Western news and the Libby times. [volume], June 01, 1933, Page Page Seven, Image 7

About Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
A Lost Soldier of a
Lost Cause
X
V»
fùi
: v
fa;
mm I
■'IS
to.
/
' -I
X:
WM
*4 M
If
J ■
Iv
tf ?
I
a .yffl
g
*4
I
|s
I?
fr
j
f p;
•;
; •>.
■
Ÿ 'M
mm
if
mm
-■f
■*>
Beauregard s
Headquarters
in Charleston
% *
r., ;
m
/
The Great Creole
(All picture* froi
Ui
'■ "UcaurcKurd, Thf Great
Creole," courtesy ( harlr» Scribner'« Sun«.)
«
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
E ORDERED the firing on Fort Sum
tor and thus furnished the spark
which set off the mighty conflagra
tion of the greatest civil war In his
tory. But this "kindliest military
engagement In history, conducted
K with the utmost good nature, almost
tenderness, on both sides—a pleas
ant curtain-raiser which gave no
hint of the grimness to follow" was hailed as a
great victory and he became the Idol of a new
nation, the Confederate States of America.
The Confederate congress, in behalf of the
new nation, voted him a resolution of thanks.
The general assembly of South Carolina, the
scene of his great "victory," did the same. Citi
zens of his native New Orleans raised funds
to buy a golden sword for him. His admirers
In Montgomery, Ala,, the Confederate capital,
decided to buy him a new horse and present It
tot him upon his next visit there, lie received
more than 250 letters of congratulation and the
ma nuseripts of five poems written to him.
Then he was ordered to Richmond to confer
with President Jefferson Davis and his
north was a triumphal procession with cheering
crowds and blaring bands at every railroad
jun ction. Wherever ho appeared, the crowds
demanded a speech. Arriving In Richmond, he
"was bustled and shoved and kissed and had to
stand with a scarlet, embarrassed face while a —■
spindly maiden of forty, to whom forty made no
difference, snipped a button from his coat."
Three months later two uniformed mobs
fought a battle near Manassas or Bull Run in
Virginia.
n
progress
The uniformed mob which had
marched south, many of them carrying lengths
of rope "to lead a Rebel prisoner back to Wash
ington," went back toward that city In a panic
stricken rout almost unparalleled In history.
The uniformed mob which had marched north,
each man confident of his ability to "whip Are
Yankees before breakfast," experienced unex
pected difficulties In whipping two. But theirs
was the victory, anyway, and after that another
extravaganza of hero worship, -j
In the South they began naming children
after him. There was talk of making him Pres
ident of the Confederates States of America.
He had to keep an extra supply of coat buttons
In his tent—they snipped them off so fast.
As you have probably already guessed, the
object of all this frenzy was Pierre Gustave
Toutant Beauregard, a general In the Confeder
ate army in 1861.
"But," you say, "if he was such a great hero
then, why do we hear se little of him nowA" To
find the answer to that question, turn to a new
biography which has just been published by
Charles Scribner's Sons. It Is "Beauregard, the
Great Creole," written by Hamilton Basso, who
has set about the task of rescuing from ob
scurity the man once hailed ns "one of the
greatest military figures in history."
In the prologue to his biography, Mr. Basso
says; "Occasionally, In the text-books we came
across his name. But It Is only rarely, and then
with a scant line or two they are done with him,
"He has fallen Int o ob scu rity, even In the
South where once he was loved and honored as
much ns Lee. And so, in writing of him, it has
Interested me to seek an explanation of his neg
lect and effacement. The fault, I believe, and
the blame (if there Is any blame) is that of the
traditionalists and the myth-makers—all the
Happy Galahads of the Picturesque."
Mr. Basso then points out that In 1805 when
the Civil war ended, a ruined, h defeated peo
ple returned to the daily routine of peace-time
life, a changed life In which "they had no pres
ent and, so far as they could see, no future. All
that was left Inviolate was the past." And the
prostrate South clung desperately to Its mem
ories of the beauty, the chivalry and the romance
that had been In the past.
In the years that followed, myths and legends
began to spring up to form the parts of the
"plantation or Southern tradition" and a part of
that tradition was that of the Civil war gen
eral. "Here, fortunately, the myth-makers were
pot called upon to exercise their creative In
genuity to any great extent. Their hero was
already made. His name was Robert Edward
Lee. Lee, then, became the legendary hero. lie
was the model the others must measure up to.
A few Southern generals, notably Stonewall
u Jackson, Albert Sidney Johnston, and Jeb
Stuart, bore many points of resemblance to Lee.
The tradition, therefore, could Incorporate them
into Its dogma."
