The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-09

IS by no means unknown to the press. as
AT various times during the past twenty
Year, she has been written I'D.
ifere is her history:
Martha Il. Stiles for such was her cor
rect name was born i'm Amherst. y. H..
In 1873. Not much Is known OF her early
ne up 10 the time that she turned I'd in
'ahtornia after the war Her own version
OF It was that in is62. at the age Of four
teen, she enlisted In the Twenty-seventh
MASSACHUSETTS, Volunteers as a drummer
boy, and served as such until the Battle
or Lookout Mountain. In November. lss3.
when she was wounded and her sex was
discovered. She says that she enlisted
under the name Of Homer Woodwork
Now, this story looks pretty on paper.
and 1t sounded still pretter when given
out ffom the lips Of the charming Tex
drummer boy"
But. unfortunately. there were some
sisht discrepancies in Il. which she had
forgotten 10 provide for.
In the first place. no such drummer
boy as Homer Woodwork" ever enlisted
IN the Twcnty-seventh Massachusetts.
Secondly. the Twenty-seventh Massa-
chusetts volunteers never participated In
the battle OF Lookout Mountain. And,
lastly. had such a romantic incident as
this occurred in Massachusetts, regl-
ment IL would certainly have gotten
into history. but the actual facts are
that the annals of the regiment record
no sIch incident.
Otherwise, the story is correct.
But the fair Kate (she calls herself
Kate now-her haptsmal name OF Martha
didn't strike her fancy told her little
story wherever she went. and she got
pretty good living out OF that particular
story. too.
she made specially Of working g.
a. r. posts, and would deliver lectures
before them Of her hair-raising expe-
riences during the war, and the veterans
would go down into their pockets and con-
tribute literally to her support.
4 man named Clayton is supposed 10
have undergone the risk OF marriase
| with her about this time-at least she
saws he did. and reckOns in the name OK
! CLAYTON. among her other aliases and stu
the lectures went on, and the drummer
how Of Lookout Mountain again and
! again related his (her narrowing ad-
ventures to the sympathizins veterans OF
the war.
The Colonel.
IL was under this name that HOVE
| r-oned and won her. and in him she fouhu
q man after her own heart for he JONI
ed in her &. \. r.. lectures with great en-
| thusiasm. She seemed 10 have excited MS
! Imagination to such an extent that ne az
sumed the title Of colonel" and there
after. as a sort OF a side-show 10 hei
recountal of imaginary adventures ne
would relate his wonderful experiences
while he commanded the torty-ioui u
Massachusetts Volunteers.
When the lecture business was dun
nd -
this city I'm 1850 iu Mode skas company
but this was too slow 10 suit their enter
prising natures and they soon went back
10 their former scene of action. While sh'
would work" the O.. \. r. posts th'
dignined colonel" would employ hinsei
i'm enGeaVOring to negotiate temporary
loans from aii the Harvard graduate'
whom he could locate, and great credi
is due him for his shining success IN Ms
chosen sphere.
But this sort Of a thing could not 70
on forever. and the efforts Of me enter
prising Kate and the gallant "Colonei
received a sudden setback when, IN 80
a doubting q. A. II. man in Michigan
commenced to investigate the claims o
both. ana found out that there had beer
no sucll person In the Twenty-seventf
AIassac husetts as Homer WoodWorth.'
and that the records OF the FOrty-tourtf
Massachusetts, showed the name o.
Private +. r. Howe on the muster rol
of Company f., but the colonel Of tha
regiment during us time Of service was
Francis Lee Of Newton.
AS the result Of these Investigate ons was
widely circulated by the gentleman fro"
Michigan. the fair Kate and her sallan
husband. the Colonel We're forced Il
suspend operations on the @. \. X. IN
dustrv. ana henceforward confined them
selves 10 touching Harvard graduate
and beating hotel-keepers.
In this particular line they met VIII
great success. though occasionally som
Of their victims would "squirm' ant
render things unpleasant for them for
time. They were arrested several times
but always managed some way or anothe
to get released.
But the willy "Ned' worked just on
too many Harvard men i'm the person o
a Mr.. j. c. Bartlett. Of Chicago VINO o
December 7th extended the hospitaiit
OF the COOK county jail 10 the descendant
of an the Howes. who langulshes Their
~ presen, I'm DURANGO vile.
! The next move Of his wife. the fal
Kate Clayton Howe, is awaited with III
, / terest.