The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-07

battle prevented my ecoming de-
vout believer in spiritualism."
"How was that?' | asked.
"Well, about six neutrality-suspicious. TO
the outbreak of the war, there was an
Anglo-American weekly paper started
in New York City called The Albion, to
which subscribed. One OF its features
each week was ghost story. These
stories were told remarkably well, and
in each instance appeared to be sub
stantiated with what purported TO be
real names. l read each one, and, be-
ing young and imaginative, accepted
the narratives as gospel; just yielded
to the fascination, so to speak, and
was quite willing 10 believe that the
dead may, under certain circum
stances, appear as ghosts or appari-
tons. II looks foolish enough now, /
admit, but, as / have said, / was
young, and perhaps you i'll say fool
ish. But, afterthe battle of Buena Wis
Ia, / lost all credence in ghosts. As a
lieutenant, il was my duty to set the
patrols and during the night to visit
picket guards. This / did for Weeks,
my path backwards and forwards be-
ing over the narrow trenches into
which our men had hastily shoveled
the corpses of the Mexicans. In that
dry and bracing climate there was
positively no decaying odors, appar-
emily no decomposition. Night after
night looked for an apparition on
that bloody field, but | never saw
anything OF the kind and it efIectually
killed my spiritualism.
81 should have thought" | re-
marked, that you would tile down
after that campaign"
| did for time, and went mer-
chandising in Choctaw county. In
one of my journeys TO New Orleans |
became acquainted with Lopez, the
Cuban patriot, through former COM
rades of the Mexican war. ! enlisted
in the corps of "Liberators,' and we
left New Orleans in a ship which was
to surprise and capture Havana. But
it came to nothing. We failed, and |,
with young friend, was too glad to
escape on board the steamship "Geor-
gia," which landed us at tn mouth of
the Chagres river We remained at
Panama for a month, whence we went
to San Francisco. Those were very
tough times in California There was
no law, and the very scum of the
world had quartered there pitied
the Cinnamon in those DAYS. 4 law
was passed imposing head tax of 81
per year on every foreigner. Any man
constituted himself a collector, and the
poor heather were mulcted right and
left until Gov. Bigler appointed me
their protector. With my partner,
! located at place called Cooks
bar on Cessna river, twenty-five miles
east OF sacramento, and kept a min
er's store and hotel. There | learned
the true inwardness of the Mormons.
They were mighty mean crowd,
treacherous and cowardly to the last
degree, and they were We ! heartily
despised by us 'Gentiles, as they
called us. Gambling was quite fash.
ionable. A man stopping at the hotel
for day and owing "a would, as a
ma ter of course, offer to play the
stake to be double the amount or
nothing, and we invariably accepted
the offer. About that time an arch.
plotter OF the Mormons proposed a
scheme for filibustering the Sandwich
Islands and invited me to Join as sec
ond in command. / agreed we or
ganized, but, as you know, the affair
fell through and once more ! returned
to Mississippi, where / remained
peacefully farming in Carroll county
until the outbreak of the war"
"Of course you volunteered2" !
suggested.
Yes, sir; / helped to organize the
Twentieth Mississippi regiment, of
which Dan Russell was colonel in
j. u. George NOV United
States senator from this STATED was
captain of Company G, and was first
lieutenant. At Peters Mountain, in
Virginia, George left us to become
general in command of brigade, and
| was promoted to fill his place as
captain"
"You were in all the battles in
which the Virginia army participant
ed2"
eyes, sir. was captured with my
command at Fort Donelson and with |
my men imprisoned at Rock Island, |
Ill. We were there seven months |
and finally exchanged Then we were |
attached to the army in Mississippi |
under Gen. Joseph +. Johnston. The |
found my command at
Greensboro, N c., after which l once !
more returned to peaceful occupa-
tons"
"You took an active part, Colonel, |
in the affair at HarrisonbHrg, La,
when the Jones clique assassinated
your cousin?" l inquired.
The Colonel lighted fresh cigar,
ooked at his watch, and slowly re-
between puffs of his weed,
That's another long story, sir, and it
s growing late. Let me wish you
good night" J.Lc.