Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-20
ALL TATTERED AND TORN.

Have Been One OF the Famous six
Hundred Who catered tn. Jaws Of
Death.
There was an old msu on the streets OF
Peoria during the past few days. wearing
a tat.ered blue suit of clothes and an
antique military air, who is a curiosity,
says the Transcript. He is either the
possessor of q most remarkable personal
history. or is the graEf est single.haaGed
liar that ever wagged tongne within the
walls of a city. At any rate he is a
curiosity. He was engaged in the most
elevating past-time of begging during his
stay here, and claimed that he was trying
to work his way to Quincy, near which
place his eldest daughter resided on s
farm. The Individual gave his name as
Nixon McDermott. and his place of resi-
deuce as anywhere he happened TO sinke
at sun down. The old man spoke with
a decidedly Celtic accent. and made 10
attempt 10 deny his Irish lineage. Ac,
cordiug to his own story he WAS for
% years a soldier of tho English
army, and at the present time is in
receipt of the princely pension If 81 %.
1t if moi known whether or not il took n
special act of parliament to secure tnis
amount, but h. receives it 4, GGy tate.
During the time he wore the scarlet coat
of Her Most Gracious Majesty re has
fought, bled snd died in all quarters OF
the globe nui among sli kinds Of people.
The one period OF incident il his career
of which lac is more proud than any
other. is bis p rticipstion in the famous
charge at Bslsklava during the Crimean
war. According to his story he went TO
the Crimea as foot soldier, but gained
transfer to the light horse, and was
placed in Lord Harrington's command of
GOO English and Irishmen. He haj been
in the command less than week when
the fsr-famed dash was made by that
brigade. 600 men attacking &c. coo Rus
SLAMS. Every school boy and every
school girl Is familiar with Tenuyson's
poem, The Charge Of the Light Brig
sde," and had the p nicely poet of Great
Britain written nothing else. that poem
alone won'4 have made him farr""s
During the period OF his service in The
Crimes McDermott claims 10 have par
ticipa;ed il the assaults On the Ro6au
the Malskoff. Inkermsn ard Balsklevs.
He saw the Fence drive tue Russians out
of the Ms'skoff end participeted ir many
frishtful scenes OF ca-nsge. The old MN
was asked why be did not remain in Z lg-
land and enjoy the distinction which it
was thought he would no doubt command.
Ills eyes grew dim and MS voice NJ K; %
he answered that out of 50 survivors of
that famous charge. who are now residing
in England, A. of them are in
mates of slmshouses The hard hearted
brutality of the English government to.
wards her soldiers is well known but it
was hardly thought that it was eyer csr-
ried that far. The poor old man said
that if he ever reached his daughter he
would be furnished with a shelter and
proper care in declining years.
McDermott's story. although it admits
of great doubt. is'by no means an impos-
sible one. 1t is well known that many
survivors of that awful dash still live. 1t
is only few years since Miguel Vonie
died at his home near st. Joseph's church
in Burlington. The old man bad history
more remarkable snd many yeas ol3er
than this mans. Old Vonie was SOL
dier under Napoleon and followed the ,ri>
color of France and the great general over
the burning sands of Egypt. through
sunny Italy and upon the frosty. snow
covered plains of Russia. He was at
Lodi. Marengo. Austerlitz. Leipsic and
Waterloo. and only left France when the
idol of his heart. the great Napoleon,
bresthed his last at the barren rock of st.
Helena.