcers.

A Romance in the Lives of Those Distin.
guished Army OfIicers.
Somewhere about the year 1886 there
were two cadets at West Point who, In
a way which was to again emphasize
the axiom that truth is stranger than
fiction. were even in their young man
hood making history. II 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 a beautiful sequel 10 three hon.
Orable and useful characters.
The persons who figured conspicuous
ly in this romance were Gen. Henry
Wager Halleclx. Gen. George w. Cullum.
and a Miss Hamilton. OF Halleck's boy
hood it is known that it began with
struggle, followed by manful contest
for the achievement Of great career.
General Cullum's early life was not I'M
like that Of his brother officer, and the
military achievements of his later years
were scarcely less brilliant than those
of the honored IIalleck. Miss Hamil-
ton was a 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 large sum Of money toward the
ending Of the cancer hospital in this
city.
While l1alleck 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 devotedly 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
a beautiful woman There are instances
in plenty of martyrdom for love in fc-
ton; but in plain fact. with authentic
record to sustain it, such occurrences
are as rare as original masterpieces of
art in dime museums.
Halleck and Cullum il they did not
actually quarrel and there is no record
obtainable that they ever proposed to
settle their love affair by resort tosthe
code gradually became estranged.
Both were equally loyal and devoted to
Miss Hamilton, and upon her devolved,
whether by mutual consent or other
wise is not 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
Hallect's life, from the time of his
promotion To a captaincy and his assoei-
alton as secretary of the then new state
of California under Mason and Riley. is
generally familiar OF his domestic
life little is known beyond that 1t must
have been happy Had it been other
wise the story would have cropped up
long ago. There never yet was closet
tight enough To conceal a 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 a lawyer
soldier and author SO occupied his mind
that he forgot his former comrade al
West Point
Indeed, he seems To have kept him
well in mind. and his confidence ap
pears to have increased in the integrity
and manliness of his fellow-cadet al
time went on and hair grew sparse auo
tell-tale wrinkles came to mark III,
flight of years. At all events, Their,
came time when these two comraae
were e be brought again together an,
TO renew the old friendship which eyei
the enlargement caused by youthful
rivalry IN love could not break
With the progress of the rebellion-
very early in il, in fact Gen. Halleel
was promoted. step by step both be
cause of meritorious services and tn
inter eSsion OF Winfield Scott the
standing ON the brink of the grave, bu
still the commander in-e}ief Of Ri
union forces until he reached the grad
Of major general 1t was now that h