The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-02-15

the commandant at New Orleans directing
him to procure her a free pass to Vera
Cruz By the first steamer. Through the
agency Of the two Secretaries the Lodges
placed in her hands three hundred dollars,
with a talismanic card from the Grand
Master at Washington, and the widow left
the city
When she reached Pittsburg, the stage
agent seeing the letter she bore from the
Grand Master, would receive nothing for
her passage-the Captain of the steamer
on which she embarked for New Orleans,
no sooner deciphered it than he gave her
the best state.rcom he had, and when she
reached the Crescent City, she had two
hundred and ninety dollars left of her
three hundred. She there waited on the
General in command of the station, with
the letter the Secretary of State, ,whoim-
mediately instructed the Colonel in com.
uand of the forwarding troops to see that
she had a free passage to Vera Crnz By
the first steamer By all the officers she
was treated with the greatest politeuess
and delicacY, for they were all Mas ons
and felt bound to her by ties as saroug
and delicate as those which bind a broth
er to sister and rejoiced in the opportu,
nifty offered them of evincing the benign
apd noble principles of the craft.
| After a passage of fve days she reached
Vera Cruz, aud having letter from the
( L.. oL No, 0ri.opg 20 ~ q
American Governor she sent it to him,
enclosing the talismauic card she received
/ from the Grand Master at Washington.
The Governor Immediately waited on her
at the hotel and offered her transporta-
ton to the city of Mexico by train that
would start the next morning. The Colo
! mel who commanded the train, kindly
took her in charge and offered her every
facility and comfort on her journey, pro-
Vided her with carriage where the
country is level, aud with mules and pa
lanquins over the mountains.
Within ninety miles Of the city, they
were overtaken by detachment Of dra-
goons. escorting a government official to
the General 10 command. Anxious to
get on faster; she asked permission of
the Colonel to join the detachment, and
though informed of the danger and ia.
tigue Of riding all day on horseback, she
was willing to brave ali that she might
sooner see her son The Colonel then
provided her With feet and gentle Mex,
Iean- pony aud she assumed her place
with the troops, escorted by the officers,
aud never fatigued TIL the towers Of Mex.
leo were in sight.
She reached the city On the second
days battle, aud IN the heat Of the battle
attempted to enter the gates. An officer
instantly seized the bride and told her
she must wait until the city was taken.
"Oh ! sir" she exclaimed, n cannot
wait one hour in sight OF the city that
holds M son prisoner must see him,
sir"
THE city must first be taken, madam" !"
he again replied with much emphasis,
becoming excited.
II cannot wait, sir, she replied, "my
son may be ill-dying-in chains-iu =
duugeon-one hours delay may remove
him from me- Oh | must go to him
1 will enter the city"
"Madam," said the officer, "you cannot
reach it but by crossing the battlefield
you will surely be killed"
"Sir," said the lady, 81 have not trav-
eled from Virginia to the gates of the city
to fear to enter them-thanks for your
kindness-a thousand heartfelt thanks for
you aud the officers who have been so kind
to me. | shall always remember these
officers with tbs most grateful feelings of
my heart-but don't detain me longer.
Yorder is gate that leads to the city.
| will enter it in search of my boy.
And on she sped, but ere she reached
the gate another officer rode up by her
side and admouished her of danger and
imprudeuce.
"Sir," she replied, 'this is ne time to
talk of prudence and fear-my son, my
only sou, is prisoner inI chains. | am
told :hat Santa Anna is in the midst of
your glltteriDg group. L VIII sesh MIN
aud in his hand place the tallsmanic card
which | bear-he is a Mason and will ccr-
tainly heed me-"
"War destroys all brotherhood" said
an officer who was not a Mason. She
made DO reply, but watching her moment
struck her pony and darted across the
field Of death. At that moment the
masked battery that moved down one-half
of the Palmetto regiment, opened-yet
right across the CORY field she was seen
gallOping on her white pony, avoiding the
retreating platoons by q emicircle
around their fank-the next moment she
was seen coursing over the ground In the
rear, the battery in full play. Hundreds
L. foxuatF,l &c . n 49,,