Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-05-16

III print LIE Aidtl lo uhHC
evidences and by affdavits of the authorl
AgzxEm THROUGHOUT my life I have
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KWA sought adventure over the face
~ of the world and its waters as
zuzua9 HX other men have hunted and
~ fought for gold or struggled Tor
I'm fame. Whether through the out
IN ~97NH cropping of a strain of buccaneer
MA. blood held in subsection by gen.
~ ~erations of placid ~propriety or
- as a result of some freak Of pre-
natal suggestion, the love OF ad-
venture was born in me-, deepplanted and long
rooted. Excitement is as essential to my ex-
istence as air and food. Through 1t my ne
has been prolonged in activity and my soul has
been perpetuated in youth; when l can no
longer enjoy its identification, death, l hope,
will come quickly.
have served, all told, under eighteen hags'
and to each l gave the best that was in me.
In following my natural bent. 1t perhaps VIII
be considered by some people that l have gone
outside Of written laws. To such my answer
is that have always been true to my own con-
science and to my country.
Red-blooded love Of adventure, free from any
wanton spirit and with the prospect OF Imam
cial reward always subordinated, has been the
driving force in all my encounters with good
men and bad, with the latter class much In
the majority. The name by which ! am known
is one Of the contradictions Of my life. Save
only for nv father, who sympathiZed with my
adventurous disposition at the same time that
he tried to curb it, l was at war with my ram
lily almost from the time I could talk. When
left home to become an adventurer around
the globe buried my real name, and LOO not
propose to uncover it, here or hereafter.
In the course Of my activities 1 have used
many names in many lands, but that OF Boyn-
u, - 49, Lzor IL %ho Family fnr wears
stuck to me until I finally adopted 1t, prefix,
ing a George and a B., which really stands
for Boynton.
was born May 1, 1912, on Fifth avenue,
New York. not a long way north of Washing
ton Square. My father was a distinguished
surgeon and owned a large estate on Lake
Champlain. where most of my youthful sum
mers were spent.
After a somewhat scattered series OF esca-
pades, which increased the ire of the FAMILY
and intensified my dislike of their prosaic
protestations, my father solemnly declared MS
intention Of sending me to the United States
Naval Academy. / was delighted. The ma
chinery to procure my appointment had been
set in motion and l was ready to take the
examination when the opening gun Of the Civil
war was fired at Fort Sumter, April IL, 1851.
was Immediately seized with a wild desire
to be in the fight. My father would not con,
sent to it, on account of my age, but promised
that If | would wait a year, he would try 10
get me a commission. My sympathies were
with the South, but it was more convenient to
take the other side, and at that moment was
not particular about principles. Inc ramly
were duly Mortified one evening when Went
home and told them | had enlisted. The next
day nv father bought my discharge and nus
fled me out to Woodstock, ILL.,, where ! was
placed in charge OF an uncle.
He prevented my joining an infantry regi
ment. but | got away with a cavalry regiment
some months later and was made one OF l'
officers. We went to Cairo. ILL.,, ana IRON
there by transport to Pittsburg Landing, wner'
we arrived just in time to take part In tn
battle fought on April 6 and z, 1852, was Sc
yerely wounded in that engagement.
When I was discharged from the hospital
was sent into the Tennessee mountains Il
charge of a detachment to intercept contra
hand which was being sent into the south froI
Cincinnati.
Soon after my return to headquarters I COZ
tracted a bad case of malaria and was sen
home, which meant back to Woodstock, wher
had eldSed with a bankers daughter jus
before going to the front. / was disguise
with the war and I expressed byself SO freei
and was SO outspoken in my sympathy FOR IN
South. that l made myself unpopular in a vel
short time.
Al anv rate the people set their hearts G
hanging me for being "a 49, copperhead
and they might have done 1t If old man We
burn. the proprietor of the hotel at which n
wife and / were staying, had not helped n
to stand of q mob that came after me.
That experience intensified by dissatisfa
ton with the whole business and | sent In y
resignation. 1t was accepted, and when h
thought it all over / considered that l W
lucky to have escaped q c~ourtsmartiai.
/ had heard that Carlos Manuel de Cesped
was fomenting a revolt in Cuba, which aft
ward was known as the Ten Years War" a
had conceived the idea of taking a hand IN
While / was wondering how I could get II
communication with Cespedes by interest "
aroused by a newspaper story Of the new bio
ade-runner Letter B. There was so mu
money in blockade-running that the own'
could well afford to lose her after she b
made three successful trips.
In FIVE minutes ! decided to become a bio
iade-runner and to buy the new and alrea
famous ship, II she was to be had at any pr
within reason. / bought a letter OF credit 9
took the next ship for Bermuda. On my
rival there ] found that the Letter B had b
expected In for several days from her sect
"trip and that there was considerable anxi
about her. / also learned that her owner Y
building a second ship on the same lines
for the same trade. A fresh cargo OF mi
tions of war was awaiting the Letter B, an
ship was ready to take to England the cot
she would bring.
| got acquainted with the agent for