Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-05-13
HE WAS HONORABLE.
A Confederate Soldiers Strict Adhe
enCe to the Truth.

ence to the Truth.
During the three days in July, 1864,
when Gen. Hunter occupied Lexington,
Va, with a victorious army, the om-
en- and children left in town suffered
much-in anticipation. They had not
seen Yankee" correspondent
writes, during the whole war and in
their heated imaginations the "hoofs
and horns" had grown and grown. 1t
was an intense surprise, therefore, to
one family at least to find that the pri-
vate assigned as their guard was as
kind and friendly as if he had worn the
gray. He was plain, uncouth fellow,
with the heart of true knight, loyal
and chivalrous.
When the inevitable searching" be-
gan, the ladies quailed at the thought
of rude men tramping through their
private apartments, and the kind guard
came to their relief.
"If you give me your word you amt
got nothing contraband," he said, III
keep em Off"
They brought out an old musSet, q
rusty sword, an invalid pistol--that
was all.
They gave him their word they had
nothing else, and by some influence,
perhaps the nero weight of good char
acter and a good record, he "bluffed"
the searching party and drove them off.
Hardly had the searchers gone when
one of the ladies turned to the others
with dismay THE cadet coats"
Alas, there were half dozen trunks
in the loft filled with clothing belong
ing to the boy-cadets of the Virginia
military institute. In the rush and eX-
citement of getting away before Hunter
crossed the river, these young soldiers
to-be of the confederacy had begged for
hiding-place for their duds, and
there they We're.
II the mistress of the house had re-
membered them she would have sub
mitted to the search on the chance of
keeping them hid; but now her honor
was at stake, and the safety, perhaps,
of her good, kind guard
He looked very much veXed, and even
alarmed, when they told him of their
trouble, and for moment he seemed to
repent that he had been so easily per-
suaded.
There is but one thing to do" said
the ladies, promptly. you have given
your word and we must make it true.
The clothes must be destroyed"
They could not burn them. The evil
smell on the summer air would have be-
trayed them; but with infinite pains and
WEAKNESS they cut and tore every piece
of those thick wooleu uniforms into
such shreds that they would hardly do
for carpet rags.
The guards fears were appeased. his
sense of honor satisfied, aud from that
moment until the army set out on the
eastward march, which proved fatal to
its further success, not dog barked
against the women and children over
whom this faithful private stood guard.
They cried little at parting with
him, prayed God to keep him safe, and
asked if there was anything they could
do to show their gratitude. There was:
One of the ladies woreron her hand a
ring that had been "Stonewall" jack
sons wedding ring in his first mar
riage. Like brave enemy, the guard
cherished the memory of the great con-
federate soldier, and asked as parting
favor to be allowed to put the precious
ring on his. own finger for few mo-
mentS.
Tears fell over his brown cheeks as he
reverently handled the relic, and those