Fox hunting; Horses; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
Voisin had gathered from the Consul's lawyer that this Stabenow, a
valet of the veritable Count Dohna, had been one of a party who had
robbed him and committed other serious crimes, and he had fled to
this country, with his master's uniform, a valuable wardrobe, and
costly jewels. He had here undertaken to personify the Count, and
had had on the whole not an unhappy time, especially since he came
to New York in recruiting service. He had finally been arrested on
the complaint of a lady, one of the many whom he had attempted to
blackmail, by threatening exposure through letters they had written
him in the kindest spirit. Fortunately this one had had the good sense
to refer the matter to her husband, who brought the interesting career
to a close. He had obtained several thousand dollars in this way
from different persons, and had contracted considerable debts in all
directions. The Everett House was an especial sufferer.
I felt that my claim was secured by the luggage at the express-office,
and I called for it the next day. The gentlemanly clerk of the
establishment blandly showed me my name, neatly written in a strange
Teutonic hand, to a receipt for the property. Just then I had
information that a box addressed to my care was lying at the Hoboken
office of the German steamers. Indiscreetly mentioning this fact to the
Prussian Consul's lawyer, I was informed that it would be necessary to
take the box in evidence, and I prudently refrained from making further
efforts for its recovery.
It was with a chastened spirit that I paid a considerable bill at my
tailor's and ordered the overcoat sent to my address; and it was with
only mitigated satisfaction that I heard of the sending in irons to his
company in California of deserter Stabenow.
If the Herr Lieutenant Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien of the Gardecorps
Kürassier is still living, I beg to inform him that his overcoat--the
only memento of a grave _Schwindelei_--is now a comfortable wrap to a
Rhode Island farmer, who hopes that its rightful owner is as snugly
clad in his winter rides about Versailles.
TWO SCOUTS.
In the desultory and sporadic warfare carried on in the Southwest,
the scout--or "skeout," according to the dialect of the region--was a
very important element of our organization, and it is amusing now to
recall the variety of odd-fish of every description who applied for the
remunerative employment that this branch of the service afforded.
The interest of our life at Union City was not a little enhanced by two
specimens of this genus with whom we had much to do,--Pat Dixon and
"The Blind Preacher."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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