Thomas County cat., 1889-08-15

hadn't you better get up behind
Johnp" motioning to his attendant.
And get up behind John he did, and in
this way they rode for several hours.
Late in the night Captain Louthan.
for it was Captain j. w. Louthan. of
the Seventeenth Indiana Cavalry. his
attendant and prisoner, reached his
command, about seventy-five men,
who had been detailed as scouts after
the Columbus fight In tho meantime
the Captain had said to his prisoner
that if he would promise not to at
tempt escape he would be treated
properly and be protected in camp
from any trouble. The promise made,
the young Lieutenant felt easy. When
they joined the command of scouts the
soldiers around the camp-ires eyed
the prisoner-the only one in camp
inquisitively, and burly Pennsyl-
vanian remarked, the Captain having
turned aside:
What do you want with that little
rebel? We'l just have to kill him to
get rid of him.
Captain" said the prisoner. next
morning, ''they are talking about kill
ing me; am to be protected?"
"Who talked about it?" the officer
asked.
THAT man there" pointing to the
Pennsylvanian who had made the
threat.
"Dang you," said the officer, ''don't
you know that this is my prisoner,
and will shoot the man who touches
him?"
To tho prisoner he said: Il have
your promise that you will not try to
escape. l will take you at your word.
We are going from here to Macon, and
may get into several skirmishes on the
march. A horse will be provided for
you, and when We get to figh ting you
must keep to the rear"
On the march to Macon the scouts
fell into several warm skirmishes, and
Captain Louthan was always in the
front. ''He was as brave a man as l
ever saw" said Mr.. Howell in speak
ing of him. He was hard fighter,
and always kept in front of his men.
Whenever we stopped on the march at
houses along the road he was as gen.
tie and as kind to the ladies as any
man could be. He would say to them
in assuring them that their fright was
unnecessary: Madam, these men
shall do nothing that your own SOL
diers would not do. You will oblige
us with something to eat, and trust
you will not consider it plunder on our
part 1t is one of the exigencies of
war;"
At this time the Federals held Macon
it was the week that Lee surren-
dered-and thousand Confederate
prisoners were under guard in a large
cotton warehouse in that city. Cap
tain Louthan joined his command in
Macon. and his single prisoner fell
into the warehouse with the other
prisoners. A day and night he
stayed there, almost suffocated, poorly
fed. and scarcely cared for at all. On
the second day Captain Louthan. an
officer of the day, saw him through
one of the warehouse windows. near
which he was standing. and exclaimed:
'Why. l forgot about you. You
must get out of that?"
The Captain elbowed his way
through the jam of prisoners and
telling him to ''come along" led
the prisoner out and carried him to
his tent on the bank of the Ocmulgee.
you will stay here" he said. land
with the promise that you will re-
member that you are my prisoner and
will report here three times day at
meals. will relieve you of guard"
On the third day the Captain re-
marking that the trouble was about
over" asked his prisoner if he would
accept a parole. Il can getit for you.
and you can go home and Heaven
prosper you.
And thus it was that Lieutenant
Howell finished his war experience
and returned to Atlanta.
And now for the after war part of
the story!
Naturally, Mr.. Howell. no longer
Lieutenant, has often wondered what
became of the brave Federal Captain
to whose kindness he was SO much in
debted.
Four years ago. while on q trip
through the West, he concluded to go
to the meeting of the Grand Army of
the Republic at Minneapolis. hoping
to find some trace of him there. But
he could near nothing.
Several weeks ago, in casual conver-
sation with Mr.. Ira Nj. Swartz, with
Captain Jacobs in charge OF the work
on our new army post something
about the story was mentioned.
81 think can find him. said Mr..
Swartz, and find him he did, at Dun
kirk, o.. to which place Mr.. Howell
at once wrote him. A reply came as
AlloWs: