The Portland daily press., 1895-07-06
THIS is KYD DOUGLASS.
He Is Much of a Man and Was a Good
Soldier.

VI d war lime hide which Is Here
Chronicled in Detail.-One Hundred
and Three Miles Between Five O'clock
and Sunrise Through Rain and Over
Black, Muddy Roads.
There has been more OF less gossip in
the upper circles and in the newspapers
about an engagement of !. marriage be-
tween Mrs. Nellie Grant Sartoris and
Gen. Henry Kyd Douglas Neither party
has considered it necessary to admit or
deny the tattle. 1t may be so, and it may
not. But the American people are loyalty
devoted to the daughter Of the man who
| fought the war to finish, and accepted
| the surrender of the South's idol-Lee.
Ii Mrs Sartoris is going to marry the
American people want. to know all about
the man. They already know all about
the woman.
If Gen. Henry Kyd Douglas is the man,
the Sunday Chicago Tribune herewith
not generally known:
| Imagine a man who is tall and slender,
and as straight as church spire A man
whom women would call handsome If
the reader ever saw jefferson Davis he
or she may form some conception of the
facial appearance of the man who is re-
ported to have paid court to the daughter
of the hero of Appamattox. Women may
be interested to know that Gen Douglas
If of f1orid type. He is lawyer by pro-
fession, and a sign to that effect swings
from rod which projects from a door
way in the old town Of Hagerstown, Md
| When the flower of Virginia fell into
fight for the cause, young Douglas, about
IS years old, enlisted, and was quickly
made Second Lieutenant in Company B,
Second Virginia Infantry. In March,
| 1862, "Stonewan'' Jackson was at Mount
jackson, in the Valley of Virginia He
had already come to be looked upon by
the enemy as a meteroric warrior. This
was just before The had whipped Banks
and two others in detail. He was con-
| fronted with a danger no6 altogether dis
| similar from that which caused the Iron
Duke to mop his brow and look at his
| watch on Waterloo field That is to say,
sStonewalI' jackson, to win, must have
achievements. Ewell afterwards of
fame in the cause, was encamped at
Brandy Station. The distance between
jackson and Ewell was 1O3 miles. Ewell
was higher to Jackson than any one else.
Hence jackson summoned him to come to
his aid. There was no railroad, no tele-
graph facilities, and no mail. If there
had been the latter it would not have
been utilized, for Generals do not send
orders by post in time of war. The road
lay on ground that, was rough and wind
ing.
Young Douglas was selected as courier
Jackson impaired to him the nature of
the message he was to convey. He also
said to the courier that Ewell must re-
ceive the message by the following morn
ing. 1t was 8 o'clock in the afternoon
when Douglas put his feet in the stirrups
and turned his horses head in the direc-
tion of Brandy Station. OF course there
were courier's stations for relays of horses.
In making the journey the courier rode
five horses. 1t will be of interest to horse
men, and military men in particular, to
know the clog of this fearless young
man. The first horse was a blooded mare.
which carried him thirty-five miles. The
second horse carried him twelve miles.
The third horse fell dead at the finish of
twelve miles. The fourth horse was OBJ
tanned at Virginia City, and the fifth was
| furnished by one of Gen. Dick Talyor's
staff officers at Culpepper Court House
The ride of that night was one never to
be forgotten by the man who made it. 1t
was black over and all around, and the
rain fell in sluices. The road was either
| thick with rolling stones or knee deep in
mud. The horses either stumbled or
stuck. The circultous route lay around
Massanutta Mountain and through the
1t led through Mount jackson, New
market, Harrisburg, Stannardsville, Or
ange Court House, Virginia City, Gull
pepper Court House, and on to Brandy
Station A courier in war times has no
moments to spare at taverns, houses, or
stations. Douglas had no refreshments
save bottle of whisky, and, having taken
one pull at that, he found the article was
so mean that he gave the remainder away
to the first one he met.
1t was about sunrise when he pulled his
foam covered horse to whoa in front
of the quarters of Ewell. The old soldier
was always an early riser. He was up
and out when the courier from Stonewall
jackson saluted him and delivered his
message. Ewell asked Douglass when he
left Jackson's headquarters. Hearing the
answer the blunt old soldier, but still
mindful of his bringing up, said "If it
were not that you look like gentleman,
sir, 1 would say you are ALTAR, sir -
The courier, faint from exhaustion and
soaked with rain to his skin, fell uncon-
scious He was soon restored and, receiy-
ing Ewell's answer, Douglas started on
his return to Jackson's headquarters. He
made the return ride in two days and one
night He found jackson standing in
front of his quarters at dusk Doulgas
gave the necessary salute and in few
words reported Ewell's message Jack
&C A II rio ;ccl,4 7