Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-08-07
TWO DOLLARS PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
NEW VOL. 26--NO. A.

finding myself lonesome and the pre-
dicament tiresome, l descended 10
the Office. passed through company
of citizens wEo were gathered there,
and went out into the street. The
moon was bright, and the scene was
very peaceful and sweet, but my
feelings were resentful and defiant,
and my thoughts were very bitter.
As approached a house of the better
class. seemingly the house OF some
well-to-do citizen, | heard voices sing
ing 10 the accompaniment OF piano.
The parlor windows were open; one
Young lady sat at the instrument, and
another on the porch without. and
they were singing together stone
wall Jackson'S Way That was the
unkindest cut Of all
left Woodstock at daybreak next
morning and rode 10 Staunton. There
parted with my jaded horse and
took IA crawling way-train for Rich
mond, which reached GordonSville at
10 o'clock at night. Then | was ar
rested rs a spy. My guards refused
to explain. should have an oppor-
tunity 10 talk with the Provost Mar
shall at 10 o'clock, they said. Ny
special commission and passports, to-
gether with letters more or less forti-
fying, failed TO move them, or only
seemed 10 confirm their suspicious.
How did | come 10y papers SO uuuSu-
alg' And Yet they were notably con
OF the tavern and faced the score or
more OF men who had been drawn
thither, even at that early hour, by
the moving Of Il train and the general
hunger for news, my captors shielded
he from coarse curiosity, even exc
cuted for me the measure OF respect
due to "A prisoner who was vet 10
speak for himself 1t was strange
then 10 hear another speak for me-a
sort of mule driving vagabond, n
hummer tramp of the camps. who
slouched into the room. yawuing; IA
most disreputable. unpleasant and
picturesque rulIian Where's your
spy he bawled. Somebody told him
TO shut ups somebody else nodded
at me. He came aud stood in front
OF me. then on this side, then on that
and looked me up and down.
laughed, the guard smiled, and the
fellow said: What n lot OF --
fools" That's the man that wrote
'Stonewall Jacksons Way Then
he turned on his heel and went out,
and one Of my guards followed him
into the hall
When the Provost Marshal made
his appearance ! was promptly re
leased with IA handsome apology, for
| was known 10 him. We had met in
Richmond at the quarters Of Colonel
Kane, the well-known Police Mar
mistaken Identity" he said He
showed me his instructions, telegraph
ed from Richmond. TO arrest man
answering to the following descrip-
ton, and throw him into the com
mon Jail TO await further orders. |
have never ceased TO wonder at that
description. toldmy guard that had
been Provost Marshall Of Cor
dOnsvlle | would have arrested my
self on the strength OF il. But they
insisted that it was case OF mis-
taken identity, and that was their
affair.
When Richmond was taken was
generously shipped 10 Baltimore by
way of Washington on my parole to
report myself at the War Department,
as OF course. ! did. That evening
took a train for Baltimore; and as
| sat musing over the strange chances
that had befallen me since last saw
my wife and child. the pathetic face
OF the man the carriage at Antietam
came strangely back TO me-very
strangely! for it was now about 10
o'clock on the night Of Good Friday,
April Il. 1865
trust that this story OF the birth
and fortunes Of n camp song may sui
flee TO dispose Of the pretensions of
the eight or ten imaginative persons
who from time to time have dreamed
that they wrote il, an interesting
form Of dementia for which ! venture
TO suggest the term grdphOmdHia.
JOHN WILLIAMSON PALMER.
New York, July "a, 1891