Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-06-27
A Mar Reminiscence.
HERNo.IIIo. June l4. lSs


 EDITOR CITIZEN: again trouble you with what greatly interests me and my family. who totally depend On me, uy laying before you the plain, simple facts, just as they are and as they occurred, and then, if my case comes under the head Of the war claims, ss all have put me of and of by telling me, must sub- init.
 To begin: I am 8 southern raised man; born in Virginia, but was one of the very few who clung to the Union, the old Constitution and Union as it Was. Cast the only vote for President-elec', A. Lincoln, in the county of Des, CD, Arkansas, when 1t was sure death to do SO, had l been csugh. gave infOrma- ton to the Union commanders Def the battle of Pea Ridge, m Mo, in 1882. that saved our army from total ruin, for sentenced to be hanged and got away from Jackson, Miss, where I was im- prisoned; got sht vhRous, got my stnff together and started for the Union lines, drivipg my stock. etc. When within al few miles Of the lines, snd as l believed,
 in safety, ran into a part of General
 Seigers command, ous forsging, who took everything had from me, leaving me in the road without a cent, not even
 "A second shirt to my back. The captain m command was told that 1 wHs a good
 Uniou man and had done much efficient
 work for the UnIon, telling him how l had been trled, convicted and got away.
 "Y-s," be said, ''bell is full of this sort of Union men. The army needs this
 stuff. The best can do IS to give hIm
 A receipt for 1t, and if he Is such a good
 Union man the government will pay
 hIm at the end" This somewhat satis- fled me for the time. although 1 had not
 d penny left nor friend to go to, even
 my relative, Prof E. h. Gregory of St Louis, refused to speak to me. had but one fr end to say, Doctor, l am sor- ry for you" That mans name was Pas Cal, editor of the St. Louis Republican, who was with me wh.n my stuff was taken, but unable IO help me. He dId write up the history of my case, winch went the rounds of the northern press. ! I located in Buffalo, Erie Co New York, l with quite history for a recommenda- 1 tion, and the sympathy of the press, ] but no act had been passed by congress ] for my relief. A Mir. Bli-s. claim agent m Washington, D. c, heard of my case, wrote me he would take IL for 20 Der cent, no success no pay. He required certain evidence that cost me much trouble, money and delay to prUcur 1 got it however, and then he was a po- 1. iltlcRl aspirant, was elected tO some . ,ffice and dropped my case by writing I me that 1t was not Iegal for hIm tO at | tend to 1t, beng a government official. | had to do something for the support | of my much loved ones. l went into the mines, was somewhat successful. | enough so to keep my family up; put my | claims irto other hands, who finally got | 4 hearing on II, and it was finally set aside ss one of those war claims. 1 have every evidence filed ID WashIu gtop, at a great eIpr nse, that they could ask, taken het re United States Commis- toner, NJ P Gilmore, of Buffalo, N. I., who old me that Tn any Court of justice on
 srtb, 1 must gam my ca-e; but It was
 tt aside as war claim. Tue committee admitted mJ oyalty, my being owner of
 he proper III fac tuRt IL was taken ny the army for the benefit of the same all the proof that was neces esssry-but 1t was 6 WAT clam, aud that Is all the reason given for the nonpbyment of my .,laim. put my clam into tue hands 4 Col. O. F.. Daley some time ago, and ue has promised to work 1t up If possI- O.e, but suppose when he IS ,oid that It is one of those old war claims he will feel like giving it up. 1 wish to know If thsre are DO means of making the government pay Just claim. They paid many, just after the surrender, of Ectua' rebel Claims, for
 imber. etc, horses. cattle, etc, but here IS a man whose loyalty they admit; Iu feet they admit everything but say Itp i- Jne Of those war claims, and tue govern neDt cannot afford to pay rh-m. MInr IS not such a claim as they would term VAT claim; was on their side, on my way to the line for protection, when thus robbed, and my mules and horses were afterwards seen in the service ol the United Sates batteries-one officer riding one of my horses. If l had had thousands of dollars to have lobbied | my case through, to have pad some man of influence to remain in Washington one session, may have been more sue
 essful, but l intend at least keeping my claim before the pubic that all may know the justice of my case, and from their own opinion Rs tO whether or mol my government has, and are treating me right. Should ever be placed in similar situation which God forbid, II l. (reat encouragement for me to remaiu loyal; not only SO, but work as 8 spy, the most dangerous position Tn an army. I Eas confined m an old filthy, stinkjng -sddleT's shop 10 Jackson, Miss, by order Of one J. J. Peters, acting rebel gov ernor, for five months, my lungs bleed ing constantly, until my general health was completely undermined from which l never recovered. l can stand nothing since the war, all for carrying news and diving information to the UnIon army. General J. NJ. Schofield knows all this 10 be strictly true. He kuows my grave Tas dug under my window in py plain 'Iew, so I could not help from seeing t every moment, the day before was to oe hung and sll that saved me was the battle of Holly SprIngs comIng on. IL took all the men out of Jackson, save TWO guards, and as a friend had pro Eided me pistol, a good one, could lot resist the temptation of risking be- ug shot then sud there, rather than lang the next morning, so l shot and zIlled the two men guarding me, ard [ walked all the way to my ranch, hired S leavy wagons sud six mule teams, ana 'tarted for the lines and then north, as before stated. My life, Sirs, has inde, q ( been hard one, it has also been a jus. ( 'De. I would greatly prefer to suffer pain. tOil, d,ath even, than do injustlce to ( my living soul. Had Mir. Lincoln lived would have been all right, for be promised me a good place, the first that { 'fered. Gen. J. NJ. Schofield will re- member, in the kindness of bis heart, ( me negro hospital. Of course | was awful to me, having 50 early lad . way the southern garb of education l ( lad 70 long been trained to wear. 1 < ever believed slavery was right, bat | A Tss hard to be obliged to give up tLe q $ slaves I owned, and get not one cent ' or them and see their situation mad. ar worse besides, for to thls day my u egroes write me asking why 1 don't Q ome home, and making many com s laints, all of which smuses. One named G ienry, who was raised with me, he kuows hey ara freq H.. ararxtb,,. l 2,