The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-10
Ehs rlesaL j Z sIrslnsrhavss.

rcorsespord esice og the Prov denee JatrsaL1
d In the autumn OF 1868 4 wont up from
Southern Europe TO spetld d fen mouths in3
the gay capital off ssaxony. Those OF out na.
tionality la Dresden are very clannish, live
in the same part OF the town, give parties.
and dinners, and Gcraians as at home, and
mix little with Foreigners, so that once one.
commences 10 move round Id tho circle, one;
soon meets oil who compose II. Among the
many whom met at the American Club, at
parties, dinners, and at his own house, was
an American gentleman known TO us as
William Thomas. He was q large. stout
man, weighing possibly two hundred and
fifty pounds. He wore a heavy, red beard
and mnstache, and always appeared In
public With heavy gold spectacles. BE was
a quiet sort of person, never taking the
lead In anything, but still always interesting
himself ia everything that was going on, and
a good member of society generally. he
lived at the time with his wife, charming
lille black.eyed woman, and family, In
handsome suite OF rooms on the corner just
above the club, and used frequently to enter.
tain in quiet, pleasant way those whom he
counted among is more intimate friends.
Among them / may say was numbered,
and so often found my way through bis hes
piiable DOOR. He lived, he said, in North
Carolina, and at the breaking out Of the re-.
belliou found himself obliged to go into the
southern army. he was Ia a North Carolina
regiment during the summer campaign OF
1862, aud at Malvern Hill was wounded in the
arm. 1t was in the evening, as he sat With
some comrades about their campfire, that a
shell exploded in their midst, killing nearly
all. and woundiug him, as T have said. He
was sent to the rear, and was finally dis
charged as unfit for active service. He went
tben TO Wilmington, bought oil the cotton be
could. ran the blockade successfully, took his
cargo TO Liverpool, and sold 1t at 40 enor-
| mons nrofit. Then he Immediately invested
his money in United States bonds, which
were then at their lowest figure in the Eng
l,sh market. Afterwards they trebied on bis
hands. and between the cotton and the bonds
he made from Sl50,000 to 100000. Hemar.
! ried afterwards q southern lady, who had
been educated in Europe, and by her had
seyera! children. He had not the appear.
ance Of one who had followed the ses,
and should be surprised If 1t should be
proved he had ever commanded vessel.
4 sailor, IS rule, never gets rid Of the effect
Of the salt air in his ways, and habits, and
appearance, and never was able to dicover
that Thomas was in any manner different
| from tue Iest vi Us, HOulaS WAS tuc iaoo
| person among us in Dresden whom one
would select as a man capable of doing such
| deed as he certainly did at Bremerhayen.
He was jolly good fellow, as the world
would say; yet quiet, and, in fact, rather
law. That he was not insane when he de-
81 :nei the plot for blowing up the vessel
cannot believe. It is so entirely different
from what the man was from his character
as his friends knew it that am unwilling 10
believe that be was wholly accountable for
what he did. He was in his family an ex.
tremely atfectionate man, and his wife and
children were as tenderly cared for as wife
and children could be. 1t used to be re.
marked among us that Thomas was unusually
devoted to his wife, and not whim OF her:
was allowed TO go unsatisfed.