Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1883-04-26


boston Herald.
! Near the close of the battle OF
Balls Bluff, October u, 1861,
First Lieut.. j. Evarts Greene Of
the 10th Massachusetts, says
the Worcester Spy, found him.
self surrounded by the enemy
so that to fight longer was use-
less, and to run away impossible.
At this moment gray coated
gentleman stepped forward, and,
raising his cap cotlrteously,
said: II am Capt. Singleton Of
the 18th Mississippi. must
ask you to surrender" Mr..
Greene returned the salute,
mentioned his name and rank,
and handed Capt. Singleton his
sword. Two young men of
Capt. Singleton's company were
then directed to take Lieut..
Greene to the rear. They es-
corted him to Leesburg, about
four miles distant, chatting
pleasantly by the way, for they
were very obliging and friendly
young fellows, aud some hours
later all the prisoners taken that
day starred from Leesburg to
Centreville under a guard com.
manded by Capt. Singleton, who
showed to them all possible
civility and kindness while they
were under his care. On ar
irving at Centreville he turned
over his prisoners to the officer
designated by Gen. Beauregard
to receive them, and they saw
him no more. Capt. Singleton
had been q member of Congress
for three terms before the war.
Soon after this time he retired
from the army and entered the
Confederate Congress. When
Mississippi was thought to be
sufficiently reconstructed to be
entitled again to representation
in the National Government,
Capt. Singleton, or Hon. Otho II.
Singleton as he should now be
called, was elected to the House
of Representatives, and has been
reelected to successive Con-
crosses since. Mr.. Greene has
had some correspondence with
him, and when visiting Washing.
ton in January last, had a most
agreeable interview with his
| former captor, who seemed in
clined to make up by the warmth
of his present friendship for the
conditions of formal ennity un-
der which they first met. OF
fheiir meeting were 'i'siiiids 'ri'escaiiiiedds, anu ii
Col. Singleton expressed his in
tentiOn to return the sword
which Mr.. Greene had surrend-
cred more than twenty-one
years ago. On Tuesday the
sword arrived by express ad
dressed to Senator Hoar, who
had already received the follow
ing letter:
WASHINGTON, ID. O.,
March "a, 1883.
Hon. George +. Hoar-My
Dear Sir: l have taken tire
liberty Of sending to your ad-
dress by express to-day a United
States sword belonging to Maj.
Greene, who visited you at
Washington the past winter.
/ failed to obtain his address
when here, and beg to trouble
you to see that he gets it. This
sword was surrendered to me
by Maj. Greene Immediately af-
ter the battle of Balls Bluff, in
Virginia. My earnest desire
has ever been to return it to its
owner, and assure him of my
great respect for him as a citi-
zen and soldier.
Truly yours,
D. r.. SINGLETON.
Col. Singleton has been kind
enough to promote Capt. Greene
one grade, but otherwise his
letter calls for no further re-
mark. The sword has suffered
no damage, and is entirely fit
for furthers ervice, but.its owner
hopes that twill never be drawn
on another battlefield. 1t will
not, however, be beaten into a.
plowshare nor worked up into
steel pens.
--sSt-----