The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-25
A STATEMENT FROM GEN. PRYOR.
He Denies that He Walked Into the Lines
Of the Enemy.
GCharleston World.7

A few weeks ago there appeared n
the Abbeville Medium an editorial pur-
porting to be an account Of the manner
in which Gen. Pryor ."happened to re-
linquish his Southern citizenship" in
which occurs the following statement:
"a short time before the fall of Peters
burg, he came to the picket line of Nc
Gowan's Brigade and crossed over, pre-
tenslvely to get news about the
Yankees. He waived a newspaper at
Yankee officer. They met between
the lines and conversed for some time.
Pryor locked arms with him and
walked into the lines of the enemy. He
turned his back on old Virginia, his
own State, and everything Southern.
He left his people in the darkest hour
in the face of the enemy, who had their
cannon trained on the city, where he
had left his wife. We know this to be
true, for the editor of the Medium wrote
out for General Lee the full particulars
Of his desertion as it was narrated by
Lieutenant Reeder of Orr's rifles, who
was in command of that part of the
picket line where the desertion took
place"
In response to the above, General
Pryor has sent the following letter to
the Charleston World for publication:
II WALL STRRET, New YORK, April
II, 1889.
DEAR SIR: I have to say that the
story contained in the paragraph en-
closed is cruel and atrocious calumny.
The custom of exchanging tobacco for
Northern newspapers was common on
the outposts of the two armies; and
was of great use in supplying General
Lee with information of the movement
of the,Federal forces. Burnside's corps
having disappeared from our front, it
was important to ascertain whittier it
had gone; and to get the information
I undertook to procure the Northern
papers in the usual way. [ was invited,
by signal from Federal soldier to an
exchange of papers. and suspecting no
bad faith, 7 advanced to meet him.
But it seems, orders had been issued by
the Federal commander to stop a prac-
tice of such service to US; and accord
ingly, when met the soldier he seized
my right arm; and my pistol being
buttoned under my overcoat, was in
capable of fresistancelagainst the power
ful man who griped me with one hand,
while he held pistol in the other.
Moreover, was within range Of the
fire of party of Federal soldiers: so
that escape was simply impossible. /
am not ashamed to confess that my
capture wrung from my tears Of unut-
terable anguish. The circumstances of
the capture were well understood at the
time, and were published III the news
papers. I was carried a prisoner to
Fort Lafayette; detained there for
months, in close confinement; and
finally paroled for exchange. I imme-
diately returned to Virginia; but, an
interruption ia the exchange of prison.
ers, prevented my entering again into
active service. With the officers of
the Confederate army, from Lee down,
l maintained after the close of the war,
relations Of unbroken confidence and
repard; and from the people of the
South I have received nothing but
tokens of esteem-several Of which are
conspicuous and, to me, very precious.
My life. in the South as well as in the
North, has been open to observation;
and leave those who know me to say
whether any act of mine, betrays me TO
be capable of the infamy, no'so ruth
lessly imputed to me by those who
thus seek to discredit my political
opinions. Those opinions may be mis-
taken; but God knows that they are
inspired by no other motive than an
anxious solicltude for the welfare of the
people Of the South.
Very respectfully,
ROGER A. PRYOR.
P. S.-The enclosed letter from Cen
eral Wilcox to my son, Of then exist
ence of which am just informed, gives
the facts as 1T was known to be at the
time R. A P