Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-12-25

tncu lOne IDHrkeU III ClaTkSVllle.-
Hdrtsvile Vidctte.
-
KENTUCKY HEROINE.
How she saved Wounded Onsccr
from Brutal Mob.
The Paris True Kentuckian has
been publishing series of articles en-
titled the "Confessions of Nose Web
ster, the Noted Guerrilla, and in its
last issue has the following which we
doubt not will prove interesting to
many of our Kentucky readers:
1 go aside from the regular line of
my narrative, to give the details of
an occurrence in Paris, which was
told to me by an eyewitness of the
scene. 1t was an act of heroism on
the part Of a lady then residing in
Paris, one whose name Is dear to the
heart Of every Kentucky Confederate
soldier. I allude to Mrs. Henrietta
Lindsay Hamilton, the accomplished
widow of the late Col. A. w. Ham,
iiton, OF Mt. Sterling and for whom
the Hamilton Guards were named
who won imperishable renown dur
ing the war: lady as much noted for
the possession ofall the modest graces
and virtues which distinguish her sex,
as she Is for womanly pride and cour-
age.
Lieutenant Knapp, of Mississippi,
having been severely wounded at
Zollicoffer's defeat, after recovering
sufficiently to travel by slow coaches,
WAS par0led at Camp Chase. On his
arrival ut Lexington, he was arrested
and put In prison by the local militia
~ upstarts, regardless of his parole.
fortunately for him, General George
w. Morgan, the present distinguished
democratic Congressman from Ohio,
arrived In Lexington, on his way to
Cumberland Gap, and he caused the
oficious zealots to respect the parole
Of the wounded lieutenant, and
placed him under charge of Mrs.
Judge Clark, of Ohio, who was gath
eing up clothing for the Confederates
at Camp Chase. She was compelled
To stop over night at Paris to procure
the clothing which Mrs. Hamilton
htd collected In Bourbon, and she
and Lieutenant Knapp become the
gtests Of that lady. The officer be-
ing weak from his wounds, and hav-
ing to leave on the morning train, re-
tifed at an early hour, Mrs. III. re-
qyesting j. @. Cradock, ESQ.,, now
editor of the Paris True Kentuckian,
tdroom with him, as there was no
gentleman connected with her rhouse.
She was seeing Mrs. Clark retire,
when a servant came up to the room
a nd said that gentleman had rung
the bell and asked for Mrs. H. She
went down to the reception room, and
asked his business. He pretened to
be an escaped rebel prisoner, and
asked for lodging protection. Her
suspicions being aroused by his man.
ner, she replied that her house was
crowded with guests, and that he
would be safe among Southern people
at the hotel few doors below. He
enquired II there was not Confeder-
ate lieutenant In the house, saying
that he would like to see him. She
answered that the lieutenant had al
ready retired, and as he was very
weak from severe wounds, and had tC
depart on the 6 A. NJ. train, she die
not wish him distured; but If the in
quirer would call up in the morning
he would he gratified; whereupen she
opened the door leading into the hall
and was astonished to find 1t being
crowded with men with blackened
faces and hats pulled over their eyes
With rare presence of mind she in
stantly placed herself between the
mob and the stairway leading to the
lieutenant's room, and demanded t6
know what they meant by intruding
into the house of a defenseless widow
in that manner? They answered
that they understood there was a reb.
ell lieutenant i'm the house, and they
were determined no rebel should stay
in the town. She replied that they
could not take him without they
went over her dead body; that he
should remain until his intended de
parture on the morning train, II II
cost her life; that she had never sup
posed that Bourbon contained q sci
of brutal and cOwardly miscreants
who would invade the house of a de
fenseless widow to maltreat a pooi
wounded prisoner, who was simply
on his way to prison on parole; that
notwithstanding their disguise, she
recognized some of them, and IL they
dared to touch her person to reacl
the lieutenant every Confederate
aye, every gentleman In the county,
would make them pay for the outrag,
with their lives. Awed by the indig
nant scorn of the heroic woman, ant
shamed In their cowardly purpose by
the noble courage she displayed, they
sneaked crestfallen from the house
firing OFF pistols as they went.
Mrs. III. instantly ran TO the lieu
tenants room, aroused Mr.. Craddock
and requested him to go immediately
To the Bourbon House and ask MajO
Brocht to call. Mr.. G.. said he fairly
trembled In his boots at the idea o
venturing on the dark streets anS
into the presence of such a mob; tina
he thought courting bachelor ough
to run the risk of being shot to piece
before he shadowed the white feathe
widow, and so he boldly stepped out
Fortunately the mob had gone by |
back street. Maj. Brocht prompt,
\ pressed himself, and accompanied
Mr. CraddOck and other gentlemen
to Mrs. Hamilton's. The Majo
profiered TO take the lieutenant TO hi
own room, saying il was u point o
honor with all honorable soldiers I.
protect paroled prisoners and especi
ally wounded ones. Mrs. Hamilton
said; "No; If no one else protects hin
at my house / will.n Maj. Brooch
said he would remain, but that tn,
local fanatics had already reportes
at him Washington, and tried h
break him Of his c0mmission, becaus'
lhe had SllnnlY nctnd the pnntlemaIl