Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-03-17

and received the following reply:
this name should be Pliny Miles.
HousToNvILLE, N. G., March !, 1879.
DEAR S1R-Your letter of the 22nd
February is at hand, contents noted.
Enclosed please find some specimens Of
the writing Of the mysterious man that
was with us some twenty-five years, OF
in the bounds Of MCGEE county, except
two years, when he was in Mechlenburg
county, Virginia, / have record to
show those years he was absent-1527-
%. In 1926 he taught school few hun
dred yards from my dwelling where ]
now am; in 1881 and 1888. He was
then 60 years old. Was over 60 when
he used glasses first; said he never dis
covered his sight failing until he was 60
years old. His first glasses are now in
my family. My mother and him ex-
changed, as both were better suited.
In my old atlas to Cummings geogra-
ply he pointed out the place he was
born. My recollection is it did not be-
long to France when he was born. His
own words are that he was not native
born Frenchman. Laurin was little
county or province by itself, but France
took it afterwards, probably in Bona
parties reign. ] was young and it did
not make much impression on my mind !;
would have made none, but my father
told him he thought he was a French
man by birth. Ha couldspeak English,
and said his mother was Scotch wo-
man and learned him English when a
child. / read years ago that Michael
Rudolph and Michael Ney were proba-
bly, the same. l have heard
him say he put the Stuart to his name
to keep his mothers name; and he could
not give UP Ney. I never heard him
speak on the subject except when he
was excited with ardent spirits. No
one ever dared to approach him, or to
refer to what he told them at such times,
when he was sober. MY father tried
him sufficiently and was a great sympa-
thizer with him. When Louis Philippe
was put upon the throne of France, my
father spent many nights in his room to
keep him from taking his own life. Mr..
Woodson, correspondent of the Herald,
has it that it was when young Napoleon
died, making mistake of the two
events. He was not at my fathers
when Napoleon died, but was in Rowan,
now Davie county, Mr.. Woodson only
made mistake in the events, as he
(Mr. Ney) acted about the same in both
events.
Enclosed l send specimens of P. S.
Ney's writing. ! have now none of his
writing except my album and some old
copy books, arithmetics, &c. If you
wish letter you can get one from Mr..
Chalmers McNeely of Salisbury, N. C.
His mother had a number. l send YOU
a key to the manuscript taken by PHny
Miles from Mr.. 0. Ford of Newton, N.
C. That I wish to keep as it is Mr.. P. s.
Ney's own hand. After you are satisfied
please return; you can keep the rest.
The mice nibbled the old books. have
enough to send more out, though gave
the best away, except the album. Is
there any one in Cecil county that can
call to mind the publication iii the pa
pers in 1927 or '2s of Marshal Ney's son
visiting America? l believe the fact
was stated in the National Intelligencer.
Mr.. Ney told my mother he went to
Virginia to meet his son. II so, and 4
do not doubt it, it goes far to prove he
was Marshal Ney. Yours very respect
fully, MARY G. DALTON.
1t was found upon comparing the
specimens of writing of P. S. Ney with
the letter of Michael Rudolph, that
while there was great similarity in the
formation of some of the letters, it was
not sufficient in the opinion ofexperts to
justify them in pronouncing the writing
to be identical.
Being resolved to probe the mystery
to the bottom, the writer subsequently
addressed letter to the Librarian of the
New York Historical Society, making in
quiry about Pliny Miles, and the short
hand manuscript, and much to his sur
prise and disappointment was informed
that Phny Miles had not deposited the
manuscript with the Society and had
been dead for some years and nothing
was known of his effects. Thus per-
ished the last hope Of nnravelling the
mystery that enshrouds the history of
n L. n