The Portland daily press., 1892-09-07

| Fourth Arkansas Cavalry. am at loss to
account for this great blunder on the part
of the Colonel He had been so artistic up to
date that he should have been better pre-
pared. He made tremendous blunder of
giving the former rank and position of a
gentleman then living. The bureau had in
its possession the correct roster of the
Fourth Arkansas Regiment. Even then
this cruel fact might not have been pushed
too sharply against the Colonel if it had not
been for an incident which occurred the
following day after the roster was ex-
amined.
The occasion was fashionable wedding
in ST. Johns Church, in Washington. tt
was at the wedding of an officer of the
army. Gen. Sherman, out of compliment
to the bridegroom, was present with his
staff among the invited guests. They all
came in full uniform. The Colonel also
came in his uniform and marched to the
part of the church where Gen. Sherman
and his staff were placed, and took his po-
sition so near them as to carry the idea
that he-was one of Gen. Sherman's mill.
tary family. This was too much for Col.
Bacon. He even spoke to the Colonel
about it at the wedding and said:
"Where the devil did you get that uni
form, and by what authority are you
rugged out as toy soldier" The Colonel
to this made no answer and, Of course,
there was no occasion for any extended
conversation on the subject.
The next day Col. Bacon reported the
facts concerning the roster of the Fourth
Arkansas to Gen. Sherman and called
upon the latter to take action. 1t was not
charged that the Ccionel was swindler in
the sense that he was abusing his position
to make money out of anybody. 1t was
simply shown that he was not what he
claimed to he, and that man capable of
SO thorough a lie upon SO vital question
Us ais identity was not fit to be trusted in
responsible position in the War Depart
ment. The facts were laid before the
President with such strong recommen-
dation by Gen. Sherman that the Presi-
dent could not do less than approve his
dismissal The Colonel was asked to re-
sign his clerical position. This he did
with great csgret, as it was the first and
only time when he had ever occupied
real position in the world. The Adjutant-
General Of the army stood by him to the
last, and permitted him to resign only
after fierce protest which did great credit
to the amiable old gentleman's heart.
The Colonel's career from then on was
downward; for some time, upon the credit
of his former position, he was able to Dor.
row money, although he could not obtain
any regular position any where.
From then on the Colonel appeared to
lose heart. His diplomatic friends all cut
his acquaintance and the army officers OF
Washington laughed when he appeared.
He eked out a precarious living by
writing obscure paragraphs for one of the
Sunday newspapers of Washington, but
he was absolutely without friends and
alone. In the latter days he was really
an object Of pity. His natural qualifcar
tions were ell good.
He really died after he was dismissed
from the War Depa rtment. It is only his
ghost which has walked the streets Of
Washington since. He is now gray, pal
lid and thin; he lives in the humblest
quarters; no one ever speaks to him and
he never dreams of looking at any one
seek recognition. T. 9. CRAWFORD.