Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-07-02
STRANGE cHARACTER.
From the Republic.

FROM tne hepuDilc.
In looking over the Atlanta Cea-
sfitafioa of June IL. | find a con-
tribution from one of your cores
pondents (Mr. T. j. Younger)
headed "Quantrell. the Mystery"
! was one of Quantrell's men. and
wish To relate peculiar circum-
stance about him and another man
that to me is greater mystery than
Quantrell.
wl!l first tell yon a little about
myself. ! left Mcmplis. Tenn.
with the Memphis Southern Guards.
not rs a me,nisr. but mcscly rs AN
adventrfrcr--l- crossed the Missis-
sippi and assisted .Ieir Thompson
To organize his command then
went from there and joined Guam
trell. stayed with him six
months then was. at nv request.
released from his command.
went To Forrest and was detailed
by Gen. Wheeler for other purposes.
My duty called me to different por-
tions of the Army of Tennessee
and Virginia. / was mt Nicksburg
when it surrendered. so you see
] ought to be well posted in army
affairs.
Well, the peculiar circumstances
| wish to relate of the man that is
more of a mystery than Quantrell
to my mind, shall commence here.
In the year 1859, ! was at Marion.
the county seat of Crittenden conn
ty, stopping with Mr.. Houston
who kept hotel at that place. |
was looking after some swamp lands
my father owned up on Big Bear
Creek, Black Fish Lake, Ware Hen
ri Bayou and Tyronza River. One
evening two men, or man and a
boy, stopped at the inn and asked
for lodging. Their horses looked
jaded and they walked as if they
were in sad need of rest. The boy
! will never forget. lie was light
haired, slim and had prominent
nose and an open countenanee, but
what an eye An eye once looked
at, never to be forgotten. ] have
looked in that eye over hundred
times since then, and studied it.
but know less now than ever did.
That eye was steel gray, with at
times light in it as soft as the
moons rays. Then at other times
it would dart out sparks as il they
Were diamonds with the fires of
hell behind them. Ills lips were
thin and always with smile on
them. His brow always had a
frown on it. His motions were
those of panther and lion COM
bined. He was the most active.
cool, deliberate and brave boy
ever saw. Fear he knew not
Judgment he had.
Well, ] will stop my description
of this wonderful boy. The man
soon retired. They were both arm
cd to the teeth. The next morn
ing a Mr.. Philip Cox came to the
hotel and they went down to his
place. lie was large farmer and
u man that stood well. lie was Il
Mississippian. Six months later !
met the same man and boy at Hope
field, opposite Memphis, at hotel
kept by DIR. Bates.
/ tried to form their acquaintan-
ces but did not succeed. No one
knew them. They paid their bills
and that was all that was required
in those days i'm that country. Well
the war broke out. ! went with the
Memphis Southern Guards, Cap
tain James Hamilton, a lawyer Of
Columbus, Ga. and citizen Of
Memphis, Tenn, in command.
The Company was composed Of
gentlemen of the first standing in
Tennessee.
We moved up to New Madrid,
Mo. On our arrival ! saw this boy
armed to the teeth and mounted on
a superb black stallion. He SEEM
ed "A part of his horse and a glance
showed me that same cold smile
and the same eye with the whole Of
hell behind it. now became deep
ly interested to find out who he
was. lie went up to Capt. Hamil-
ton, shook hands with him, held u
half hours conversation with him
and rode off. All the officers that
were high in command seemed to
know him, but no one could tell
who he was. asked Capt. Hamil-
ton and he said he was a Georgian,
"a Columbus boy, and that was all