Post by elisabeth on Dec 17, 2007 11:25:51 GMT -6
Since we seem to be running a trifle short on the plastic receptacles at the moment, here's a new line of enquiry.
Benteen briefly (B-G Letters, p. 268-9) mentions the sad story of Lt. Phil Reade. He married a lady who'd been a member of a travelling concert/theatrical troupe. According to Benteen, Reade sent her off, still virgo intacta, to Italy to study her singing. There, she became pregnant by "some Dago", as Benteen so delicately puts it. Reade spread the story that she'd died in childbirth, but in fact divorced her: "she was dead to him".
Now I'd assumed all along that poor Reade must be a super-obscure 7th Cavalry officer that we'd never heard of, but it's only just dawned on me that he must be this chap, from the 3rd Infantry:
www.photographymuseum.com/soulelg.html
He looks so sweet here that it'd be nice to know more of his story. A bit of swift Googling reveals that he soon rose to Captain, and was a Colonel by the time of the Philippines war; so the disastrous non-marriage can't have hampered him much. He seems to have been pretty good at his job, which may be why Benteen's tone is largely sympathetic.
Only idle curiosity ... but it'd be kind of interesting to know more about the singing wife. And whether poor Reade married again, more successfully. And -- well, anything, really. Anybody know anything?
Benteen briefly (B-G Letters, p. 268-9) mentions the sad story of Lt. Phil Reade. He married a lady who'd been a member of a travelling concert/theatrical troupe. According to Benteen, Reade sent her off, still virgo intacta, to Italy to study her singing. There, she became pregnant by "some Dago", as Benteen so delicately puts it. Reade spread the story that she'd died in childbirth, but in fact divorced her: "she was dead to him".
Now I'd assumed all along that poor Reade must be a super-obscure 7th Cavalry officer that we'd never heard of, but it's only just dawned on me that he must be this chap, from the 3rd Infantry:
www.photographymuseum.com/soulelg.html
He looks so sweet here that it'd be nice to know more of his story. A bit of swift Googling reveals that he soon rose to Captain, and was a Colonel by the time of the Philippines war; so the disastrous non-marriage can't have hampered him much. He seems to have been pretty good at his job, which may be why Benteen's tone is largely sympathetic.
Only idle curiosity ... but it'd be kind of interesting to know more about the singing wife. And whether poor Reade married again, more successfully. And -- well, anything, really. Anybody know anything?