But Beauregard could not be so Included.
For one thing, he and Lee were totally unlike
In every respect Then, too, Beauregard was a
Frenchman and the tradition is essentially An
glo-Saxon. Add to this the bitter antagonism
that sprang up between President Jefferson
0.
-
y
Wj
:
A
Laure Vi'llere Beauregard
Davis and Beauregard early In the war. More
than one historian has pointed out how Davis
suffered f rom t h e delusion that lie was a great
militar y strat e gist and he would broote no in
terference with his strategy of waging a de
fensive war and trying to defend every part of
the far-flung empire of the South,
In contrast to this attitude was Beauregard's
desire for a concentration of the Confederate
forces in the vitally Important places and the
waging of a smashing offensive war which
would decide the issue as quickly as possible.
One of the most interesting "Ifs" of the Civil
war Is what might have happened If this Creole,
reared in the Napoleonic tradition, had been
given a free hand from the outset. There Is
no doubt that he had In him the makings of a
great soldier hut he seems always to have Just
missed success—whether because of his own
shortcomings or because of circumstances over
which he had no control. It is difficult to say.
Beauregard was born on a plantation In Loui
siana Just 115 years ago—May 28, 1818— when
that state was still more French than American.
From the first he had a passion for guns, for
horses, for everything military. So when he
was sent to school In New York, conducted hy
the brothers, Peugnet, two ex-cnptalns of Na
poleon, and listened to their tales of the great
campaigns In which they had fought under the
Little Corporal, this passion was only Intensified.
The natural result was an appointment to the
United States Military academy at West Point
in 1834. One of his instructors there was a
Kentuckian named Robert Anderson. A little
over a quarter of a century later the former
student was to order Ris soldiers ■ to open fire
on the fort defended By the former Instructor
but he was hot present when the fort was sur
rendered. "It would be an unhonorable thing,"
he declared, "to be present at the humiliation
of his friend."
In 1838 Beauregard was graduated from West
Point, second In,, a class of 45. One of his class
mates was named Irvin McDowell.
And 23
years Inter Ifvln McDowell and Pierre Gustave
Toutant Beauregard were to be commanders of
the opposing forces when Bull Run creek In Vir
ginia received Its bloody baptism.
After graduation Beauregard, a lieutenant In
the engineers corps, first helped In the construc
tion of Fort Adams In Rhode Island. Then he
was sent to take charge of an engineering proj
ect at Baratnrla bay. So he came back to hi*
own Creole country. There he met and fell In
love with the lovely Laure Vlllere and when
they were married two of the most distingushed
families In Louisiana were united.
Then came the Mexican war and during that
conflict he was twice brevetted for gallant and
meritorious service, first as a captain, for his
gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco, and
again as a major for bravery In the battle of
Chaultepec. He returned to New Orleans ns a
Igcal hero and was presented with a golden
sword. But the years which followed were dull
and uneventful ones and Beauregard was rapid
ly slipping Into obscurity.
Then by pulling certain wires he succeeded
In getting himself appointed as commandant at
West Point This was two days after Lincoln's
election in 18G0. and when it seemed certain that
Louisiana would secede from the Union. On
his way to New York Beauregard stopped off In
Washington to explain to his superior officers
that should Louisiana withdraw from the Union
he musf follow his state. The result was that
he was superintendent at West Point for only
five days, when he was ordered back to Loui
siana, thus establishing a record for briefness
In the time which any officer held that post.
Louisiana seceded and Beauregard, the engi
neer, who had prepared and presented a com
prehensive program for the defense of the Mis
sissippi river passage was called to'"Montgomery
for a special meeting with Provisional President
Jefferson Davis. "He kissed his wife good-by
I
X
i
v '
v
f
tai
sv
Eft
;^yv ;
III
IPlpi
m
mm
1
S-..-?
■eauregard after Shiloh
and said he would be gone a fortnight. He was
gone four years."
During those four years he rose to the height
of his military ambition and sank to the depths.
Within a short time after Manassas he was
definitely "In bad" with Davis and the secretary
of war, Benjamin. He was sent to the Deimrt
ment of the West as second In command to Al
bert Sidney Johnston. At the Battle of Shiloh
or Pittsburg landing a bullet struck down
Johnston and the command devolved upon
Beauregard. But with certain victory in sight,
when he could have annihilated Grant's army,
he ordered the fighting stopped. He retreated
to Corinth leaving Grunt In possession.
After Shiloh the whisperings against Beaure
gard began. There began to be doubts as to the
greatness of the hero of Sumter and the victor
of Manassas. But he did score a victory of
sorts in his skillful evacution of Corinth when
Halleck might have crushed him. Despite this
fact, he was relieved of his command and suc
ceeded by Gen. Braxton Bragg, one of Davis'
"pets."
