The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-01-23

tuCt, hhCW ht uuti tOukn tuobOlhtA w
deal with. he concluded he would try
the force of moral suasion, so one day
he sent for Vestol to come to his quar-
ters, and undertook to convince him
from the Scriptures that he was wholly
wrong in his ideas and position. But
the young Quaker was rather too much
for the gallant Coloael in the scripture
argument, and the Colonel sent for his
Chaplain to talk to Vestol and convince
him that he was altogether wrong IN his
refusal to fight or to perform military
duty. The Chaplain came and opened
the argument after this wise: -
wouldn't give cent for religion that
is opposed to my country" Said YES
toll. wouldn't give cent for coun-
try that is opposed to my religion.
The argument lastedfor some time, but
left the young Quaker unconvinced,
and determined to do no military duty
of any description. He refused to po-
lice the camp, or do the least thing that
could be tortured or construed into mil
itary duty. At last, Col. McMurray,
wholly unable to do anything with Yes
toll, sent him to brigade headquarters.
Here he was reasoned with, and every
effort made to induce him to go and
perform the duties of soldier, but he
was firm and inhexible as the everlast-
ing hills. He was told that if he per-
sisted in his course he would be sub
iected to severe punishment, and finally
would be shot for disobedience OF
orders. He replied that they had the
power to kill him, but neither the
Federal nor Confederate army possessed
the power to force him to abandon his
principles, or prove false to his religion.
| remember endeavoring to persuade
him one day to pay the $500, which the
law provided Quaker might pay, and
be exempt from military duty, and
asked him if he couldn't raise that
amount and pay it, and thus get rid of
the troubles that plainly saw ahead of
him if he persisted in his course.
He said he could raise the money
without any difficulty. But, said he,
''suppose pay the Confederate Govern
ment S500-that will enable them to en-
ploy some one else to fight, and it will
be equivalent to my hiring another man
to do what 1 think is wrong to do my
self. / can't do that.
/ then said to him Suppose l
could get you the position of nurse in a
hospital, to care for the sick, wouldn't
you be willing to do that ?" He said ::
81 regard it my duty to do all l can
for the sick and afflicted in either army,
but if 1 were to take the position of
nurse in hospital, I would thereby
occupy the PLACE of some other man who
would go out and fight, and so declined
to do that. Learning from him that he
knew how to make pottery or earthen-
ware, told him there was manufac-
tory of that sort in Georgia. "Now
suppose you could be detailed to work
there, would you not be willing to go 2"
He replied If it is private estab-
lishment will go; but, if it is Gov
eminent establishment, and run in the
interest of the war, L can't go" Every
thing that could be construed, directly
or indirectly, into military duty, he
refused most emphatically to engage in.
He was only about Is years OF
age. | soon became satisfied that he
acted from principle, and would go to
the stake, or meet death in any shape 1T
could assume, rather than swerve one
particle from what he conceived to be
his duty. 1t was the sublimest exhi-
bition of moral courage / had ever wit
messed, and it was the more remarkable
from being found in boy of only IS,
away from his family and friends.
asked him one day if he had no SYM
patty in the contest-if he had no pref
erence as to which side should be sue
cessful. go yes" he said, 81 would
prefer to see the South victorious, as
live in the South and among Southern
people," L heard gentleman say to
him, Vestol, did you ever exhibit any
emotion about anything in your life
did you ever cry in your life p 80
yes" he said, 81 have cried in my life. y
"Well," said the gentleman, L would
like to know what were the circum-
stances that caused you to cry" Well,
sir" he said, "when 1 left home to
come here, my mother cried when she
told me good-by, and / cried then. y
eyes," said the gentleman, "and il
your mother were here now, and could
see how you are situated, she would tell
you to take your gun and go out and dc
your duty as a soldier" No, sir,
he quickly replied; "the last thing my
mother said to me was to be true to my
religion, and mean to do it," 1t was
during his stay mt Gen. Maneys head
quarters that Vestol had his interview
with Gov. Foote. Gov. Foote was al
that time a member of the Confederate
Congress, representing the Nashville
District, aud was a candidate for re
election, being opposed, as l now re
member, by Col. Savage. The soldiers
from Tennessee in the army were al
lowed to vote, and the Governor wa'
out electioneering among the soldiers
While at Gen. Maney's headquarter'
some one pointed out Vestol to Gov
, Foote, or introduced Vestol to him, as
Quaker who wouldn't fight, when thu
following conversation occurred between
them
! Foote-" What, young man, Won
, you fght-you are a stout, good-lookint
young mans it true that you refus,
; to fight ?"
Vestol-" Yes, sir"
Foote-" Why, you are all wront
i about that. Suppose you were to MARI.
, a beautiful and accomplished younl
: lady, and some ruffian were to come in
/. to your house and grossly insult her
wouldn't you kill him ?"