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He practiced law in the State of New York, and subsequently in Illinois. He was for many years engaged extensively in farming and railroad management. In 1848 he was a member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention, and subsequently of the Legislature. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in the Eighty-Third Illinois Infantry, and became its Colonel. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
But the brigadier was quite unmoved. "A minute," he said. "Let us wait until twelve o'clock, as he goes and dines there every day. I shall catch them with it under their noses." The gendarme smiled, pleased at his chief's idea, and Lecacheur also smiled now, for the affair of the shepherd struck him as very funny: deceived husbands are always amusing.
In two minutes he had spoken to the Infantry brigadier, and asked whether immediate assistance could not be sent. Then he wrote this note to Major Harville "Your message timed 3.40 P.M. received at 4.30 P.M. "Hold on: you are doing splendidly, and counter-attacks are being organised. "Teams with limbers to withdraw your guns to rear position by 8 P.M. are being sent for."
"You don't know anything about your Brigadier," he added in a sepulchral murmur, the echo of an empty canteen. "I have only been in this brigade a month, and I know more than you do, far, very far more, sorry to say it. He's a reformed clergyman. He's an apostatized minister." The Colonel's voice as he said this was solemn and sad enough to do credit to an undertaker.
As the machines rose a big motor-car came flying on to the ground and two staff officers alighted. Blackie turned and saluted his brigadier. "We only just got the message through, sir," he said. The general nodded. "It was signalled to me on the road," he said; "I expected it. Who is in charge of that flight?" "Mr. MacTavish, sir." "Tam, eh?" The general nodded his approval.
He would not allow any one to resist the authority of the law for a moment, and, knocking at the door with the hilt of his sword, he cried out: "Open the door, in the name of the law." As this order had no effect, he roared out: "If you do not obey, I shall smash the lock. I am the brigadier of the gendarmerie, by G ! Here, Lenient."
The cavalry regiment had halted when it arrived on the plank road; all was reported quiet at the front; the patrols were moving northward, and, attended by a staff officer, the young brigadier had ridden towards the turnpike. The path they followed led to a wide clearing at the summit of a hill, from which there was a view eastward as far as Dowdall's Tavern.
"That man," said a Lieutenant, "when he saw our Brigadier coming up, presented him with a couple of persimmons very politely. But it was no go; the General ordered him under guard and eat the persimmons as part of the punishment." "Well," rejoined the Colonel, "we'll let you off with guard duty for the night." No. 2. "Killing a shoat while the Regiment halted at noon."
As the gentlemen of the staff got their sea legs, and flavored the narration of their experiences with humor, I found myself in a cloudy state and mentioned a small matter to the brigadier surgeon, who whipped out a thermometer and took my temperature, and that man of science gave me no peace night or day, and drove me from the ship into Paradise that is to say I was ordered to stay at Honolulu.
Orders were then given for the garrison to withdraw through the line of pickets at midnight on the 22nd. Brigadier Hope's brigade covered all their movements, and Brigadier Greathead's brigade closed in the rear, and formed the rearguard as the troops retired through a long narrow lane, the only road open for them towards the Dilkoosha.
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