Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08

writtsn for the The Eveaine Btar.
MI CORRESPONDENCE HAS BEEN
XSA neglected for thu hast two weeks ind in
giving it the attention it merits my cmtribu-
ton this week will be an ola podrida, but in
teresting, hope. Mr.. Hawkins Taylor sends
me some most interesting matter concerning
the early history of Iowa He says I made the
mistake in speaking Of my old friend George
W. Jones Of Iowa, one Of the seconds of the
Cilly duel - from Nebraska. Strange mistake,
indeed. Ton ZONES of Iowa was a. familiar as
household word with me for many years. He
was at that time Qsss) delegate from Michi-
gan. entering Congress in 1885, and came into
Congress as Senator on the admission
OF Iowa as q state. An incident
in his career I find in Lanman's Congressional
Dictionary. On his return from New Granada
in 1861, where he was sent as minister, he was
arrested for disloyalty and imprisoned in Fort
Warren. where he had distinguished compan-
ionship. Mr.. Taylor could not have read my
articles very attentvely, for he suys it WINS
strange / left out the name of that eminent
Senator OGrimes) when speaking of the repub-
hcan defenders of President johnson from i'm
parchment lspoke in q previous article par
ticularly Of his efforts to restrain the more
radical members nj his party and told If an
block Of the Arlington now between Senator
Grimes and the President. Mr. Re~erdy
johnson had told me that Dir. Grimes
wanted some assurance that If acquitted Mr.
johnson would not take revenge on his per-
secutors. and on consultation with Mr. Wallace
Worden. then one of the private secretaries Of
the President, 1t Was arranged that senator
Grimes should meet Mr. johnson and satisfy
hiseif as to the future disposition of the Pres
ident. We---Mr. Rcverdy johnson, MIR. Wor-
I'll - l.
assurance from our knowledge of Mr.. John
sons disposition. but it was determined to give
Mr.. Grimes the personal assurance of the Pres
ident. / invited Mr.. Grimes to supper with
Mr.. Reverdy johnson, the President and Mr..
Worden, and after supper we Withdrew and
left the President and MIR. Grimes together.
The interview lasted probably an hour What
TRANSFERRED no one knew but Mr.. Grimes voted
for acquittal.
Mr.. Taylor mys "Senator Grimes did more
effective work than all the other republican
Senators that supported johnson. He scarcely
slept for a week before the final vote"
l was commissioned by Mr.. johnson to con-
vey to Mr. Grimes q letter of tharks, rendering
him any service he could render. do not
think they ever met after that night at my
house. / knew Mr.. Grimes long before he be-
came Senator as the counsel OF Messrs. GALES
x Seaton in some property they owned in Bur-
lington, Iowa, and learned from their Rppre-
cistion OF him what q sterling character he was.
ABOUT JOHN G. RIvBs.
Mr.. Taylor says John c. Rfves came to
Washington from Shawneetown, Illinois. He
was for many years cashier Of the old Shawnee
town Bank owned by John Marshall. Scotch
man and the uncle Of Judge Samuel s. Mar
shall, who for many years most ably represented
his district in Congress. Mr.. Taylor says:
''The bank one of honesty, never sus-
pending specie payment in the panics Of 1897
and 1857. cave in a rock on the Ohio river a
short distance from Shawneetown was for years
thieves and law breakers and they got so strong
that they elected their friends to the county
offices. The good people of the county organ
lied company of regulators and my brother-in-
law, DIR. Gilmer and John c. Riyes We're mem
bers of it and Rives WAS made captain, and after
fight with the thieves they drove
them from the country. DR.. Gilmer and John
c. Rives ccrresIonded after Mr. Rives came to
Washington, and he said Rlves was the best Off
hand shot he ever saw Gen. jackson was in
the habit of joining Rives in target shooting
and Old Hickory made the best shots.
The President learned of Mr. Rives' capacity
of bookkeeping and just at that time the city
finances were badly tangled and the President
got the mayor tc employ Rives to straighten
them out, and that led up to his being associated
This l heard from DIR. Gilmer. Rives origi-
nally came from Kentucky"
THE FIRST W. L. l. PARADE.
The article on the Baltimore encampment
has resuscitated some OF 1.-THE old guard who
spent that week of bad weather in Baltimore
Capt. Asbury Tucker and John Fl. Thompson
of the Treasury Department are sole survivors
of the Washington Light Infantry. which made
its first parade ON the 18th of September. 1886.
Capt John A Blake commanding. After the
retirement of Capt. Blake, Richard France was
elected captain. Sergeant John L. Given gave
me an interesting incident in which the Infan-
try had a touch OF real warfare at the encamp-
ment. Baltimore earned the name of
mob town at very early period
of its existence. Before the war Of 1912
some printing Offices were sacked and burned
and in 1885 the houses of Reverdy johnson and
John Glenn and Mr.. Morris. directors of the
Bank of Maryland, were torn down after being
sacked. There was u fearful element there,
the rival fire companies supplying the material.
While the Washington Light Infantry were per-
forming guard duty, Lieut.. Nat Hammond, be-
ing officer of the dag, and Sergt. John I. Given
sergeant of the guard. several hundred roughs
tried to force the guard. At that moment Gen.
Stewart, commanding the encampment, came
up with his staff and ordered the guard to re-
pulse the attack and led them, cutting and
slashing into the crowd and taking several
prisoners who were placed in the & uard tent.
The crowd dispersed, but with threats
OF returning that night and attacking
| the camp. The guard was doubled and ball
| cartridge served, but they did not come. A
law had passed the legislature of Maryland
| making it serious misdemeanor to interfere
with the military, and the ext morning the prls-
oners were tried by court-martial, but Col
| France, in the kindness OF his heart, managed
| to be absent and they escaped with a repri.
| mand and as they left the camp, followed by
| jeers and shouts, a more detected looking CROWD
was never seen. When the encampment broke
| up the same element followed the Washington
Light Infantry to the depot, threatening them.
MEXICAN WAR STORY
I met another of the veterans Of that en-
campment, Mr.. William Fl. Nalley, who was Sc
inspired with military ardor that he went t.
the Mexican war as a sergeant in Capt. William
H. Digges' company. This regiment was raised
he said, by the late Col Charles Lee Jones, bu
| for some reason the command was given to Col
George W. Hughes OF the engineer corps
The other companies forming this regi
ment we're commanded by Capt. Nee
Barry. Dan Drake Henry, "Mg Bill
| o. Brien, Capt Edw. Branch Robinson
NV old friend Capt Gus Kopfer, was firs
lieutenant Of the company commanded by DaI
Drake Henry, who for some reason returned
and Capt. Klopfer took command Of the com
pany The regiment landed ut Vera Cruz. An
other regiment of Washingtonisns were with
Watson's command Maryland troops, an,
with Gems. Worth and Taylor. Sergt. Nalle,
related an incident for which Col. Hughes wa
subsequently sued before our court A maj
named Jim Davis, from Gergetown, wa