Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-30
By RoBERTUs LOVE.

II IKE f. WRIGHT, appointed by
the president to succeed Will
a liam II. Taft as secretary of
war, is described as Gold
Democrat in a very brief and modest
sketch in who's WHO In America"
In the official announcement of his ap-
pointment it is stated that 1.-The presi-
dent was Influenced somewhat by the
desire to recognize that there is no
longer any dividing line between the
north and the south"
Mr. Wright was a Confederate SOL
der in his boyhood. He enlisted at the
age of fifteen and served through the
war, coming out lieutenant. His
Service was in a battery commanded
10y an uncle. in which Luke's elder
brother. Eldridge, was also an officer.
IEldridge Wright commanded one sec
ton of the battery at the fierce battle
lof Chickamauga. Luke Wright also
commanded section. During the bat
tie an artillery sergeant who was an
intimate of the Wrights ran up to
Lieutenant Luke and said:
Your brother is killed"
Send his body to the rear and get
back to that gun. I'll work this one"
replied the surviving brother.
Mr.. Wright was born in Tennessee
in 1917 and has lived there all his life.
excepting when absent on official duty
His birthplace was Pulaski. His home
is in Memphis, n city which he is said
to have ruled in almost cZarlike fash
Ion, so large does he loom upon the
local horizon. In 1878. when yellow fe-
yer scourged the city and about $4,000
persons died. Luke Wright was one of
the men who remained in town. He
practically took charge of affairs and
was firm when most of the others
wavered He is still remembered in
Memphis as the hero of 1878.
Secretary Wright is undoubtedly a
true southerner. At an early age he
married Miss Kate Semmes. whose ia
Their was Admiral Raphael Semmes,
commander of the Confederate priva-
teer Alabama, which was sunk by the
KearSarge. under Captain Winslow. off
the coast of France in 1864. The
Wrights had three sons in active serv-
ice during the Spanish-American war.
Nearly Fought a Duel.
Not long after the civil war the fu-
ture secretary challenged a fellow
southcrner to mortal combat The duel
was not fought. and thereby hangs a
tale of present interest. In those 'old,
faroff. unhappy times and battles long
ago" there was a veteran, Colonel NJ.
C. Galloway, who edited a Memphis
paper. The colonel was something Of a
fire eater. He addressed his editorial
philippics chiefly against Judge Archi.
bald Wright, chief justice of the Ten
nessee supreme court and father of
Luke. Finally the younger Wright got
fighting mad at Galloway for attacks
on his father. Harvey NJ Hill. who
studied law with Luke in the Office OF
Judge Wright. carried the sons chal
lenge to the colonel. OF course the colo
mel accepted it.
Seconds, weapons, surgeons, time anC
place were chosen. Efforts We're made
by friends of both principals to aver
the impending conflict. 1t was argued
that Colonel Galloway, being so mucl
older than his challenger. could refuse
to meet the youth without dishonor
but the doughty colonel sconed th'
proposition to decline. With noble chiv
airy, however, he said:
II will do as did the immortal Cha!
with Randolph-receive the fire of m!
young and impetuous adversary, thel
discharge my weapon into the air"
But, after all, only few hours be
fore the fatal meeting was to TAX
place an a, licable and satisfactory ad
Justment was made. 1t reminds one o