The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-09-19

ManeyS headquarters that NeStOl had |
his interview with Gov. Foote. Gov. |
Foote was at that time member of the /
Confederate congress, representing the |
Nashville district, and was candidate |
for reelection, being opposed, as I now
remember. by Col. Savage. The sol |
dies from Tennessee in the army were |
allowed to vote, and the governor was |
out electioneering among the soldiers. |
While at Gen1 Maney's headquarters
some one pointed out Vestol to Gov. |
Foote, or introduced Vestol to him, as
a Quaker that wouldn't fight, when the |
following conversation occurred between
them:
Foote-What, young man, won't you |
fght-you are q stout, good-looking, |
young man-is it true that you refuse |
to fight?
Vestol-Yes, sir.
Foote-Why, you are all wrong about |
that. Suppose you we're to marry a |
beautiful and accomplished young lady, |
and some rufian were to come into your
house and grossly insult her, wouldn't |
you kill him?
Vestol-No, sir.
Foote-(J dumping from his seat in
very excited manner.) Why, Cd d-n
him, I'd kill him in minute.
Resuming his seat after minute, the |
governor surveyed Vestol, and again |
commenced conversation with him.
Foote-Young man, you are all wrong |
about this matter, even from scriptural
standpoint. When Christ was upon the
earth he directed his diciples to pay
tribute to Caesar. The money thus
paid went into the Roman treasury, and
was used in carving on the wars of the
Roman people. /
Vestol-No, sir; youare mistaken about
that; the temple of Janus was closed
at that time, and there were no wars
going on.
Foote-By Cd, [ believe he knows
more about it than do. [ don't know
whether the temple of Janus was closed
then or not.
Such was substantially the interview
| between this remarkable boy and this
| remarkable man. Perhaps two more
opposite characters in many particulars
never came in contact.
Governor Foote, as before stated, was
| at that time member of the COnteder-
| ate congress. Whether he voted for
the conscript law, the officers appointed
| under which he denominates the
blood-hounds of the Davis despot-
| ism T know not. 1t was passed during
| the time he was q member of the Con-
| federate congress whether with his
| sanction or not have no means OF as
certaining. One thing is certain, he used
all his powers of persuasion to induce
| Vestol to bear arms on the side OF the
"Dayjs despotism," and was seeking
the votes of the soldiers who were bear
ing arms on that side, and obtained the
votes of hundreds of them with the
understanding implied, at least-that
he was in full accord with the south IN
her struggle On no other ground
| could he have received vote.
But to return to the young Quaker.
His case was such an extraordinary one
that Genl Polk wrote the facts to the
war department at Richmond, but never
received an answer. so far as L am al
vised Vestol was ordered to Knoxville,
and from that place he found his way 10
the Virginian army, and was assigned
To the 14th or 7th Tenn essee regiment,
I do not now remember which. Here ne
was ordered to do military duty, but
| firmly refused, as he had done before.
The brigadier in command, knowing
nothing of his history or antecedents,
, ordered him to be bayoneted for dis
obedience of orders, and the bayonet
, was applied to him repeatedly. He
, bore it with the spirit of martyr, and
. the soldiers, seeing that he would Gie
. | willingly in preference to sacrificing his
: nrinciDles. refused further to punish
: him. No punishment, no threats could
! | shake the settled purpose of his SOD!
I for a moment. He was under arrest a!
: the while. Frequently, on retreats, hi:
- puard would lose sight of him, but IN
!, dav or two Vestol would march VI
q alone into camp.
= He made such an impression on me
that after the war was over, inquired
of all those rebs ] supposed woul(
J know. what became of him, and whethe
= he had survived the war, but none
" them could tell me.
In the year 1871, I was sitting IN m,
I Office one evening, when young MAJ
% walked in and spoke to me, and aske'
- me if my name was not so ana SO.
- told him YES, and asked him to take
g seat, that L would talk to him IN te'
=, moments, as / was engaged Just ther
E He remarked that he didn't belleVe
- knew him. / looked at him then NOR
a closely, and told him l did not. ii
70 asked me if | remembered a Quaker o
II Chattanooga that refused to light.
n once r6cOgnlZ6u N6SGOlS anu ""o
70 glad to m ct him, and made HIM 81!
~ ~ me history of his ups and downs
or ., the army after parted with him
ta ep Chattanooga. He told me he was j
70 70 Castle Thunder for while, at Riel
,5 mond. but was finally permitted by I'll
"a secretary of war, to go down to Mort
ld nt Carolina to school, and YVES there at II
d: time the war clos, d. Feeling that h
of off education was not sufficient at the clos
Ta Tn of the war, ne went to Rhode Islan'
IL and there continued his studies al
u + taught school portion of the tim
10 He Informed me that it was seven year
We from the time he left his fathers hou
III III to report to Bragg at Chattanooga, o
III fore he returned to the paternal roc
No ~, He had invented mode OF taking
~ and putting on wagon bodies, for win,
!, he had obtained patent, and was Sc
=; ~ ing the right when I met him. !,
p [ suppose he is still living IN t.
co ou neighborhood of Columbia, Tennesse