Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-02
The Angel of Castle Thunder.

Inc burning OF the famous confederate
military prison at Richmond, Castle
has called up a multitude of
of the building and its
twin, Libby Prison. Major Batlen,
former warden of Castle Thunder, said to
q newspaper correspondent: The burn
ing of Castle Thunder reminds me of
sad and romantic episode interviewer with
the history of that famous prison. It is
the story Of the "Angel of Castle Thun-
der" The friends and sweethearts of the
prisoners were constantly writing to
them. I have witnessed many heart
rending scenes in the prison. In this
prison all persons suspected of sympa-
thy with the Union were confined, as
we'll as Confederate prisoners. The
and separation between a moth
er and child, or between sweetheart
and her lover, as they would cling to
each other, and, with tears and sobs
separate, perhaps never to meet again
was truly sad and distressing. 1t
was upon one Ut these occasions that
I noticed woman whose history I after
ward learned, and as it was a remark
able Que will give it to you. She was
beautiful, tall. slender, adylike and spir~
ituelle-looking. She attracted ones at
tentlon at first sight. She called herself
Emma St. Clair. Her features were fine
ly chiseled, after the Grecian style. Her
eyes were large, lustrous and of melting
blue, her form we'll proportioned, 1.-THE
and supple, and her pale delicacy of COM
>o1n~s4~ on1 hor fraS1
duced the impression that she would
soon be the victim of thai fell destroyer,
consumption. She called to see young
prisoner who was her lover, to whom she
sent sumptuous fare every day. Once,
while on visit to him, she had severe
hemorrhage, and tainted. She was too
weak to he sent away, and she was prop
erly cared for at the prison. The attend
ing physician had her taken to room
where she received proper nursing and
medical care until she recovered. She
was courtesan, and her lover Louis
lana soldier, who came to Virginia at
the outbreak of the war. She was of
Creole extraction, and came from New
Orleans to Richmond, where she might
be near him and see him every now and
then. She had $4,000 in gold when she
arrived here, and she determined to de-
vote her own forces and her money to
soothe and alleviate the suffer1ngs Of our
wounded soldiers. She became a muse
in Bird Island Hospital, and there for a
long time she employed herself in nurs-
ing the sick and wounded. On one &C.
casion young soldier from North Caro-
lima, badly wounded, was placed under
her care. She nursed him carefully, but
in spite of all that could be done for him
IT became evident that he must die.
He was the only son of wealthy parents
who dotted ON him. When he was told
that he could not live long, he called
the beautiful nurse to his bedside and
told her he had one request to make,
and that was that she would not let him
be placed in an unmarked grave. She
promised, and he died happy. She
kept her promise. He was buried with
pomp. A long line of carriages
followed him to his grave. She bore
all the expenses. In a few days there
after the father and mother appear
ed, having heard that their only
son had been wounded. The father went
to the hospital, where he learned his son
had died, and there he was referred to
Miss St. Clair, Who gave him all the
particulars of his death and funeral. He
and his wife were deeply grieved at the
loss of their son, but their grief was great
ly sottened by the ontemplation Of the
generous, unselish conduct of his kind
nurse, and they expressed to her their ap-
probation of her kindness in no measured
terms.
They did more. After making inqui-
ries about her, and learning her past his
tory and true status, when they returned
to Richmond again after carrying the re-
mains of their son home to be buried,
they sought her out and said to her; eve
have come to make proposition to you,
which we sincerely wish you to accept.
We want you to 90 home with us and be
our daughter. We will adopt you as
such. We are wealthy, we have no chill
dren, and nobody will have any right to
complain of our conduct We make this
proposal after careful thought and con
siderations- We are acquainted will,
your past history, and know what is the
opinion of the world in respect to one In
your situation, but we belive any woman
who has acted so nobly ana generously
as you have done can be reclaimed, and,
forgetting your past life, we earnestly
desire to take you to our hearts and our
home and adopt you as our daughter.
Will you Gomez" The beautiful nurse
evinced great agitation. Her bosom
heaved, and tears flowed from her eyes,
and then, amid her sobs. she declined
the offer, saying to accept 1t, ''would,
while beneficial to me, be doing an injury
to you. do not deserve such generosity,
and my services to your poor boy were
not given with expectation of reward,
but to CRAFTY my own feelings. I knew
that you are sincere in your belief that
you would ignore and forget my past life,
and that you would treat me as if were,
in fact, your daughter, but the world, and
your friends and aquaintances, would not
let you do it. A ban is upon me; society
calls me an outcast, no matter what trials,
temptations and solicitation I may have
encountered. have fallen, and there is
an unabridged gulf between me and soci
ETY. forever. You would rescue me, and
your offer will be scource of happiness to
me during all the few remaining years of
my life, but as much as I would like to
go with you, l cannot wong you by &C
cepting your offer. My doom is fixed, l
regret alas, too late to say, and knowing
that I shall never be forgiven by man, l
must look alone to Him who is mercy S
self to pardon me hereafter:
The old Confederate Major, as he reach
ed this part of the Renaissance, drew his
big bandana and wiped his eyes, saying
to the correspondent:
"You see I witnessed that scene, and l
tell you it was the saddest / ever knew.
The old gentleman and his wife could
not alter the determination Of the beau
tiful girl. Finally they said. lis there
anything we can do for you to show our
appreciation Of your kindness to our son?
She said: Yes; I ask that you will be-
stow some Of your means in purchasing
delicacies for the wounded soldiers and
prisoners of both armies.' They did SO,
and hundreds Of Confederate and Union
soldiers, tossing upon their sick beds,
blessed the outcast woman who gave
them Foro AL: