Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-11
A MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER.
ssBlack Whttt1ngton,,' who Wa
Once a Canfederate Scaut.

>'nlaCA w hALS1A&G " hO dS
Once a Confederate Scout.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Last week man died near Weathersford.
Tex, who was from first to last mystery
to his friends as we'll as enemies. A vete-
ran of the late war, he knew nothing of
fear, could subject himself to the severest
hardships without a murmur, was sur
rounded by an impenetrable mystery, and
preserved his incognito to the last. He
first made his appearance in the brigade of
General Mosby in the Confederate cavalry.
He was then man of perhaps 81 years,
tall and commanding in presence, black
hair and eyes and an exceedingly swarthy
complexion. He was one of the best rid
ers and shot in that famous command.
His face always held its calm, stony ex-
preston, and he was never know to be I'M
der the influence of excitment Of any kind.
Soon he was detailed as a scout, and the
only name the soldiers had for him was
Wilmington, or "Black Wilmington the
scout" Though in many desperate hand
| to hand encounters he was never wounded,
and his Judgment and information were
| implicitly relied on by the officers.
AAO oOohiCA w ofO1o WILL Pohy3 1uSt Wool0
never enter into conversation with any one,
| except relative to the service and tho bus
mess he had in hand. Once Colonel Mohun
| asked him where he came from. When he
| finished his report he said: "Colonel, I try
| to make good soldier for the confederacy,
| and outside of that it is none of your bust
| ness what am or where was born" In
| his mysterious way he came and went, and
| the soldiers of the line came to count on a
battle when they saw s'Black Wilmington"
return from one of his trips, always riding
| at swift gallop. At the battle Of Yellow
Tavern, just outside of Richmond, he was
last seen for many months.
Many of the soldiers travelled to New Or
leans with the intention of going to South
America, While there Wilmington came
in, to their great surprise, for many
| thought him captured and hung as spy.
While there he became involved in diff
| Guilty with some lawless soldiers and killed
| three.
He then went to Mexico and Joined Maxi
milan. He seemed to have been long ac-
quainted with him and his officers, though
his companions knew well enough to ask
emperor he struggled goods across the Dor
der for time, but finally disappeared and
nothing was heard from him till he turned
up as scout of Barriso in South America.
When that campaign was over he came to
Texas and lived quietly on farm until he
died, last week.
He died from the effects of bullet that
had lodged near his heart, and very sud
denly. When they went to dress him for
burial he was completely clothed in heavy
suit of Spanish chain armor, dented and
battered with bullets that had come in
contract with it. The only thing about
him that would in any way lead to his
identity was seal ring hung around his
an olive branch. People who took an in
terest in him often tried to trace up his
past life and lineage, thinking him to be of
some noble family, and that he had exiled
himself from some fippant cause, but they
were always unsuccessful, and he died as
he lived, without giving single clew to
his identity.