Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-20
STRANGE LIFE STORY OF BOERS'
CHIEF S~TRATEGIST.

There has been frequent references in
he dispatches from South Africa and
from Washington to a certain semi-mys-
FERROUS person named Blake, described
as an American, n as being the chief
strategist of the Boer against
the British empire.
There is such a person, but he did not
come by his name hc3,estly, and he is
not to. blame for it. His name, really is
Blair, not Blake. He is a victim or his
father. 1t is true that he is a graduate
of West Point. He was sent to the
academy from Arkansas through the
influence of Stephen Dorsey, then a SEN
ator from that state and the boss of all
its carpet-bag representatives in the
lower house.
AT the time of his nomination to West
Point young Blake was living with his
father at Little Rock. He did not know
that his father was his father. When
he went to the academy his understands
ing was that his father was his uncle.
Here is how the story came out:
1t is more than twenty years now since
a sensational court-martial. There was
a colonel of an infantry regiment-lt is
not necessary to mention his name. He
had been a major-general Of volunteers
during the civil war. He married a
young woman in the early days Of the
7Os. He had for his adjutant a first
lieutenant by the name of Blair. Dur
ing the last few years of the gallant old
oAtASSA . sAC AllClC was iIIuNI a VI LIZ
relations between his wife and his ad-
jutant.
The old soldier died and within a few
months his widow married the regi-
adjutant. Then, of course, there
was a lot of talk, but trouble did not
break loose until a woman came from
claiming that Lieutenant Blair
who had married the widow of mis- late
colonel, was her true and Lawful hus-
band.
There was a trial in the civil courts,
and also a court-martial. Blair put up
a strong fight, but it was shown that
the youngster, who, in the meantime,
had been entered at West Point under
the name of Blake, was his son by his
first marriage, and not his nephew. as he
was twice married in Scotland, potn
times honestly: first to an Irish gentle
woman of the name of Blake, VINO pore
him a child and died almost Immediately
afterWard, II secondly, to a plain old
fashioned Scotch lady who happened to
keep a boarding house where he lodged.
He ran away from the latter ~lady-and
no one who saw her at. the courr-martial
blamed him for it-and taking with him
his son by his first marriage, pulled out
for the United States.
The civil war was going on and COM
missions in the army We're easy OF
achievement. .'Blake'' vas sent to
school and his father got IL captalncy or
volunteers. After the clVll Wal Slair
got a commission in the Regular estab-
lishment, and Steve Dorsey, then master
of the carpet-baggers in control OF that
state. ordered that his nephew Blake
should be sent to West Point by one of
the mushroom representatives.
Blake made a brilliant reputation at
the academy, and afterwards IN the Sixth
cavalry in Texas.
At the very time when his career SEEM
ed brightest and his own prospects most
promising, his stepmother came on from
Scotland and the cOurt-martial of his
father-Blair-then a first lieutenant Of
infantry, occurred. 1t was made plain
during the court-martial that Blair was
an adventurer and a bigamist. He was
cashiered from the army and fled in dis
grace to a small hamlet in Sonora, Mex
leo. where, at last accounts, he was re-
siding, wearing "voratches."
The identity of the son was made pub
lie during the trial of the father and
Blake could not stand the racket. He
sent in his resignation, never saw his
father again and went off to South At
RIGA. He is there now, and he Will prob
ably make his mark. His ability has
not been questioned by anybody who
ever came in contact with him.