Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-02-19
4 FUNNY INCIDENT.
A FRAGMENT OF HISTORY THAT is
FULL OF HUMoR.

Colonel Horn's Letter to General Logar
Explaining an Attack on Grant : Shan
non, Els Associate, Was an Ambitious
Fried Chicken Later.
Mrs. John a. Logan once gave to g
newspaper reporter in this city letter
from q southern editor that created 4
lot OF talk. 1t was Immediately after
the death of General Grant. The re-
porter had gone to the Logan residence
to interview the general about some
matter then before congress. The gen.
cral was i'll bed, and tho reporter was
shown to his room. In the course of the
evening Mrs. Logan entered the bed.
chamber and took part i'll the converse.
ton. In her hand she held letter, the
contents of which her husband knew
about She wanted to give it to the 70.
porter, but the general objected. But
as tho newspaper man started to leave
Mrs Logan slipped the envelope into
his hand. The next morning nearly
every newspaper i'll the country printed
copy of it, 1t was raro and racy
document.
Colonel Alexander G. Horn of Meridi.
an, Miss. then tho editor Of The Daily
Mercury, was its author. The letter
was intended as an explanation OF an
editorial that had appeared few weeks
before in The Mercury. Colonel Horn
and J. ]. Shannon were associates IN
the publication of the aforesaid journal.
On the morning following the death OF
the hero of Appomattox The Mercury
contained one of the most cruel articles
about General Grant ever printed by a
press. 1t dared any true southerner to
grieve or show signs Of sorrow over his
demise. 1t called upon the people Of
Dixie land to exult and rejoice at the
death of tho man who had slain their
sons and burned their homes. The peo-
pie of Meridian were astounded. They
went to the editor, Colonel Horn, and
asked him. in the name Of peace, to
write another article withdrawing it.
He was obdurate and instead of doing
as his neighbors wished dictated anoth-
er one equally as fierce as the first.
At that moment the name of Colonel
Shannon was before the senate awaiting
confirmation as postmaster at Meridian.
An enemy Of his, knowing the love that
General Logan had for General Grant,
inclosed copies of the paper TO him, en-
pecting that Logan would oppose Shan
mons nomination. Shannon and Horn
had dispute over the editorial, and
their relations became so strained that
a street duel was only averted by the
interference of mutual friends. Colonel
Horns letter to General Logan was to
the effect that Colonel Shannon was in
nocent of the article and had known
nothing about it until he saw it in the
paper. I cannot quote tho letter with
literal eXactness, but a part OF 1t was as
follows:
"No; Shannon had nothing to dc
with it. In the first place he hash t
sense enough to conceive such senti-
ment as was expressed in the editorial
and if no had he would be too cowardly
TO write it. He is my partner, am sor-
~ to say, but by making him postmaster
you will afford me the opportunity OF
getting rid Of him.
"And why not take him, John? There
is a mighty narrow strip between the
radical republicanism that you repre-
sent and the Cleveland Mugwumrery
that Shannon tries to represent He is
not Democrat, never was and never
will be. l predict that you will soon
have him over on your side, and. God
speed the dayi We Democrats down
here dom want him.
81 am growing old but am still i'll
possession Of NJ mental faculties, and
/ hope to live many years longer to tell
the truth from day to day about the
despised Yankees and their politics. l
am seriously afflicted with hemiplegia,
else would have mauled b out of
Shannon long ago.
Logan, you ought to remember me
as one of the fellows that figured some
what conspicuously in the kempcr
county trials. I guess 1 can take the
credit to myself of having had the Dem
ocrats who killed the Radicals there
acquitted before tie courts. l would
like another job OF tie same kind.
"You and 1 ought to be friends. OPP
posites beget liking. Ycu have been G
broth of boy in your party, and have
been q sheol Of fellow i'll mine. -
General Logan replied good natured-
ly to this opi.tle, after which friend
ly correspondence sprang up between
the cratic genius at Meridian and the
senator. Logan read the Shannon letter
in the committee room Of the senate,
and then lauohinely said that inasmuch
as mis- friend Colonel Horn wanted
Shannon confirmed he didn't see how
he could oppose him. Colonel Horn,
unreconstructetl, has long since passed
into silence end u few years later Colo
mel Shannon was buried at his cid
home i'll Pauldin., Miss, q town once
made famous by the publication of The
Weekly Clarion, many years ago, ct
which paper he was one of the founders.
During the Sullivan Kilr:;in trial at
Purvis some years ago sal at the break
fast table with Sullivan and Colonel
Shannon. Sullivan ate three fried chick
ems, Shannon four Charlie Rich, the
great Sportsman, got the two TO enter q
fried chicken eating match. Some one
asked Sullivan how MANY be thought
he could get away with, and Sullivan
said about eighg.
eight" spoke up Shannon. We'll,
you will have to 10 better ;aan that.
You may be the champion prizetishter,
but you vii! haze TO whct up that APP
petite of your: before you can take
away the CHICKEN eating champion
ship
The chickens were lansat ana cleaned
and we're ready FOR the irua when the
colonel was taken violently i'll. E;sfore
he could racore, Sullivan was out OF
the state. james S. Evans in Chicago