Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-04


Since he chose to give me his confidence
could not but listen, and expressed my
concern.
INV iather,V he continued, ais Pierre
Soule, W0o WAS United states Senator be-
fore the outbreak Of the war and Minister
to SPAIN
1 remembered then the story OF this
young man. He mad been Secretary OF
Legation under mis- father al Madrid, aud
fought 4 duel Win a spanish n0DiemSn-
a Duke &c Ia Tarra, ! thia& - W2=-who
had criticised the cut OF his mothers
gown because it exposed her bosom, This
was NelYil SOule, vino from thaU day be-
came my iutimat. friend. He was about
my own age, y OF 20, aud one Of the hand
soonest men ever saw. WITH oiive-cOl-
ored skin, black halr, large, melting, al
mOnd-shaped eyes, perfectly formed
mouth and nose, a graceful figure, a man
ner most attractive, yet a. Ga" same time
manly; his beauty uad no touch OF weak
ness, nothing that suggested lack of
mental or physical force. In" picture oi
this young SOuthtrner gazing at the walls
wherein his father lay a prisoner, and
dashing aside the unWelc0me tears a5 the
vessel bore him randy away, fingers IN
my memory still, alter the lapse Of more
than twenty wears.
j respect his grief, which became more
apparent as We steamed further down the
bay, and l turned aside; but after the fort
was lost to sight he remained on deck aud
himself BEGAN the conversation again.
| suppose he saw that l was touched by
his misfortunes, but whatevcr the caus1.
he wanted 10 talk with nae, and naturally !
listened. lie told me his whole story.
His father. J knew, was at the head Of the
Creole population OF New Orleans, pow
eriul, able. fascinating man. He had not
sympatblZed with the secession move
ment, had indeed done his best TO restrain
it: and even when the act OF secession
came he accepted no position under the
Confederate government but renamed 81
lent ana in secluslnn at New Orleans uu-
til the capture Of tuat CITY aud tho Occ IL
patton by Butler. NelYil, the son, had
been ia the Southern army, but ~ m Is
time, by some arrangement, OF for some
purpose never explained to me, he was q
resident of New Orleans, a member, | be-
lieve, OF some city volunteer band. Both
father and son, IL seemed - me, had
strlven 10 avoid complication in the war
as far as possible without betraying their
Southern friends.
UuOn the approach OF the Union forces
both refused 10 leave the city, thinking
they could MAINTAIN q neutral attitude,
but Butter would not listen TO this, at
least IN the case OF the cider, and re-
quired him to take the oath OF allegiance
TO the government. This SOule was un-
willing 10 DO, and Butler at once threw
him into prison.
SOule importance was so great that he
became an object Of peculiar sympathy.
AS be persisted in his refusal, be was sent
10 the North, where as political prisoner
who had committed no overt act he was
confined in Fort Lafayette. lie was es.
pecially 10 the power Of Seward. his
former colleague in the Senate Of toe
United States.
Nelvil had not been arrested, and OBJ
tained permission from Butler TO visit
the North and endeayor to procure his
fathers release. lie Interested Charles
Sumner, an old friend OF Pierre Soule, as
wellas Gen. Halleck, then Geueral-iu-
Chie!i also the widow Of Stephen 4.