Year: 1876

The Recluse of Bedloc's Island.


New York Sun


The most eccentric man in the
United States army is Col. Martin
Burke, an officer on the retired list,
who occupies quarters on Bedloc's
Island. "Old Martin Burke" as he
has for many years been called in
the service, is a decrepit, little man,
with STOPPING shoulders, round,
ruddy face, . grizzly gray beard, and
a bullet head, whitened with years of
patriotic service. His military record
reaches back nearly to the organiza-
ton of the army. He was promoted
from the ranks to Second Lleuten-
ancy in the Eight Infantry in the
beginning of the year 1920, and was
transferred the following year to the
First Infantry, and in 1928 to the
Third Artillery, in which he became
First Lieutenant in 1928, and a
Captain in 1888. He distinguished
himself in the Mexican war, and was
specially mentioned for his behavior
at the battles of Cerro Gordo, Con-
treras, Churuhusco, and Ell Molino
del Rey, received the brevets of
Major and Lieutenant Colonel in
1847. In 1861 he was promoted by
seniority to Lieutenant Colonel of the
Third Artillery, and in 1865 receiv
the brevet of Brigadier General in
the regular army.


In 1868, when FortLayfayettc was
selected 10y the War Department as
a military prison, Col. Burke was as
signed to its command. The duty
was exceedingly distasteful to the
old gentleman, but no better man
could have been selected tor the
place. He was strict construction
list, embodying his notion of military
efficiency in the one single maxim of
unquestionable obedience to superior
rank. 1t was known in Washing
ton that he would inflexibly execute
every instruction he received, and
that, whatever might be his personal
liking for any particular captive I'M
der his care, he would treat him
precisely as he was ordered to-a
point quite important to gain at a
time when so many prominent men,
including numbers of old army Off
GERS, were falling under the Govern
ment's suspicion.


The imprisonment at Fort Lafay-
cite of the Baltimore Police Com
missioners marked an important
epoch in Col. Burke's experience
An effort was made to release them
under writ of habeas corpus, but
the War Department instructed Col.
Burke not to allow the writ to be
served. From that time he held
himself IN as close custody as any OF
the prisoners under his charge. His
mind was constantly on the rack lest
he might be entrapped into allowing
the Sheriff to land at the fort una
wares in order to serve the writ, and
he neither rested quietly during the
daytime nor slept soundIy at night
under the strain. In the spring of
1868 he was allowed to take quarters
in Fort Hamilton, still retaining his
functions as commander of Fort
Lafayette.


Having been many years widow
er, his habits in garrison were as
simple as when serving in the field.
The furniture of his apartments con
sisted of camp cot, coverless
table, and a wooden seated CHAIR
He always camped out, whether
lodging in or out of doors.


The bi-monthly muster day was
the season of his greatest glory
The troops were generally assembled
for muster at 8 A. NJ, but the dough
ty old Colonel would be out on the
parade bustling about as early as
o'clock, dressed (for those occasions
only in his full uniform. This was
chiefly conspicuous for being sur
mounted with dress coat which he
had worn in the Mexican war and
the blue cloth of which under time
and exposure had faded to dingy
green color. On the front of his
shoulders, almost invisible from the
side or rear, he wore pair of equal
ly dilapidated epaulettes. He was
a marked character in every way
and no person who ever saw it will
forget his little bent figure, trotting
nimbly along the ramparts, as he
cautiously scanned the horizon with
his field glass in search of sheriffs
and sheriffs' officers. He was a bit
of a wag in those days, and not only
relished joke, but could make ono
himself.


On one occasion two officers OF
the Twelfth Infantry became engag
ed in hot quarrel, which apparent
ly could not be appeased without
bloodshed on one side or the other
Col. Burke managed to have the be
ligerents call at his quarters, separ
ately, where he exhibited to each
visitor with great unction hand
some pair of duelling pistols, which
ne asserted llcNeT ldllcu u XIII GHel
man! Lying the weapons dowr
carelessly, the Colonel announced
his intention of being absent for th'
next twenty four hours, and did act
ually establish himself in the othe
fort during that interval. On his re
turn the pistols had not been remov
ed from where he had placed them
and the quarrel was in a fair way o
being settled.


Sherman, in his "Memoirs," says
"Old Martin Burke used to declare
that many good fellow had beer
ruined in life by the h:.bit of paying
his debts!"


Col. Burke continued to reside a
Fort Hamilton until just after tn
New York riots of 1868. The garri
son was all in the city except a hand
ful of volunteers retained for guart
duty. One day as the only office
on duty at the post was passing OH
of the fort he encountered -four burly
red-faced men, who asked to see Col
Burke. Requesting them to wal
until the Colonel could be notified
the officer stepped inside and double'
the sentries at all the entrances t.
the fort. The visitors found then