Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-12-03
{ Gi. .sGsas. q. TsaSf,y

ste cl!iclaia which the Maine Fa,mc, pub.
li5hes is from the pen Of Captain Joha H.
Drew, Of FarDngdale, Maine:
IL IS atout five yeats, says Capt. Drew,
since | made Mosby's acquaintance as
United States consul at Hong Kong, an En-
liah port Oh the cost Of China. I went there
with the prejudice against him common 10
my countiy:aen, and it was hard for me to
get over the ids;, that his hands had been
staneG with the blood OF those who fought
for tho North. But I soon learned that he
iou3nt Ter Il cause, as dear to him as ours
was 10 us, and that III doing so he threw his
Whole energy into what he thought to he
tho tight. At iast he was beaten-or the
South Naa-and then forgiven by act OF
Coag e=s. From that moment he has de.
i&nded me victorious government, especial
iy New Englanl, witt, the sume visor he
used IL trying to defeat the same.
Gar shipping Interests have never hai!
su@h " defender as this same rebel. Our
laws we're never so faithfully yindicGtcd as
G3 this same guerrilla. II was with actual
distress That we, shipmeu, heard OF his lc.
moVal Grcm Hong Kong, and to-day wo
ought tA employ h:m to represent Us 1T
Washington, If such q thing could be posi-
bic. no oao mind has giasped the cXigen-
cit: g. the case decline of American shin
PING - 10 hH3 | hope and trust that the
last area: slip building, owning, command
ing state, ne noble State of Maine, will as
faIy and freely forgive tho colonel as our
great commander, Grant, did. Ever after
the way The genera: was his firm friend. and
pat him at tic post of honor--our consul ut
Hong Kong. There vas 10 mistake in that
selection.
| Know hi4l well, ultimately, and 10 know
t3::n i 10 respect and admire him. He j.
a1a!!, u: years OLD, Of about fact and o
inches hc,ght, hair and bead steel gray,
with a 1.-THE, siuo"y figure, and as iiuc Il laCe
as ever | looked upon. He ia witiower,
with nj least four children, ali gronn up.
\ noro loving father never kuew. ana !
know whereof speak.
He cntcrc! tho Southern cause quite
Young, being ;hem u talented lawyer, wt.ich
al these years has improved upon. Wien
he appeared upoiI lie horizon that b3amtied
the VISION ii the armies in Nir2inia he had
aio;:; - m"il, hit s., terrible we're The blows
hc dealt that he o'ti Nirgnian, Gen. Stahl,
WAS sent W;jh COCO Ucn 10 breal, him up,
His valuable bri igado was kept frcm actual
service q long lime by the few men Of Mos
iima ;,tahl bad his forces drawn up in bat.
| tie array Nushy would hn capturing tie
train: i'll his csar, and So it WAS throughout
lie captured one Of the young Forbes, son
OF one ot our greatest mercantile mcr in
China, AnG so mUGb did the family learn TO
respect him that they wers ever alerwsrd
his !'"@, fticn33 He quietly told NO Of nil
these things, and with pride tnat ne carried
Yankee bullet IN his body still. There
Is one anecdoe he never told me. how
ever. lie had captured one Ct cur Young
| Officers, hi; gave him great liberty.
Aoahg was q daring rider, and had some
| line cattle under him. One morning he was
telling his young prisoner the beauties and
good qualities OF his iAvorite stsed To his
ama2ei!ent the youth was on the back of
his horse in an Instant, and escaped.
ASS consul, ho was the same daring, ca
pabIe officer. Nothing could turn him from
his sense CT justice. Sometimes it was q
| captain who WAS his enemy, then it was
sailor. a.n official Of iao British govern
ment. But all these in time came to him
to acknowledge they were wrong. One
! bSauilni trait Of his character was that his
mcst inluate friends never heard him
| utter Il word that the most delicate ladv
might not listen to. His generosity knows
10 bounds. He is very eccentric, however,
on many points, and might be called
free lance" many time. No British
magistrate ever questioned his opinions or
decisions, and his career in the colony was
n perpetual triumph. Ho glories in defend.
ing New England, especially Maine, and
his admiration for S. S. Prentiss the son of
an old Portland shipmaster, who early in
life settled in the South, is unbounded.