Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-25
VOL. XXXIy,.g,as'.,..,ssss5ss.s'.% :, e
fFrom the Nashville Banner, 1lthl
LOVE AND BLOOD.

The Story of a North Mississippi Girl
who Runs Away will, am Overseer
and the Assassination of the Lat
ter. -''+ f-i III
: zOn Sunday afternoon we conversed with
Esquire John Richardson, of Cold Water,
North Mississippi, who passed through
Nashville en- route for Elizabethtown, Ken,
tucky, where. he has married daughter
residing. From him we learned tie de-
tails of one of the most romantic love af-
fairs and sanguinary denouements which
has been recorded in the Southwest since
the famous Beauchamp tragedy. We give
the story in very nearly the words of our
informant. - '.1N - e.
Before the war there lived near Cold
Water widow lady by thename of Bysom.
She had two Children, son and daughter,
and was reputed to be rich. When the war
began the son entered the Confederate SER
vice as Lieutenant in Colonel Kennedy's
rifle reeimeilt leaving his mother and sis
ter on the home place in charge of John
Oglesby. young man who lei5the rebel
service after the first year, and assumed the
duties OF overseer and general manager of
tfies Bysomz plantation. He was Of good
connections, however, and student of
law-poor, and ratherbandsome. Between
him aud Miss Bysom an attachment soon
sprang up, which resulted in matrimonial
engagement. This the young people con-
knowledge of the mother, who had con-
ceived q dislike for Oglesby, and the course
she pursued under the circumstances was
a little peculiar, and as the sequel proved,
most unfortunate. She sent for the .'over-
seer as she persisted in styling her would
be son-in-law, Informed him that she was
aware OF his desire to marry her daughter,
adding that she had no objection, that it
was for the two to decide and they might
suit themselves; "but," she continued, "it
is right to tell you that you will get moth
ing but wife by the arrangement-nOt
cent of money nor an acre of land, nor
single nigger." She then showed him the
title deeds by which it appeared that dow
-er embraced all of the original estate over
and above the debts, amounting to nearly
fifty thousand dollars, and concluded by
assuring him that "she meant to live long,
time, and when she died he need not eN-
pect co be any richer, for she intended TO
will her property to Others. sei --.l ~.
On receiving this rather blunt statement
0glesby declared that he was indifferent to
moneyed considerations; did not care for
.expenses, and would marry the girlin spite
fof her lack of the .'stamps."1 -'ei 30 ifiti
VERY WE'LL" said the old lady. ''you do
it at your own risk Ny overseer must not
marry my daughter. You must resign
your position on the place, and give you
notice that L shall notify the conscript
soldier, as soon as you give iG up" ft..
Oglesby reflected for a moment, asked
for time, and there the matter rested for
several weeks. Meanwhile the war went
on; news came of the battle of Muir
freesboro, and with it tidings that young
Bysom was terribly wounded. The mo-
ther, frantic and tor the nonce oblivious to
every other circumstance, set out at once
for the front" leaving the plantation and
ha In Uhfpr N thn par of the OVarSeer.
whose ambition, o"impertinence," as she
called it, she vainly imagined she had
Quelled. But she mistook her man. Three
day after she lett, q party of Federal guer-
rillas under Dave, Ransom, of Hawkins
command, came into the neighborhood.
Late that night, the neighbors were start
led by the glare of fire from the Bysom
homestead. Panic-stricken and confused,
they did not make an effort to save the
premises or stir out of doors, and when
daylight came, and a few people, more
venturesome than the rest, sough hit the scene
OF the confederation they found pile'of
ashes and smoldering embers, watched
over by the negro women of the place and
one old negro man. - '...-'i %
The story told by these, was that -ssthe
Yankees" had come there for supper; that
Mr.. Oglesby and "y0ung mistuS" had en-
-tertained the officers that about eleven
o'clock these officers, accompanied by the
overseer and the young lady, had lett IN
company; that an hour or two after, a
squad of men had returned and fired the
house and induced the .'likely" ones of the
negro men to go off with them.
Nothing more, could be elected and
nothing more was heard OF the guerrillas
orthe runaway couple. When Mrs. By
som got back with her wounded son she
found her dwelling and her daughter gone.
Pursuit was impossible. The fortunes of
the South were beginning to wane; the
country was filing with partisan bodies OF
rowing troops. Young Bysom was wound
ed nigh unto DEATH" and when he got on
his legs once more, all traceof the fugitives
was lost. He was too feeble however, to
return to the war and remained at home,
constructing cabin for himself and his
mother. aud managing to press liveli-
| hood out of the farm by the aid of the few
antiquated negroes that staid with him.
| Thus time wore on. wilson made MS raid,
Lee surrendered and the war came to an
! end. -f tE
About year. later young Bysom-who
had married-concluded to 90 into the dry
1 goods business and started North to pur-
| Chase goods. He went to New York and
EPhiladelphia, and stopped on his way back
at Pittsburg. Here, while walking care
,lessly through the streets, he encountered
| his long lost sister. She either did not rec
ognize him or tried to avoid him, but he fol
lowed her to the door of a house of ill
| fame, saw her enter, rang the bell, was
bushered into. one of the saloons" aud
stood face to face with the unfortunate
4 woman. - ~ o.. 4a-sl
Her story was sad indeed. The harsh
conduct ,Tof her mother had somewhat
alienattd her affection, and she had par
TALLY consented to a secret marriage with
i Oglesby, who, under one preteXt after an
\ other, had SO far overcome her scruples as
Ito compromise her honor and get her ir
4 his power She had no intention of eloping
| with him. The evening the party of guer-
/ rillas came she was Ignorant of his or theil
design, but entered very readily into the
lhospiralities of the occasion, and stimulated
by wine and moved by threats and en-
4 treaties, she was at last half forced away
| She knew nothing of the contlagration.-
They had gone first to Memphis anG
then to Chicago, where Oglesby got intC
some employment. Thence he wen
to New York, where he made considerable
sums of money as a gambler. Finally hi
4 left her, entered the Federal service, anC
was killed, she believed, in one of the las
A battles OF the war-at least she knew moth
!. ing of him. As for herself, she declared
that she was lost forever-would never re
turn to her home. She Immediately lef
the room and escaped. Bysom, being lily
yersed in city life, was unable to take thu
steps necessary to compel her wishes in thu
matter, and came back to his mother will
nothing but recital of his sisters shame
The sequel of this unfortunate narrativ,
!, is brief and bloody. Oglesby, it seems
was not killed, but managed somehow afte
the war to get into the cotton bureau, anC
about six weeks ago, drawn either by tha
mysterious spell of guilt, which often lure
bad men to their doom, or by yet NOR,
, vulgar curiosity, ventured into the neigh
borhood of his crime. Bysom was inform
ed of his presence and started at once il
. pursuit. He came upon the betrayer of hi
: sisters honor at a blacksmith shop, wher
he was having his horse shod. -stp7a. .
/, The unfortunate but guilty man wa
r cessiye shots from Colts navy, each bar