Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-13
SENTENCE OF DEATH,
the MARROW ESCAPE OF A coNFeoe-
RATE PRISONER.
TALON General RIMS the Risk OF Being
Ceart- Martialed-Dram War
Btory-A sisters Devotion.
Nov York Timcs.l


7 am about TO tell are still living and l
have not received their consent TO use
their true names Unjust take fictitious ones.
hut this viii not detract from the general
accuracy Of the narrative, while II will
rive me moro latitude in the grouping aud
presentation of series OF incidents quito
o. startling in their way as ever the brain
OF romanccr conjurcd mp.
Ihave said in the course Of these articles
that, a. q rule. the mountain men OF the
South were strongly attached 10 tho
Union. and that wherever there were
many slaves and much wealth, the people
we're as strongly in favor of secession.
OF course, there were mountain men who
fought earnestly on the side OF the South,
and shareholders who swore TO stand by
the Union, right or wrong" and who kept
their oaths. IL follows tina. there were
actions Of the border States where the
usop.e were pretty well divided. and this
division broke up loving families. arraying
brother against brother and father against
son. and parting neiehbors who had been
~ near and dear TO each other as II they
had been kinsmcn.
Howard Forbes-the name u fictitious.
a will he the command to which ] assign
hm-lived In the eastern part OF Madison
county, Nv. when tho war broke out. In
this section of the State the foothills OF
the Cumberland range meet the undula-
ting uplands Of the famous bluegrass re-
gion, and the result Is country more pic
turesque, il not so rich. as that Of Bour-
bon, fayettc. Jessamlne, and Voodford 70
the west. In no part Of Kentucky. or N
no part Of the South. were tho people moro
divided as 10 secession than in Eastern
Madison. About one half the young mer
here Joined Morgan and ChenowIth. and
the other half entered the Union army.
Howard Forbes, of Madison. enlisted in
the Second Mounted Rifles. and in the fall
Of 1863 he had risen TO the command OF
company and had been repeatedly men
toned by General Thomas and other OIL
Gers for his gallantry and efficiency. In
November, 1868. Captain Forbes was IN
camp near Danville. having just come NJ
from A successful raid against the bush
whackers south of the Cumberland. lie
had orders 10 join his regiment. then NJ
Knoxville with Burnside. and he was ready
10 pull out in the early morning when q
black boy. mounted on q foan-i!ecked
horse. refined IN before him and threw him.
self from the saddle.
This boy was Jake, the property OF O
widow named Campbell. whose fine farm
adjoined that Of the senior Forbes. That
Jake had ridden far and fast the condition
Of his thoroughbred showed. and that his
mission was one Of great importance was
manifest in his excited manner and the
mshy hue of his face. In reply to the Cap
tain's inquiry as TO where he came from
the boy pulled letter from his breast
pocket and gasped: "Mauss Howard. OATS
from Mss Jennie!"
LOVE AFFAIR.
The Miss Jennie III question was O
= N 4 HILL AVxI -
fore the trouble came she was engaged 10
Young Forbes. Mrs. Campbell and her son
and daughter were intensely southern IN
their sympathies. and their dislike for
their Union neighbors was. if possible,
more bitter than that they entertained for
the Yankees who came from north OF the
Ohio. Miss Jenne's letter was stiff and
formal III its opening. but the terrible
strain under which she wrote soon showed
itself and she gave full vent to her plte-
Gus pleading.
Briefly this was her story: Her brother,
Edward Campbell. had raised O company
called the Border Rangers" intending to
Join Morgan. but without any authority he
had carried on sort OF guerilla war on his
own account. harassing Union citizens.
and disbanding In the hills whenever pur-
suit became threatening. During the
campaign of the previous autumn an old
and helpless Union man named Rogers
was murdered near Bodstown, and Cap
tam Campbell was charged with the
crime. Recently he had been captured
near Richmond under circumstances that
warranted his being treated as spy. He
was taken on 10 Camp Dick Robinson.
then commanded by General Boyle. tired
found guilty Of fevory charge preferred
against him and sentenced TO be hanged.
Miss Campbell's letter to Captain Forbes
was written from Camp Dick Robinson.
and il urged him by every memory Of the
past to come TO her al once and use all his
influence 10 save her brother from an igno-
m,n,ous death. The Union Captain had
every reason to dislike the Confederate,
but the love for the sister still renamed.
He realized how utterly helpless he WAS III
the premises. but as Camp Dick Robinson
Law almost directly IN his line of march. he
determined TO go there and answer the
young lady's letter IN person.
In a driving ram the Captain left Dan
vile with his company. and reached the
camp IN the afternoon. and. under the
pretext Of having some Of his horses re.
shod, he decided 10 remain until the fol-
lowing morning. He at once sought Gene
raj Boyle, and found that officer sorely
troubled over the execution of the spy
Edward Campbell, which was set down
for the morrow. The General had known
Mrs. Campbell and her family for many
years, aad this made his position the more
trying. The findings and verdict OF the
court that had tried young Campbell had
been approved by the President, 50 that
there was nothing left but 10 carry out the
sentence.
In reply TO Captain Forbes's question as
TO the guilt of the unfortunate man Gene
raj Boyle said:
The court was composed Of good men.
and | think they tired TO be impartial.
But Campbell was caught IN citizens dress
sneaking within our lines. and the proof oi
his completely Ill the murder of Rogers
would have convinced any jury i'll the land
of his guilt"
II have no reason TO like Ed. Campbell. "
said Captain Forbes. In response. for he
has made himself obnoxious I, the Union
men in his old home, but cannot think
that he would commit a wantop murder.
Has be no excuse 10 oher?"
NOT SPY.
"Oh. lie stoutly denies that he was q
spy. He had been wounded IN the
shoulder ard was trying 10 get home un-
Observed SO that 1t was possible he was
not playing the spy. AS to the Rogers
murder Campbell In his own defence
sworo tina; he was down on the Hoiston,
III Tennessee. when tle murder was CON-
United. and he declares that If he could
get "a thirty-days' reprieve he would be
able 10 prove this
Have you asked the President for re-
pTievo."
Yes. but have had no response"
DO YOU expect any,
Hardly, after forty EIGHT hours wait
ing AID only fourteen hours before the
execution takes place." sad tho General
with proan. lie further told Captain
Forbes that Mss Jennie Campbell, the
condemned mans sister. was assigned 20
quarters near his own. and that the Door
glrl WAS nearly ciaZed with ANXIETY
During the two DAYS she has been here
she has eaten nothing and has not had a
wink Of sleep, while she has importuned
every officer III the camp to in;ercede III
her brothers behalf. SIZE Will not believe
that We are pOwerleSs and | much fear
that the inevitable blow will xiii her."
Captain tcrDes. at his last meeting with
Miss Campbell he was III uniform aud
lad called 10 bid her good-hy--was or
deIed from the house. told that he was " a
traitor and "a I.acoin hueliug," and
warned against ever setting foot within
that door again. But as manly man he
found NO pleasure In the changed condl-
tions that led ner IA her agony aud weak.
ness 10 call on him tor help; indeed he
forgot that he had looked on It as an uiI.
ce,led-iOr insult. and h.s old affection for
the woman stirred INTO warmth IN this the
hour OF her sore distress.