Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-07
THE TRICE-AIAURY AFFAIR.
Another Version of the Afair-Letter
from GEN. Afaury.


From the Huntsville Democrat, Feb. 4.
The Memphis appeal and, possibly, 9th
er papers, have published an account of an
assault made by Mr.. Trice, the conductor
of sleeping car on the Memphis and
Charleston Railroad, on Gen. Dabney 81.
Maury, on the night Of Jan. 81, at Chat
tanooga. This account varies, very mate
rally, from the facts of the case, and were
probably, derived from Mr.. Trice, who de-
sired to forestall public opinion in his favor.
Gen. Maury, although persuaded by friends
to publish statement of the facts, was
exceedingly averse to public notoriety, and
deferred making any publication, until the
appearance Of the article in the Appeal,
which is so variant from the facts, that he
felt constrained to place in our hands for
publication, the following private letter,
which he addressed, on the 1st instant to
Maj. Wicks, President of the Memphis and
Charleston Railroad Company.
We have known Gen. Maury from boy
hood, having been fellow student with
him at the University of Virginia. he has
made his own imperishable public record
by valuable services as an officer in the
Mexican war, where he received honorable
wounds in both arms, and as General in
the Confederate service, where his cause
was ever "upward and onward, and true to
the line" of patriotic duty. We, therefore,
credit the entire truthfulness Of his state
ment, and have no hesitancy in denouncing
Mr.. Trice's assault on him as uncaled for,
cowardly and brutal. Its dastardly charac-
ter is aggravated by the fact that Gen.
Maury is man of small stature, and in
ferior strength, unarmed, and with both
arms injured by wounds received in his
country's service.
Mr.. Trice is the man who perpetrated
the scandal about Mr.. Jefferson Davis, and
if reports be true, many passengers have
hesitated and refused to take berths in his
sleeping car in consequence of their disbe-
lief of his statement in that connection. He
ought TO be summarily discharged from the
road. Here is Gen. Maury's letter:
HUNTSVILLE, Feb. l, 1S72.-MAJ. NJ. j.
WICKs-Dear Sir: Last night arrived in
Chattanooga by the train from Virginia, hav-
ing been since Sunday week travelling almost
daily. l therefore went into the sleeping
car at Chattanooga to secure some hours Of
rest. The conductor of the sleeping car
met me and politely informed me
that any of the berths would be
at my service, as he had no other
passengers. 1 laid my travelling bag and
shawl upon seat, and fell into a civil chat
with the conductor, during which he in
formed me he was from Louisa county,
Virginia, the adjoining county to my own,
SpOttsylvania. I asked him his name. He
said his name was Trice. I turned from
him, and without a word took up my valise
and shawl and went out of the sleeping car
and went into the next car in front.
had been in that car about five or ten
minutes, when l missed the cape Of my
overcoat; and thinking l might have left it
in the restaurant of the depot, went hastily
in and asked the proprietor if had left my
cape there. he told me no. then went
into the sleeping car to look forit, and found
it in the seat where had placed it. took
it up, and was on my way out of the car
with it, when the same conductor confront
ed me and said to this effect: "You left
this car very abruptly just now, sir; why
did you DO SOP" His manner was ag-
grasSive. | replied: "Because, sir, l chose
to do so," and then, with coarse Ian
guage and insolent manner, he de-
manded again my reasons. l replied: 81
left the car because you are the author ola
scandal upon the Southern people," He
then ran to the stove, took up an iron poker
ABOUT eighteen lncheS long, ana came QUICK
ly up to me with it, denouncing and threat
ening me in violent and foul terms, until l
had reached the door of the sleeping car,
when, just as l stepped out upon the plat
form of the car, he suddenly caught me
around the neck, with the arm holding bis
lantern, threw me down upon the platform
and struck me rapidly and violently on the
back Of my head with the poker. He in
ficted several cuts upon my arms before he
was prevented by Mr.. Peck, the brakeman,
from further violence.
had no weapon upon my person, nor
anywhere within reach, and having been
manned in both hands, was at his mercy
from the moment he threw me down.
These are the main facts, known to me,
about this outrage. lay them before you,
and am, respectfully, yours,
DABNEY Fl. MAURY.