The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-17
MABRY AND MABRY

Abk1 AND MABRi
The civil war 81 1861, like all civil
wars, furnished many instances Of
families and kindred taking opposite
4 sides. and occasionally of their per-.
sonaliy meeting and recognizing each
otner in the clash Of arms or in
matters connected directly with the
4 sstrugsie 90 long and bravely persisted
| in by both sides. So many who en-
tered the war to defend the govern
msnt had connections il the south,
/ Who either voluntarily Or through
compulsion were in arms to sus-
tain secession, that friend sometimes
1 encountered friend, and brother
raised his hand against brother. Even
~ the 6Onthern States themselves
4 ehere were differences Of opinion, and
! steiatiyes and even families divided
themselves into Union and Confeder-
lke, backing up their opinions by join
1 lng the army OF the side they prefer
and going into a confictin which
ney might charse to meet face to
There ived in early times in Ten
fessee y man named James Patrick.
4 An honest and sturdy pioneer, he
Z lived tc see q family grown around
I him and to caress a number OF grand
! children, heirs to his many virtues,
( but died before the strife came on
when the South assailed the Union
His descendants had grown and null
tlpll6d, and scattered IN the course OF
\ years. - all families will, until the
1 younger members hardly knew each
other. One OF his daughters had in
'stermarried with Mabry, and this
I Susine was well known in North Georgia
4 And East Tennessee at the time OF the
var, and, for that matter, is by no
means extinct yet.
Ono OF these Mabrys, a tall and
Dtout man of about thirty years, of
! decided Union proclivities, became q
! member Of the First Alabama Cav
Alry, q Union regiment. The fortunes
ot war had not been kind to him and
IN the winter Of S64-5, he found him
Self one of the prisoners OF war in
dersonyille, Georgia, having been
captured in one of the numerous en-
Ragenients which marked the march of
\ Sherman to Atlanta
1T was there that made his ac-
gqualntance. found him royal
good fellow, full OF pluck and endur-
ance, and thoroughly inbued with
Union principles. Even in that terri
bic stockade, where disease reigned
Sunob obstr1cted, and where the strong
ct feit that death was only ques-
tiOn OF time, he was stout hearted
SAnd unfiinchlng as if he knew how to
aHie the approaches OF the grim har-
syester who gathered his sheaves on
every hand. II life might be prolonged
j Mabry was the man who would put
forth every effort to prolong it.
He WAS one OF the few Southern men
who had the inventive talent OF the
Yankee Had one not been sure he
4 was o native of the South. he would
have been supposed to be New Eng
lander by birth. for his ready adapta-
ton OF means tC ends in the forbid
ding circunst ances in which he was
placed. He made combs of the horns
OF cattlv obtained by some means
from without the stockade.
His tools we're primitive, consisting
mainly Of q thin bladed caseknife,
nOtched like a saw, a pocketknife, and
pieces of wood between which he fast
sened the plate Of horn while he labor.
ionsly sawed out the teeth by hand.
He cut the horns into oblong strips
with his pocetknife, applied heat TO
each piece, until it uncurled and be-
came straight and fiat, and then
placing It in the wooden clamps, he
used the caseknife saw to make the
teeth, working with patience and
perslstency which won him praise from
the crowd Of comrades who looked on,
and who considered his work that OF
! y born genius. The combs when COM
.plete would bring twenty-five cents
each. greenback, or one dollar in Con-
S1ederate money, and were disposed OF
to the gaurds by a process OF SNUG
Cling. similar to that by which he OBJ
tanned the raw material. Mabry could
make about four combs week when
he could get horns promptly, and
this number never overstocked the
market.
Once as I was strolling about the
stockade, which at that time owing
to deaths and delegations sent to
4 Florence, Salisbury and other prisons,
was not at all Gro owded, agood part OF
the thirty acres inclosed being but
thinly inhabited, had occasion to
call my friend Mabry by name, as he
was at q little distance. AS he came
toward me the Confederate guard,
who was stationed in the sentry box,
at ttle top Of the stockode, and quite
near us, though some twenty feet
above our heads, called out:
Hello. Yank, is your name Nab
ry2'
Ny fellow prisoner looked up sur
prised, for the guards were forbidden
to talk to US, and said:
Yes, Johnny, my name is Mabry,
FIRST Alabama Cavalry, Union"
The last words were spoken with
some emphasis, as there was a
Confederate First Alaoama, with
which he had not the least desire to
sbe as sociated.
ss tatlars1 wall, Yank, my name is Z
/ Afabyy, too, I'm in the Third Georgia
Militia hare. It's odd you and me
has the same name! What might
your CHRISTIAN name be?n
Srisoner.My first name is
y James.
S Guard s.Wall. / be blestif my name
amt James, TOO. =. 2
Prisoner s Is it possible! Your
name James Mabry! Have you any
mi ddlename?''
Guard Yes, / have, and proud OF
it Ny full name is James Patrick
IlIabry. 53s
sS Prisoner Good gracious! That's
my name to q dot, james Patrick
fabry We are different men, that's
ain; but we must be some kin, /
srecko . s5Ss
Guard WAS named James Pat
ILtk Tor my grandfather, who lived in