The Illness which had troubled him since the
beginning of the war made a long leave of ab
sence necessary and after he had somewhat re
gained Ills health he was placed in command at
Charleston again. There he successfully re
sisted a Federal attack aimed at tills "breeding
place of secession." In 1804 he was serving un
der Lee In resisting the sledge hammer strokes
of Grant around Richmond. At Petersburg he
beat off an attack which saved Richmond for
nine more months. A year later, after Lee had
surrendered, there was a dramatic meeting be
tween Davis and Beauregard. Davis was plead
ing for a continuance of the war. But Beaure
gard and Gen. Joseph Johnston told him plainly
that It was no use to struggle longer against
the Inevitable.
So Jqhnston surrendered to Sherman and the
war was over. With only $1.15 in his pocket
Beauregard started back to Louisiana. In New
Orleans he found himself still a hero to his peo
ple, But in the years that followed the hero
worship, even in Louisiana, faded. There was
The matter of the Louisiana"lottery, the tramp -
tiling scheme which was so bitterly assailed ns
a menace to the morals and character of the
nation. Its directors needed the association of
some man whose greatness of name would lend
character and dignity to the lottery and cer
tify to the fairness of tho drawings.
Finally they got such names, two of them.
One was Gen. Jubnl A. Early and the other was
Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. "The
South was astonished, a little shocked , . .
and made apologies for her distinguished sons.
. . . But though It apologized for him and
tried to forgot his association with the octopus,
it never really forgave him. It was not the
thing for a Civil war general to do."
Came the 1800s. The Civil war was becoming
a dim memory. Most of the great figures In It
were dead. Only a few lingered on, among them
the Great Creole. In his seventy-fifth year the
old illness assailed him. "He felt ns If knives
were sticking In his throat ; he could feel the
pulse of fever behind his eyes. Sometimes, In
the evening, hla officers would come to his quar
ters to cheer him tip. The fire leaped and
roared, and those who liked whisky had a nip
or two, and Stuart sang in Ids great booming
voice. . . , Perhaps, as he went up the stairs,
the echo of Stuart's song went softly into his
darkened room, perhaps tho dark was poignant
with the ghosts of men In weathered gray. And
perhaps ns he fell asleep, there was the past
again, and the days of golden glory, when, his
name was a banner In the Southern sun. Ör
perhaps there was nothing . . . only quiet and
the ceasing of his heart and the peaceful com
ing of the end."
{© by Western Newspaper Union.)
Fine Art of Soup Making
Flavoring Is Real Test of
Success or Failure in
Preparation,
Soups are always a subject of con
troversy and discussion and they cer
tainly do vary In quality.
They depend for flavor a good
deal upon the appreciation of this
point by the coo k who makes them ,
as seasoning them properly Is an art.
I can give the foundation recipe but
the final touch of.flavor Is up to the
person who prepares them.
1 have been asked for a recipe of
Russian borscht, that vegetable soup
whose principal ingredients are cab
bage and beets. It takes Its special
character, however, from- the sour
cream, sometimes whipped, which Is
added at serving Unie. It Is a deli
cious soup for luncheon, where it
practically provides a full course.
With it are sometimes served small
pastry turnovers stuffed with well
seasoned meat. Every country
has Its favorite soup. There is the
Italian minestrone and the French
potage de bonne femme. At different
homes and restaurants In foreign
countries you seldom find them twice
alike, any more than you find vege
table soup In this country made to
a pattern.
Another request was for recipes
for split pea, Danish bean and Hina
bean soups. All of these soups are
made on the same principle. The
peas or beans are soaked, cooked un
til very tender, and passed through
a sieve. During the cooking, sliced
onion, celery stalks, leaves, nr seed,
a bit of bay leaf and thyme may be
added. At this point there are a
number of things which can be done
to differentiate the soup one time
from another. Meat stock, including
ham stock, water or. mjjk çnjj he
added. Sometimes a little vinegar or
sliced lemon or horseradish may be
added to the soup stock. Often a lit
tle "binder" of butter, mixed with
flour, Is added at the last moment to
hold tho soup smoothly together.
Still another requested recipe was
for a tomato soup—n very general
request—for ther$ are at least half
a dozen different kinds, from a clear
tomato bouillon to a thick potage.
Probably the request refers to the
favorite tomato bisque, which Is made
like all cream soups, with one ex
ception. Dream soups are made by
flavoring n smooth white s auce with
strained conked vegetable pulp, and
please note—seasoning It very well.
