The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-08-04
AN INCIDENT OF LIBBY PRISON.

AN lNO1OGN1 VI hIDD1 hlOON.
While in Libby prison during the late
dnpleasantness often forgot the misery
of my environment and the hunger that
would assert itself in such a burning fash
ion while listening to my comrades narrat-
ing the manner in which they were cap
tured.
Captain Morton-that is not his real
name, and will presently explain my rea-
sons for giving him fictitious one-was a
very handsome fellow, and. like all hand
some men, he was very we'll aware of the
fact. He was from Cincinnati and l had
known him in active service as one of the
most gallant cavalrymen to be found
among the splendid troopers Of the Buck
eye State
With his regiment Captain Morton was
one of the cayest and most light hearted
men had ever met, but here in Libby he
went about gloomy and respondent, like a
man who carried heavy load on his heart.
Unlike his old self, was struck by the
fact that he was not communicative, and
he shut up like clam whenever any refer
ence was made to his capture How he
was captured | subsequently learned from
another officer of his regiment, but as
wanted to retain Captain Morton's friend
ship never asked him for confirmation
of the story. Here it is:
When General Burnside advanced into
east Tennessee and seized Knoxville, Cap
tain Morton, with his troop, was sent up in
the direction of Bristol to see that the
enemy did not rebuild the railroad bridges
in that direction and at the same time to
give notice of any force that might be de
tached from Lees army in Virginia and
sent down that way
Captain Morton was as fearless man as
ever sat a horse and as susceptible one as
ever felt his heart beating faster in the pres
ence of beautiful woman
In his dealings with men the captain was
the embodiment of force and common sense,
but with u pretty girl he was as weak as q
shorn Samson.
Men who know their own weakness in
this way should religiously keep from all
entangling alliances with the fair sex; but
curiously enough, they are the very fellows
who court most assiduously that danger
which they are so powerless to resist.
The houses in that part of east Tennessee
were not very luxurious or inviting at that
time, but near the place where the captain
was to be stationed till driven or ordered
back he was not long in discovering a resi-
dence of the better class. 1t was about 300
yards from the place near the railroad
where his men were in camp, and it was its
air of comfort and prosperity that induced
him to go up there soon after his arrival
and ask if he could be accommodated with
board and lodging, for which he WAS will
ing to pay. during the indefinite time OF
his stay.
Thara har nfh 1uniy oY,ta
about the house, but its only white occu-
pants were a middle aged, matronly lady,
Mrs Herndon, and her daughter Jennie,
the latter one of the prettiest girls the cap
tain had ever seen
In reply to the captains request Mrs.
Herndop said
MY husband and two sons are away at
this time" The captain suspected that
they were in the southern army, but that
was so usual as not to perplex him for a
moment. 81 shall be glad to accommodate
you if in return you agree to give me and
my daughter protection and keep your
men off the place at all times"
Morton glanced from the sweet face of
the mother to the beautiful face of the
daughter, and there was, or at least so he
thought, such pleading expression in the
fine brown eyes of the latter that he ac-
'cepted her proposition at once.
Elated with his success and madly In love
with the young lady-it was far from being
his first experience in this way-the cap
tain went back to his camp and issued an
order to his men in accordance with the
agreement he had made with Mrs Hern-
don.
II haven't had so many soft billets dur
ing the war" said the captain when tell
ing his lieutenants of his good fortune,
that | should throw this one over my
shoulder"
The lieutenants winked slyly at each
other and said: Certainly, captain. You're
quite right We'd do the same If we had
the chance" and no doubt they would
Morton moved up his effects, not very
cumbersome, to the fine house on the hill,
and with true southern hospitality be was
made Immediately at home
He sang well, and Jennie Herndon played
we'll, and both gave IN exhibition of their
musical accomplishments in the parlor
after supper that evening
Then, as afterward, Mrs. Herndon left
her daughter and the Yanke officer so much
alone that the latter construed her thought
jectionable as a son-in-law.
If these ladies had favored the Union
cause, they would have declared themselves
at the outset. Yet from first to last they
refrained, with well bred thoughtfulness,
from saying anything about the war
A more experienced and less susceptible
man than Captain Morton could not have
resisted for long the destinations of that
beautiful, sweet voiced girl Morton made
no effort to do so. The genuine thing was
altogether too delightful for anything like
prudence.
He was charmed at first sight, but before
a week was out he had entirely forgotten a
lovely girl he was half engaged to up in
Cincinnati and was insanely in love with
Jennie Herndon.
The post near the railroad bridge was not
an onerous one. Ten days passed without
the appearance of graycoat on the sur.
rounding hills, and this immunity, with
the condition of the captains heart, led
him to believe or at least to hope that this
state of affairs might continue indefinitely.
To please Jennie-what would he not do
to please her?-he now went off with her
every afternoon on long horseback rides.
by his success, on one of these
rides he declared his love and asked for her
hand.
She did not seem surprised, but told him
to come back after the war for her answer,
and as she persisted in this the captain had
to be satisfied.
The fourth of these rides Was the last