Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-06-10
PRENTICE.
The bravery or George d. Prentice.

The bravery or George u, Prentice.
A Washington correspondent pays
a beautiful tribute to the memory Cf
the late pOet-editor, George ID. Prens
tice. In the article the writer says
Mr.. Prentice was a brave man.
- Except his terrible brain-shafts,
which had world wide range, be carried
no concealed weapons. He never
fought a duel. He had many street
and Office rencounters, in which he
was never the aggressOr; always victo-
riOus; but this generous man never
pushed victory beyond present safety.
An aggrieved person travelled many
miles to kill Mr.. Prentice. After
moments struggle the knee Of Mr..
| Prentice was upon the breast Of his
armed assailant. An eager-edged knife
was thrust into his hand, and one Of
Kentucky's chivalric gentlemen cried,
cut the scCundrePs throatn Mr..
Prentice cast the knife aside; he would
not strike a PROSTATE foe"
That Mr.. Prentice was a truly brave
man there is no shadow of doubt; and
| physically he was strong. Weare not
aware that in his many personal en-
counters he employed any weapon
aside from his stout arms but we do
know that in his old days 1t would
have been dangerous to have attacked
him in his sanctum. The room where
he mused and wrote at times presented
something Of the appearance ofa small
arsenal. In the years Of the war mis-
chief delight was Henry rifle. He
examined it carefully every few days,
and kept it in good repair. Every
month he took the precaution to dis
| charge the chambers, usually firing
through the open window at q solid
object in the back yard. After dis
charging the rifle, he would then clean
it and carefully reload it. He kept
9th fire arms, but the Henry rifle
was his fayorite. Mr. Prentice was no
coward, but in those troubled times he
deemed prudent to prepared for any
emergency. The Journal was Prentice,
and Prentice was the Journal The
editor was a shining mark he stood
in the way Of scheming men; desper-
ate characters thronged the city, and!t
was well for him to he prudent. When
danger was ever present, he would
have been lacking in wisdom had he
not united caution to bravery.
AN INCIDENT.
We will record single incident il
lustrating the resolute character Of
Mr.. Prentice. 1t was in the last year
of the war. An II diana regiment was
passing through the city Of Louisville
on their way to the front. The officers
exercised little restraint over their
men. The soldiers struggled from the
ranks and pillaged some cf the stores
on the line of march. The writer Of
this Article witnessed the unmlitary-
like display with surprise and indigna.
ton. We went at once to the Journal
office, and wrote an article comment
ingseyerly upon the reg iment, closing
by inviting the attention Of Gen. Pal
mer to the lack Of dicipline in the or
ganization, as was demon strated by the
struggling pilfering march. Before 10
o'clock the next day the Major Of the
regiment, accompanied by six Of his
Captains, presented himself at the
Journal building. The officers wore
their side arms, and strobe menacing-
ly into the room of the edt0r-in-chief,
angrAy demanding the name of the
writer Of the Objectionable article, and
pompously insisting on full and imme-
diate retractiOn. Without showing
any signs of temper, Mr.. Prentice re.
marked: " Be seated, gentlemen; the
writer of the article is not in Just now,
but | am expecting him every moment.
We will then investigate the case"
and he cOolly went on with his ex-
change reading. When we entered
the office the situation looked stormy.
Glancing up from his table, the chief
remarked: Mr.. b., it seems that
you have stirred up a hornets nest.
These gentlemen called to say that the
article in the Journal, this morning,
in regard to their regiment, is untruth-
ful and unjust, and they are pleased to
add that if we do not retract they will
march their regiment into the city and
pull down the Journal office. Be good
enough to explain" Heeding neither
the angry looks nor the angry words
Of the redoubtable Major and his Cap.
tains, we said: Mr.. Prentice, there
is nothing to retract. The article dealt
with facts and can be proven by the
shop-keepers themselves, to say moth
lug of hundreds of well-known citizens
upon the street at the time.n The irate
officers became more boisteroGs, end
talked of pitching us out of the win
dow. "Be calm, gentlemen said
Mr.. P, rising, and his brow was firm;
ly knit, and his eyes full Of resolutionl
I" be calm, gentlemen; buster will
not do here; soldiers should not blus-
ter; go back to your camp; return
here at the head of your companies; |
believe that the Journal has spoken
truly, and having spoken the truth,
the Journal has nothing to retract.p
The old man looked really grand as he
thus rose and confronted the stalwart
tndlanians. The odds were against
him, but there was no hesitation, no
show of fear. The officers quailed be-
fore MS resolute bearing. But they
went away loudly protesting that un-
less the Journal retracted, they would
pull the office down next day. Mr..
Prentice turned to his table again, and
wrote with his palsied hand, as he
wrote nearly all his strongest things,
not depending on his amanuensis at
such times, one of his bitterest articles.
He arraigned the Indiana regiment for
its lack of dicipline; commented saw
agely upon its outrageous proceedings,
and urged that the officers and men
be sent to the front in disgrace. Itwas
telling, bitter article, such an article
,, as only Prentice could write. We have
nothing to add but that the Journal
office was not pulled down, while the
Indianians were sent to the front, as
Mr.. p. suggested, in disgrace. Clear
: ly, George d. Prentice was no part of
i a coward. He was physically aud
$ morally brave as the bravest.
/ How Ramsey Paid His Rent.
D Wit is sometimes worth mon
4 ey but it is quite essential to have q