The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-08-26

loved her. This early love of the gen.
eral is the widow Of the confederate
leader, Gen. Albert Gallatin jenkins,
and she now lives in a small cottage in
quiet street OF San Francisco, blind,
poor, and almost friendless. Her life,
as she relates it, is one of the romances
Of the civil war. Her maiden name was
Virginia Southland Bowlin and she was
the daughter Of Judge B. Bowlin, OF
Fredericksburg. Va. He was congress-
man many years and afterward minis
ter to the United States of Colombia
during the administration of President
Buchanan. He was a heavy slave
holder and an ardent believer in the
divine right Of the master The lack
of sight and the weight of years and
sorrow have not quenched the natural
vivacity of this southern woman, and
she relates the events of her life with
an interest that never flags. She lost
her sight from the poison of her hus-
bands wounds received at the battle
of Gettysburg. She, with her two
babies. had accompanied her husband
on the march, and she was his nurse
when he fell under the shots of the
federals. The lack Of medicine and
supplies cost her dear, shutting out the
light of day forever. She loves to tell
the story of early triumphs, and since
Gen. Merritt has been so prominently
before the public she has recounted The
story of their short engagement and
parting at the command Of her father,
who was too fierce southern sympa-
thizer to endure the thought of a north
ern son-in-law
This is the story she tells of her
meeting and engagement to Merritt in
the days just preceding the civil war:
ut was while in attendance at Nine.
Condos academy" said Mrs. Jenkins,
that l met Gen. Merritt Nine. Con-
de was the principal of an academy de-
voted to department and the acquisi-
ton of the accomplishments, located at
II Lafayette place, New York, directly
opposite the Aston library. Young la
dies were sent there to be finished
that is to say, made eligible to en-
trance in society, by their parents and
guardians, who had, according to the
madams code, to possess elements of
eligibility"
What were those?"
"Well, first of all, parent or guar
dian must have ancestors-great-great-
grandparents, whose names were in q
book, a sort of Burke's Peerage, l sup
pose. Then the girls prospective So
cial position must be positively assur-
ed. So strict was this French lady of
really superior attachments that she
exacted a certificate Of baptism when
applications were made to her nunnery
as it was frequently called"
"Then the institution was Catho-
lic?"
mo- nonsectarian, or professedly 80,
though the madam her self was de-
voutly Roman Catholic. My people,
being high church Episcopalians, or
ritualists, found much to commend in
the character of this boarding school,
and my devotional duties, either by
Nine. Condo or her assistants, were
never interfered with"
"And you met Gen. Merritt there?"
Oh, DEAR no. Young gentlemen
we're not admitted at Nine. Condos.
If any members Of the opposite sex
CHANGED to stroll inside these austere
walls, in the capacity of inQuirers, mes
sengers or menials, l was not given 4
glimpse of them, for I was only il
and guarded as were the vestals in
Atahualpa's Casas del Sol. never
went out unchaperoned, and received
no letters except from relatives.
when my cousin, Col. William
Proctor Smith-a cadet at West Point
and classmate of Gen. Merritt-sent
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