Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1921-06-10

To the Reader OF this Work:
In submitting Captain Carter'l
strange manuscript to you In book
form. l believe that a few words rela.
tive to this remarkable personality
will be of interest.
My first recollection OF Captain Car.
ter Is OF the few months he spent at
my fathers home In Virginia, Just
prior TO the opening Of the Civil war.
i was then a child OF but FIVE years,
yet well remember the tall, dark,
smooth-faced, athletic man whom I
called Uncle Jack.
He seemed always to be laughing I;
and he entered into the sports Of the
children with the same hearty good
Fellowship he displayed toward those
pastimes In which the men and wom-
en- OF his own age INDUCED; or ne
would sit for an hour at a time enter
tanning my old grandmother with
stories Of his strange, wild life In all
parts Of the world. We all loved him,
and our slaves fairly worshiped the
ground he trod.
He was splendid specimen Of man.
hood. standing a good two inches over
six feet, broad Of shoulder and mar
row Of hip, with the carriage Of the
trained fighting man. His features
were regular and clear cut, his hair
black and closely cropped, while his
eyes were Of steel gray, rejecting q
strong and loyal character, filed with
Ore and initiative.
When the war broke out he left us,
nor did ] see him again for some A.
teen or sixteen years. When he re-
turned have seen him sit for hours
gazing or into space, his face set In a
look Of wistful longing and hopeless
misery; and at night he would sit thus
looking up into the heavens. at what
did not know until I read his manu-
script years afterward.
He remained with us for about a
year and then went to New York,
where he purchased little place on
The Hudson, where visited him.
He told me at this time that II any
hing should happen to him he wished
me TO take charge Of his estate, and
he gave me a key to compartment |
In the safe which stood In his study.
telling me I would find his will there
and some personal Instructions which
he had me pledge myself to carry out
With absolute fidelity.
After / had retired for the night I
nave seen him from my window stand
ng In the moonlight on the brink of
he blum overlooking the Hudson with
lis arms stretched out to the heavens
IS though in appeal.
Several months after had returned
ZONE from my last visit, the first of
iarch, 1856. think. I received n tele.
ram from him asking me to come 10
i'm at once
arrived at the little station. about
mile from his grounds, and the
very man told me he had some very
al news for me; the Captain had
cen found dead shortly after day
ght that very morning by the watch.
IAN attached TO an adjoining prop.
rty.
For some reason this news did not
lrprlse me, but hurried out TO his
lace as quickly ms possible.
The Waterman who had discovered
I'm related the few details connected
lth the tinding Of the body. Itslay.
said, stretched full length in the
low with the arms outstretched
,ove the head toward the edge of the !
uh, and when he showed me the
'ot II flashed upon me that II was
e Identical one where | had seen
m on those other nights. with his
ms raised In supplcarion TO the !
les.
Left alone In the study. opened
@ safe and withdrew the contents Of I
drawer In which he had told me $
'uld find my instructions. He direct. b
that | remove his body TO Virginia b
thout embalming. and that he he a
d In an open cofiir within tomb h
iich he previously had had con.
'ucted and which, as later learned "
is well ventilated. His further In. G.
uctions related 10 this manuscript p
lich l was TO retain sealed and nm. h
a. Just as I found it, for eleven p
lrs nor was ] TO dlvulge its con CT
It's until twenty-one years after his Il
ith.
strange feature about the tomb m
ere his body stu lies. is that the
ssive door is equipped with a 70
gle huge gold-plated spring lock la
ich can be opened only from the In. al
c. m
Yours very sincerely
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS. WI
- W,