Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/284

 278 Southern Historical Society Papers.

associate editor, in Frankfort or Louisville. The surroundings of Camp Cooper did not suit him, and he sighed for the good things to be found in Louisville. He liked hotel life, where all the luxuries are easily attainable, and was fond of getting up late, after working well into the night before. He was a natural soldier, and took kindly to duty, but the restraints of the regular army were not so much to his fancy. He had been assistant quartermaster, with the rank of captain, in June, 1846, during the Mexican war, and was quartermaster of General Pillow's division in the Valley of Mexico, and received the brevet of major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, on August 20, 1847, and was disbanded, after the close of the war, in October, 1848. He had also been in the Cuban expedition under General Lopez, and at Cardenas was very seriously wounded. This was in May, 1850, so a military life was no new thing to him, and he liked its excitement, but he did not like the monotony of a frontier post, and grew very restless under it. There was not novelty enough about it. His violin served to while away many an hour, and he became quite proficient on that instrument. His studies, too, gave him occupa- tion, and he kept up with the literature of the day.

Captain O'Hara was extremely neat in his personal appearance, and took great pains with himself. When his second lieutenant re- ported to him in Louisville, he was greatly struck with O'Hara's neatness. Between these two men a warm friendship commenced, which was continued ever afterward. Nothing was too good for O'Hara in the lieutenant's opinion, and he could not do him too much honor. O' Hara made many friends; he was of a genial, sunny disposition, and was inclined to look on the bright side of every- thing. He had a decided taste for literature, and had been well edu- cated, his father paying particular attention to that. He was well acquainted with the English classics, and understood Greek and Latin very well. He had a strong military bent, as has been seen, and was a capable officer ; but, with all this, he preferred to be a newspaper man, and was perfectly at home writing for the daily press. He was clear and forcible, and, when inclined, could weave into his productions much poetry and grace. Could he have been satisfied with the plodding work of an editor, he would have been successful ; but he could not bear for a considerable time the restraints and exactions of that calling. When he set about writing anything- he threw his whole mind into it, and evolved a shapely production.