The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-03

OF the law. And this being the advice
of Washington, it was simply human
nature that the court should experience
reyulsion OF feeling and consider itself
bound to see that the poor fellow was
not made to suffer martyrdom.
Most Of the members were men from
the volunteers or from the ranks. West
Pointers were the exception, not the
rule, in the line Of the army for years
after the war Most of the court had
been the recipients of Eevins' exuber-
ant hospitality at one time or other. He
had objected to the few who had lost
heavily to him at cards, and the objec-
tion had been sustained, and when the
last day of the long session arrived and
the sad eyed, pale faced, scrupulously
groomed and dressed accused arose be.
fore the dignified array and the little
line of curious spectators to make his
last plea a silence, not unmixed with
certain sympathy, fell upon all hearers,
as in low voice and faltering accents the
friendless fellow began his story. PART
ly from manuscript which he seemed
to find hard reading, but mainly as an
extemporaneous effort, his remarks were
substantially as follows:
"I've come to make clean breast Of
it, gentlemen. I'm not fit to wear your
uniform. never was. Inever wanted
to. 1t was practically forced upon me
by men who ought to have known bet
ter who did know better. but who did
not care SO long as they got me out of
the way. My father as much as owned
more than one congressman in York
state. The Hon. Mr.. Cadger of the
military committee couldn't have been
renominated if it hadn't been for him,
and he didn't want me round home
any more. He got me kept on bureau
work long after all but few volunteers
were mustered out, and showed me
down to New Orleans, where I'd often
been steam boating before the war.
~ had the fever there when was
only 20 Perhaps he thought could
get it again and that would be the end
Of me- If there's worse place for
young officer to start in than that in
fernal town was just after the war, it
amt on the map of these United States.
l had the luck and the opportunities of
the devil for nigh on to year. got
more money and learned more ways of
getting it than knew how to use. and
then got married.
"a homeless woman, q woman with
brains and good looks and education,
married me for the position could give
her, suppose. They told me afterward
she did it out of spite or desperation;
that she was northern girl who had
been employed as governess in an old
southern family that was ruined by the
war; that she had younger sister in
New York whom she was educating-a
girl who had a magnificent voice and
wanted to go on the stage-and all the
money she could save went to her. She
got employment when Ben Butler took
command, for she knew all the southern
families that had money and plate and
jewels and those thu had nothing but
niggers
q she fell in love, l...ey ,old NE after
ward, with swell colonel who came
there on staff duty, for he cut dash
and made desperate love to her, until
his wife got wind of it and came down
there all OF "a sudden, just after the
smash up of the Confederacy, and put
stop to his fun. That was in May,
and got there in July. We were mar
ried that winter, and loaded her with
the best could buy and gave her al,
she could spend Oh her sister until she
found out how my money was made
there in cotton and cards. She thought
and I'd let her think so-that had
big property in the north. 1t was an
other woman gave her the tip, and then
the trouble began She swore we must
give up the house we lived in, the
horses and carriage and go to cheap
boarding house. She got the jewellers to
take back the watch and all the trinkets
I'd given her at their own valuation
about quarter of what they cost me.
She argued and pleaded and prayed and
swore she'd confess the whole thing to
General Sheridan. who came there right
after the riots of 1865 and took com.
mainland that would have sent me to
the penitentiary
''There were regular officers in the
deals besides me. and they got wind of
it and tried to bride her, and she'd cry
diA A16Ao esAu AAAOPO 0A4 0Oy ohA oW OoA
She leave me unless cut loose from
the whole business and restored what
Z I'd made. By God! 1 couldn'ti I'D
spent it'll was no worse than three OF
four others who had eyes open to their
opportunities-two Of 'em in the regu-
lar army now-bang up, swells, and at
last couldn't stand it and got to drink.
ing. and then lost my card nerve, and
the money went with it, and it made me
desperate-crazy, reckon, for one night
when came home drunk and she made
scene, suppose l must have struck
her. and then she took sick and got
delirious, and was horribly afraid.
and SO were my partners, that she d give
up the whole business; SO they got me
leave of absence
"They saw me aboard the steame,
for New York. My money was running
short and they gave me enough to place
her in a sanitarium on the Hudson ant
get her sister with her, and then