The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-27
A MYSTERY FOR YEARS.
ROMANCE BUILT ON NORTHERN
OCCUPATION OF THE SOUTH.


bama Girl - RepaYing Hospitality
With Vile Treatment-Two Brothers,
Lover and q Father to Resent In
sult-Ths Captains Disapp sarance
Unexplained TO His Boston Friends.
From the Chicago Times.
All the histories of the war that can ever
be written will eot exhaust the wealth OF
story to be found in the incidents of toe
four years Of fighting. Books and plays
will tell for long time yet to come OF the
loves Of northern men and southern msidens
who met in time of raids or while the
echoes from bloody battle fields were yet
sounding. Many thrilling story is buried
ia the hearts Of those who were the aoters
in it and who will never tell. Some OF the
most thrilling come to light once in awhile
from the discovery of relics or of records
long silent. One that is known to but few,
because only recently completed, ends in
Massachusetts,, far from its beginning in
Alabama. and thirty years after.
Col Clay Clayton was a true southerner
with a southerner's chivalrous respect for
women and the usual 1863 feeling toward
the yankees who were putting forth their
efforts to conquer the south.
Col. Clayton had served with honor and
valor during the first year OF the war, but
the end OF the.year came near being the end
4 the colonel, for an innocent she'll in burst
lug near him sent a bit of itself against his
left leg. When he struggled out of the hos
pital tie right leg vas the only real one that
be had left, so a cork substitute was pro-
cured that in time became manageable
enough for him to walk or ride where he
pleased. And so this is why Col. Clayton
was at home on his plantation TAXI care
of bis family when all the other men Of the
neghborhood we're away fighting.
COL Clayton had two sons in the army.
and the honor Of the family was high
among the people Of the state In addition
to the colonel and his two soldier sons there
we're daughter and a mother in the family
The daughter was beautiful; she was 20
years OF age and she was the hearts delight
OF her father and mother. The colonel
would have told you, as matter of course,
that the mother was an angel Her sons,
who were lieutenants, would have COR
rooorated it.
WHEN THE SOLDIERS CAME.
While war kept away from the plantation
they we're very happy at the old house
Sans Souci," they called it-even though
the brothers we're away fighting, and the
battles were not always to the armies Of the
south. Virginia was not too old to romo.
an remp she did the most of the time
around her fathers chair, keeping him ca
tertained and his thoughts away from de-
feat hen such news came.
But war came closer and closer all the
time. AT last it was in easy reach aud
though no pitched battles were fought in
hearing from the plantation, yet odd cav-
airy parties from both armies we're frequent
passers and almost as frequent callers.
Virginia was not one of the fierce and
wArlike maidens who fought the enemy a
bitterly with words as her brothers did with
deadier eapoGs. She could not be uu-
gracious to any one who asked for courtesy,
SO because she said it her father was per
force good natured in his treatment of the
YANKEE officers who stopped at the man.
sioo, even when boiling with per onal
hatred Of them. So their unit rm kindness
10 every one, and the feet that, the colonel
mad lost leg kept them free from any an
noyance ny stragglers, even though it was
known that his injury was received in bat
Tie aud that his two sons were confederate
officers.
But Virginia was nothing more, and
would be nothing more, to the yankee Of
ucers than courteous. Her lover was ia the
army OF the confederate states fighting
lhose same officers or tbeir comrades, and
sue didn't care who knew it. She had told
MN when he went away shat she would be
True To him. and she was gong to be.
AN EXCEPTIONAL NoRTHERNRR.
Capt Jaspar of Massacbuse sts regiment
was oae OF the very few h could not, or
a Woull not. understand Virginia's meaning
n "1an sue tried TO indicate to him at what
point MS attentions should cease If every
Il condition had been different his own per-
houalitJ was 80 unpleasant to her that she
a YOU'D have drawn the line just as closely.
Out ne persisted IN his offensive attentions
81 u1riI they became unendurabe.
!, l.e captain was just as unpopular among
a IN Iis fellow officers AS he was with Virginia
n Inc others OF them were gentlemen, while
ne was not. He was Just the kind Of q man
y. nave been cowardly, common criminal
vi guerrilla, ii he had bsen poor but as he
"as flch, millionaire in fact, it was res
81 pu'eG IN Boston he was not criminal, but
8 simply a knave.
III ne persisted in his offensive attentions to
NUgnla, IN spite of her protests and those
VI us brother officers. A portion Of the
I'm army was then camped near the
Iiantaton, and the officers made the man.
ot5I their headquarters. 1t was out of Vir-
q ff T power to entirely escape his presence.
Neu az last the camp was broken and the
.uy Withdrew Jaspar took the last oppor-
, Inv 70 offer himself IN marriage to the
n roS glrl and was scornfully rejected. Re
sUGe away vowing revenge for the rejection,
81 h nd virginia watched him disappear, her
"'HrS swelling with thankfulaess.
10" hours after the disappearance Of
s sue IAst union soldier Virgiala's two broth.
Gr' anu her lover reached the plantation.
80 ~ Tue eager search for news on both sides
cue Cme va ious union officers who had been
q duat'ered there we're named, and when
o TspI, Jaspar was reached the girl told how
ouensive he bad been in his attentions,
oR using the indignation of the southern
r,nirs For twenty-four hours they res
army w 'A'0'1
BOON FOR BLOCKADE RUNNERS.
mat year cotton rose to a price never
vbjvNh before. Manchester spiudles were
s,.rrlng emptily and bloc kade running was
81 ~, ptation, for a successful trip was a
,tsune Col Clayton had two bales OF
or'Y on out in his gin house. Negroes
"A ToIsh had remained faithful that that
Gu mad been raised and picked, aud
e'4ned and baled
UI TV Tue colonel would not sell.
nr,h never sell those two bales OF cotton
q he ' W.; can 81 dollar pound. by ga1, sah,"
ssu "u 20 friend who was urging him TO
evo ana that VOW was repeated until
n tboo one around knew Of it aud kne y that
n ion1' ytton would never be sold for less as
4 as the colonel was alive.
buy ne made such a VOW no one knew.
A. Du' there the VOW stood side nv side wi th