The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-27
ny "a MARouisE DE FoNTENoY.

~OUNTS ERIC AND ROBERT SALAf.
a who arrived in this country on
~ board the Kaiserln Augusta Vic
toria on sunday last. with the IN
United States making their headquart-
ers at Washington and Bar Harbor, are
no ordinary counts. They are altgraves,
that is to say. "old Counts" an old
German dignity. midway between
prince and count. and which IS still
borne By the members OF several OF the
mediatized houses which exercised pet
" sovereignty in Germany until the
by the first Napoleon at the beginning
or the nineteenth century. There arc
no altgraves among the ordinary or
non mediatised nobility of Germany
and Austria
AS mediatized. the two Counts Salm
now here take precedence of all nom
mediatized noblea no matter whether
the latter be dukes or princes. and have
the right to mate on footing OF
equality with the members OF the now
Ffeigning houses OF the Old World. In
eldest son and heir of It's chief. is mar
ried to Archduchcss Christine of Aus
tria. daughter Of Archduke Frederick
and Archduchess Isabella. .ji
Altgraves Eric and Robert are both
unmarried. each of them officer OF
crack Dragon regiment of the Aus
TRAN army. and titular Chamberlain Of
Emperor Francis Joseph. But they
arc debarred from wedding any Ameri-
can woman. save with the consent OF
all the adult members ofztheir extreme
Should they wed without this consent.
the union would be regarded n $ inva lid.
both In Austria and in Germany. Their
wives would not be recognized as such.
titles while their children would in
me same manner be .precluded from
There is one American girl who, fail
Ing to realize this was subjected TO
much trouble and humiliation in mar
a name which should be familiar In
this country, since 1t was borne with
distinction By Prince Felix Salm. who.
Lincoln. served through the war OF
the Union. commanded the Sixty eighth
New York Regiment, and emerged at
the close of the conflict with the rank
Of brigadier- general. Prince Felix was
an uncle of the present chief of the
house OF Salm. and before coming to
this country, had seen active service
Ing however, compelled to resign his
commission In the PIussian army, and
TO leave Europe on account OF debts.
Prince Felix Salm married. without
the consent of his family, at Washing
ton, on August 30, 1862, in ST. Patrick's
church. the ceremony being performed
Wy tue rev. D. n. waiter, tWho died
not SO very long ago. Miss Agnes
Leclcrcq, of New York. the orphan
daughter Of Colonel Leclercq, and who
was staying at tho time at Washing
ton. With her sister Della, wife of Ed
mund Johnson. nephew of Andrew
Johnson. President OF the United States
There does not seem to be any truth in
the popular story that she was ever
circus rider: a report which undoubted-
ly had its origin In her feats OF eques-
trlanism, which she was fond OF dis
playing on Pennsylvania Avenue. and
afterwards during the various cam
paigns of the War of the Union For
she accompa MED her husband where-
ever possible. and her services to the
slck and wounded soldiers on the bat.
tlefeld caused Governor Yates. Of 1lli-
nois. In 1863. to grant her captains
commission and pay.
At the close OF the war Prince
Felix and his American wife made
their way to Mexico. in order to join
the waning cause of Emperor Maxi.
milan. There the prince served in the
40 called Belgian Corps of General Van
der Smisscn. Captured with the En-
nnror, the prince would have shared
tho lntter's fate had 1t not beon FOR
his Wife. who obtained, by dint of en-
treaty. from President Iuarez 81 com.
nuta ton of his sentence 10 six years
Imprisonment Before many months