The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-07-13

sonating William Newly.
At the battle of Shiloh, on the 9th of April,
1862 William Newly was thought to have
been killed On buryng the dead, almost Sc
hours after the battle when almost all the dead
had turned black. the comrades of VIM. Newly
| thought that they had buried him, and re-
ported to his company. In Co G of the 10th H.,
was a man by the name of Hiram Morris.
Morris was man who so much resembled VIM.
Newly that he was often mistaken for Newly.
Morris was in the battle at Shiloh and reported
| missing, and has never been heard of up to this
time.
Mrs. Newly, believing that her husband was
killed, as reported, made an application for and
| obtained a widows pension from the Govern
ment at the rate of SIP per month, and drew
| this amount up to the time of the return of her
husband when she surrendered her pension
| certificate to the Government, being convinced
| beyond all shadow of doubt that the man whom
| the Government is now prosecuting as Daniel
| Benton is no other than her husband, VIM.
| Newly, the father of her children and whom
| she had mourned as dead for more than 80
| years.
| Hiram Morris's family have never received
| one cent from the Government, for the reason
that he is marked on the Adjutant-Generals
| report of the State of Illinois as missing, and
always will be missing in this world, for the fol-
| lowing reasons: Ills comrades buried him in
stead of VIM. Newly. Morris should have been
| reported killed and Newly reported missing.
! OF the comrades who thought that they buried
| Newly and made affidavit to that effect in be-
half of Mrs Newly in obtaining her pension,
| five of them are living. Three of them since
| Newby's return have acknowledged their mis-
take, and two of them, Doc Maricle and b. II.
Merritt are terribly mixed up.
| VIM. Newly was born in Smith County Ten
nessee, 10 miles from Carthage, the Countyseat
of said County, in 1926. When William was
| of fail Tohn hy
moved with his family to Illinois, settling in
| Wayne County, where he resided one year,
| then moved south few miles into White
| County where he died some 80 years ago, leav-
| ing widow and IL children, six boys and six
| girls, who grew up to manhood and woman
| hood under the tender and loving care Of their
| widowed mother who is now living at the ad-
| vanced age of SO years.
In the year 1S49 William Newly was united
| in marriage to Miss Ferby Files, who by such
marriage gave birth to five children, four boys
| and one girl and his wife and children are
| living on the same farm where he left them at
his enlistment. When President Lincoln
| issued his proclamation calling for volunteers
| for the purpose of suppressiBg the rebellion,
| William Newly was then prosperous farmer;
he had a good home, a loving wife, and affec-
tionate children. He did not have thought
that was not in harmony with that of his wife;
he loved her, but he loved his country, and a
stern and pressing duty caused him to bid his
home and wife and children a sad adieu and
go forth to battle for his country.
On the 9th of August. 1861, Newly was mus
tered into the United States army as private
in Co. d, 10th Ill., at Camp Butler. III. From
Springfield the 10th was ordered to Jefferson
Barracks, Mo-; from Jefferson Barracks TO
Birds Point, Mo-; from Birds Point to Paducah,
KY; from Paducah up the Tennessee River to
Pittsburg Landing, where the regiment diSem-
barked, and on the 9th day of April, 1862 went
into the battle of Shiloh. Among the first that
fell during the battle was William Newly. He
was shot through both legs, and had his skull
fractured by shot or shell. Being man of pow
erful physique he was still able, with all his
wounds, to crawl on his hands and knees to
shelter from the storm of rebel bullets. His
regiment, being able to no longer withstand
the terrible onslaught of the overwhelming
number of rebels, was forced to fall back. leav-
ing on the battlefield William Newly in pos
session of the Southern army. It's matter of
history and well-knOwn fact that from the
first of the battle until darkness came over the
terrible slaughter, and the fighting ceased, on
that Sunday evening, that the Union forces
were driven back until all of the Union army
was within three quarters of a mile of the Ten
nessee River. It is also well-known fact that
the rebel army had full and complete posses
sion of the Battlefield, together with all our
teQts and equipments. 1t is known that it is
ground where friend and foe lie dead and
wounded, to carry the wounded to the rear of
the army for treatment.
In William Newby's case we claim that he
was wounded early in the fight; that he
crawled under cover, and there lay unconscious
until he was found by the enemy and taken to
the rear with other wounded; that he was
taken from Shiloh to Cornth, from Corinth to
Chattanooga, from Chattanooga to Belle Isle,
from there to hell earth called Anderson
Vile Prison; that he was known in the prison
as Crazy Jack; that he was IN the north side of
the prison; that by starvation, and neglect,
and terrible suffering from his wounds he be-
came insane and so emaciated that he could
not walk; that he hoped on his hands and his
bottom during the latter part of his stay in
prison that he was naked, with the exception
OF part of pair of drawers; that he was
taken out of said prison after night by order
of Capt Wirz and placed in poorhouse,
near Andersonville. to die; that he re-
NAMED in said pOorhouse over two years
after the war had closed; that he was taken
from said poorhouse to Florida, where he re-
manned more than two years, driving carriage
for a planters family that ne went from
Florida to the Chattanooga poorhouse, and re-
manned there for some time; from Chatta-
nooga poorhouse to Virginia; from Virginia to
Ohio from Ohio to Alabama; from Alabama to
Shreveport La; from Shreveport to ILLINOIS,
and from Illinois to Tennessee. where he was
in prison in the penitentiary at Nashville from
1877 to 1889; from this prison to Indiana, and
from Indiana to Illinois, wandering from poor
house to poorhouse, with reason dethr0ned.
Two years before his identity was discovered
he lay all night within two miles of his own
home and children and knew it not; was fed
by his own nephew and knew it not. but was
told that he resembled Newly; he making no
reply. He wanders away, and two years later
wanders back in the neighborhoOd, and is by
accident identified and returned to his home
and children. He is taken home to the bosom OF
his Christian wife, who had never married, but
fondly and tendery pllowed his wounded head
upon her throbbing bosom, for she had mourned
him as dead for so many long. long years
Comrades, think of this old. silvery-locked,
Christian wife. with tears stealing down her
cheeks, holding his wounded head upon her
heart-broken bosom. while in his rawlings he
cries ont, "Oh. God; could only find my poor
wife and children in White County," But she
knows it is her old, long-lost companion. He
comes back to her manned and crippled, with
reason dethroned. but she loves him STILL and
like q true mother and Christian wife will cling
to him until yon blessed orb, the light of day,
shall rise aud set no more for them.
He is recognized by his old mother. who is
now 80 years of age. She is blind-yes, the
light of day has faded out for her, but she still
retains the sense OF hearing and feeling. She
says that she knows his voice; that she eau