A bit of oniivn, a bay leaf, or a few
.cloves may be conked with the toma
to. After the tomatoes are strained
and before they are added to the
cream sauce, a dash of soda and a
little sugar should he added. This
prevents the sauce's separating.
After the soup is blended, add ad
ditional seasoning to taste. Hem Is
where the last touch of seasoning
makes the soup Interesting. This ap
plies, of course, to all soups as well
ns to tomato. Look at your pantry
shelf and put those bottles of sauces
and boxes of spices to good use to
give the soup that extra flavor, del
icate but Individual.
Split Pea Soup.
1 pint split pens
2 quarts cold water
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks celery
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper
% teaspoon mustard
Cayenne
3 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons grated horseradish
Drain and
Soak peas overnight,
add cold water, onion, 'nml, celery.
Simmer three or four hours until
pens are soft. Rub through sieve. Re
heat, adding seasonings and butter.
Garnish with lemon,
may be used Instead of peas.
Black beans
Cream of Tomato Soup.
1 pint rnllk or white stock
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butler
1 pint tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 slices onion
3 cloves
1 teaspoon sugar
14 teaspoon soda
Make a w h it e sauce of the liquid,,
flour and butter. Cook the tomatoes
with seasoning until tender, and rub
through a sieve. Add the sugar and
soda to the tomatoes and gradually
add the tomatoes to the white sauce,
stirring constantly.
Russian Borscht,
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
1 quart meat stock
X cup minced beets
% cup minced carrots
Û cup celery, minced
1 cup cut cabbage
1 potato
S fresh tomatoes, or
1 cup canned tomatoes
y, cup sour cream
Salt and popper
1 tablespoon vinegar
Mince onions and fry In butter un
Serve at once.
/utlcumTil
Mill)
r -
■jmJLs _
Ol
Fine, »oft and »mooth a » silk ,
it keeps tho skin comfortable
twenty-four hours of the day. It also does
much to prevent chafing and irritation.
Price 25c.
Proprietors: Potter Dnijl A Chemical CorpwMâldeii, M im,
OUT
Mi
til light brown. Add to meat stock
with other vegetables. Simmer two
hours, season with vinegar, salt and
pepper. Serve and add to each serv
ing one tablespoon sour cream.
© 1933, Bell Syndicate.—WNU Servie*.
|
.
1
Make Use of Old Maps
as Wall Decorations
Whether you are a traveling per
son or not you are now justified In
making a collection of maps, for It
has amounted to a craze. Maps have
a perpetual fascination for most of
us. This Is true even of the matter
of-fact maps of today ; how ranch
more true of thoso of bygone cen
turies, when the mapmakers mingled
fancy with fact, and paid as much at
tention to color and ornament ns to
Because of this, a nutn
nccuracy !
her of people have recently been
using these old maps as wall decora
tions. In some very charming rooms
the walls have been covered with
them.
It Is rather an expensive way of
decorating a room, because old maps
are costly, and the craze for collect
ing them has kept up the price, even
In these days when other prices are
falling. But a good reproduction can
be just ns attractive ns an original,
and some very fine reproductions In
deed have just been published by the
trustees of the British museum. They
are facsimiles of colored originals I#
our great national treasure houses.
I>r, Pierce's Pellets are best for liver,
bowels and stomach. One little Pellet for
a laxative—three for a cathartic.—Adv.
Practical View
First Woman—I think it's nice for
a man to spend a lot of time at his
own fireside.
Second Woman.
Tes, hut If he
spends too much of It there, there
won't be any fuel to keep the Are
up.—Pathfinder Magazine.
30,000
MILES AND
MORE WITHOUT
GRINDING
VALVES
V
M.
\\ I
• The big new Dodge Six does
more than talk economy— it
GIVES you economy! An amaz
ing new invention, called the
"inserted valve seat", made of
fine chromium alloy, saves gas
and cuts operating expense.
Valves don't need grinding for 30
thousand miles or more. And
that's only one of the sensational
features of the big new Dodge
Six—just; a f ew dollars more
than the lowest priced cars !
Sensational
SHOW DOWN
U
If
PLAN
Sweeps Nation!
Imagine a car that sells itself
—and doubles its sales almost
overnight in city alter dty.
That's what the new Dodge
is doing... laying its cards on
the table ... then asking any
other car near its price to match
It on the open road, in traffic
and op hills. Go to your near
est Dodge dealer today and
ask for the sensational "Show
Down 1
make your own "Show-Down"
test against any other car.
scors card Then
DODGE "6
11
with Floating Power
engine mountings
115-INCH WHEELBASE
*595
AND
*
*
UP
Dodge Eight f1115 to f!39i. All price*
f. o. b. factory, Detroit,