Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-16
A True Story.
Washington Gazette. I

ii'"tii lNo>t lINtu anu ulpu near
Wetumpka. Alabama. If YOU wish
a thrilling and wcll.told detail of
the personal characteristics of this
most remarkable man, call on the
present member from that district
in Congress. Howell Rose was I'M
educated, but nature was To him
exceedingly lavish IN mental and
moral gifts. Before the war, and
to the day of his death shortly
after the war, he was an Old Line
Wing. and opposed secession with
that bitterness and determination
which made him very unpopular
with his ncighbors during that
eventful period. He was mem.
Der OF the legislature of his State
several years before the war; and.
though married man, was without
children. He WAS, nevertheless,
the father of short speech which
has been attributed To quite "a vari.
ETY. of paternity. At ole title. " bile
a legislator, he opposed what he
conceived to be an untimclv al.
journment. and WIS iwitird by u
brother member with the sugges
ton that he had no children AT
home To trot upon his knee. and
hence found no destinations there
equal to those which Montgomery
offered. sit is true" he replied,
"that no babes await me at home.
My friend has numerous progeny:
but why should he twit me in re-.
spect of that wherein the iackass.
even, is his equal, ami the billy,
goat his great superior
His independence of character
was known far and near. In the
early months of 1861, after the
secession of Alabama-a measure
which he opposed with all the en-.
ergy of a truly heroic character
he was called upon by some of the
soldiers for n contribution to equip
a company.
40 the devil with you, and your
Internal company, too rallied the
old man; "it YOU will start sub.
scription to buy every devil of you
secessionists a shroud and coffin,
| will give you every dollar | can
raise"
OF course these views kept him,
during the war, In continual hot
water with his neighbors; yet,
though growing old and intirm, he
fought his battles bravely and all
alone.
But notwithstanding his Union
sentiments. he became at last the
victim OF one of the most diabOli.
cal outrages on the part of some
Federal soldiers ever perpetrated.
Being excessively economical. and
very wealthy, he had laid away
quite "A little fortunr-s $50, 900 or
900. O00-which he had converted
into gold and silver. In the imag.
ination of those who knew him,
this amount grew to fabulous pro
portions, and became known TO the
Federal soldiers, six of whom, im.
mediately after the close of the
war, passed through his neighbor.
hood, and their cupidity being ex.
cited beyond control, they deter.
mined to bulldoze the old gentle.
man into a liberal shell.out for
their benefit. They were on their
way North across the country, aud
one day in the early spring of 1865,
called at Mr.. Roses, told him that
they knew of the amount of money
he had laid away somewhere, and
were determined to have it, OF his
life would pay the forfeit.
lyon internal towards, thieves
and robbers,' roared the indignant
Rose; "yOu are right have money
and great deal Of it. | am the
only person on earth who knows
where that money is. have but a
few wears longer to live at most,
and | will see yon every one in
h-ll before you shall have a copper
Of it,,