San Juan Hill, a Bad Marriage, and Five Years Gone
Capt. Richard Steadman sailed off heartbroken to Cuba, came back a brevet major, and married his first sweetheart within a week of learning she was free.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Vancouver Barracks — Capt. Richard R. Steadman and Mrs. Jessie E. Flynn were married Saturday evening by the Rev. E. P. Hill at the residence of the bride's mother, 48 North Ninth street.
This marriage is the culmination of an old romance. Years ago when Capt. Steadman was a young lieutenant of the Sixteenth infantry, stationed at Salt Lake City, he met Miss Jessie Bean and fell in love, and all seemed well, but a lover's tiff separated the pair, and Lieut. Steadman, believing himself cast aside, sailed away with his regiment to Cuba, and plunged into the Spanish-American war. He was twice mentioned for gallantry at the battle of San Juan Hill, and was promoted brevet major for distinguished service in the Cuban campaign.
In the meantime Miss Bean became Mrs. Flynn, but all did not go well with this union, and the law parted Mrs. Flynn from the man she had married.
Friends of Capt. Steadman made him aware of the condition of affairs with his old sweetheart, who was now living in Portland, Ore., and he hastened here, renewed his courtship and in less than one week the old feeling sprang up anew and quietly the little romance was brought to its natural end, and Mrs. Flynn was married to the man whom fate had been holding for her through five long and eventful years.
The bridesmaid was Miss Bessie Switzler, and the best man was Dr. Poutz, Nineteenth infantry, a comrade of Capt. Steadman throughout the Cuban campaign.
“In less than one week the old feeling sprang up anew and quietly the little romance was brought to its natural end.”
Divorce was scandal enough in 1903 that the paper reported it as 'the law parted Mrs. Flynn from the man she had married,' and remarriage was faster than most society columns could forgive. Vancouver Barracks is now the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site; the house at 48 North Ninth Street is gone, but the story of a second chance at a first love is exactly the kind of thing that still travels.
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