The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-12-18

Later on the Coaching Party Col
a Startling Surprise.
A HOST WHO PROVED A sNoB.

He Thought His Guest Was Not CLASSY
Enough to Travel With Him and His
Friends, but Walked Up After Awhile
TO Find Him the Lion of the Day.
Here is one of Captain JaEaes A.
Scrymser's best anecdotes, which he
did not put in his volume of personal
"reminiscences OF peace and war:
After the close of the war between
the states in 1865 Secretary of War
Stanton. at the suggestion of President
Johnson, selected Major General Fran
els c. Barlow as the bearer of certain
dispatches TO the American minister,
Mr.. adams, in London. 1t later de
veloped that the main purpose of this
mission was to allow the English army
officials TO know Major General Bar
low. he being deemed by the president
and secretary of war an excellent
specimen of a youthful volunteer gen
eral, who had served calamity through
out the war
General Barlow sailed for England
with his official dispatches. and shol t.
" after his arrival he was presented
to the Duke of Cambridge. then COM
mander in chief of her majesty's
forces. by Mr.. Adams. our minister
and likewise to other high military
officials.
OF course General Barlow received
many invitations and was able TO
accept but few. One invitation which
he did accept was for week end
| party at the house of well known
major general of the British army. re-
| siding a few miles from Aldershot.
! On his arrival Barlow found a very
gay house party, made up of distin-
| guished social 'lions and lionesses,"
! 1 have. not the slightest doubt that
| Barlow held his own In this distin-
| guished company. although these high
/ army officials of her majeSty's serv-
| ice evidently drew a sharp line be-
tween volunteer and regular officers
| This fact Barlow fully realized the
/ Saturday morning after his arrival
1 when, much to his surprise, his host
] and ultra exclusive house guests de-
/ parted for "a drive in a four-in-hand
coach, leaving General Barlow behind
No, invitation had been extended to
1
! piazza, being told by his hospita BILE
host that there were a box of cigars
/ and the London Times in the smoking
room. which would keep him fairly
well occupied until their return.
The coaching party had been absent
| about an hour when troop of cavalry.
commanded by a British officer, halted
/ in front of the house. The officer ask
/ ed for General Barlow and. upon
meeting him, said that he was COM
1 manded by his royal highness the
! Duke of Cambridge to invite General
/ Barlow to accept review of her
| majesty's command (of some 10000
j mem at ,Aldershot at 2 o'clock that
afternoon.
General Barlow gracefully accepted
/ the invitation and. DOMINIC his war
! paint" mounted an extra horse, which
/ the Duke of Cambridge had thought
! fully provided for him. and started
/ for Aldershot with his escort.
As Barlow and his escort approached
the reviewing stand the band struck up
.'The Star Spangled Banner" all flags
i were dipped. and the Duke of Cam
=
General Barlow In a most courteous
| manner.
Naturally, General Barlow was the
center of all eyes. Barlow was sur
prised to see the coaching party of his
host directly in front OF the reviewing
stand. It's presence accounted for the
/ early departure that morning. Tf Gen.
eral Barlow was surprised one can Inn
agine the surprise and dismay shown
by the gay host and his party when
they discovered who was the hero of
the day. General Barlow's host had
during the morning drive supposedly
learned of the intended review which
was to be held. but had not the slight
est idea 1t was to be in honor Of his
guest. the volunteer general from the
States
All sorts of apologies were offered.
but General Barlow. In his dignified
! manner. politely let his host under
stand that he understood the situation
perfectly and that he had evidently not
been invited on the coaching party be
cause he did not come up to the Eng
lish standard of major general in
their eyes, despite the fact that he had
probably seen more fighting than all
the British officers on that field.
Barlow was urged to return, now
that he was lion" In their eyes, but
after such a slight he preferred to re-
turn TO London. which he" did, after
leaving polite but dry note OF thanks
and arranging for his valet to pack up
his things and join him in London
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