The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-24

AN INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY Con-
cERNING A CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAnRoAI
BOND.-During the war, Major Fl. NJ. Bell
now 4 member of the House of Delegates
from Augusta county, was an officer of the
Confederate States QuartermaSter's Depart.
ment, and Senator j. 4. Waddell was his
clerk. In June, 1864, when Gen. Hunter
made his raid to Staunton, Maj. Bell, then
ut that place, in company with Mr.. Wad.
dell and others, fearing lest they might be
captured by the raiders, left Staunton and
made their headquarters for 4 while at Ar
rington depot, in the county Of Nelson.
Mr.. Waddell had in his possession, besides
the papers belonging to the Confederate
some Confederate bonds belonging to Mrs.
Opie, Of Staunton. This last fact was one
of the circumstances which led to the dis
coyery of the bond Of which we are about
to speak.
Besides these valuable papers, Senator
Waddell had with him first mortgage bond
for 81 900 Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
road Company, then the Virginia Central.
At Arlington depot the party hoped to
be safe from the inroads of Hunter and his
crew, but the item which we now chronicle
proves the contrary to be true. The party
had scarcely fixed themselves for business
when they were surprised by party of the
raiders, and the house in which they had
made their headquarters was burned, and,
as they then thought, all the papers which
they had placed there.
a short time before the close of the war q
Federal officer entered Charlestown, West
Virginia, and gave to some of Mrs. Opie's
friends the Confederate bond which had
been, with the papers, supposed to have
been destroyed in the fire. This cir.
cumstance led Mr.. Waddell to be.
lieve that his bond had not been de-
stroyed, but acting under the fear that il
had, he applied to the Virginia Central
Railroad Company for renewal of the
bond according to the Act Of Assembly, in
such cases made and provided; and the
company issued new bond to him at once
in place Of the one supposed to have been
destroyed. This bond he retained in his
possession until the present time, without
drawing the interest on the coupons, which
are due semi-annually-in January and
July.
1t now turns out that the bond was not
destroyed, as at first supposed, but was
stolen and carried away from Arlington
for, on Thursday last, MIR. Edward Cohen, g
broker in this city, presented the bond at
the office Of the railroad company for the
payment of the interest on the coupons, the
number being 2S9, and corresponding with
the memoranda In every respect which Mr.
Waddell had retained. ...
Gen. Wickham, vice-president of the rail-
road, upon examining the records OF the
company, discovered that the bond which
MIR. Cohen had presented was the identical
property of Mr.. Waddell, and thereupon
dispatched messenger to inform that gen.
tleman of what had occurred. Mr.. Waddeu
Immediately filled an application in Judge
Fitzhugh's court for an injunction staying
any action in the matter until his claims
could be set forth and the matter thoroughly
examined. Judge Fitzhugh granted the
Injunction, and the bond is now in the
Office of Mr.. BENZ. F. Berry, the clerk OF
the Chanccry Court. v
. MIR. Cohen received the bond In question
from q clearinghouse in Baltimore, but
where they got it is matter yet to be IN
yestigated. II is little remarkable that
none of the coupons had been taken OH !;
and this is rather indicative that the present
owner of the bond must have been the In
diyidual who captured" it at Arlington
depot. For the present, the matter remains
as we have stated it; but after the Christ
mas holidays it will be looked into, and Mi.
Waddell's claims fully heard.