The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05
upon THE CHILDREN"
A Remarkable Incident of tho Late war;
Saved by Soap.

Saveu Dy ooaP'
Remarkable facts in connection with
the late civil war are constantly coming
to light. There never was struggle OF
the same length that furnished more
material for the story-tellers, Just as
there was never a conflict that caused
more heartache 10 the fiesh-snd-biood
men who fought and women who endured.
The following facts. vouched for by
gentleman at present holding a public
office In this city. member OF the first
company of Howitzers. derive additional
interest from the fact that the Confed-
crate soldier who figures In the story
was q Virginian. from Caroline county.
and thew also illustrate the certainty with
which the virtues "of the fathers shall
be visited upon the children"
Among the Confederate prisoners at
Point Lookout was one who. by sick
ness. starvation. lack of medical atten-
ton and tender care. was reduced to
an extremity Of misery which. alas! found
its parallel in the case Of only two many
hundred loyal defenders Of the South.
Sharing his misery and his wretched
tent was another soldier. and we can
readily imagine how. through the long
hours, the two men exchanged condolences
and set about to devise some means for
alleviatlng their sufferings. and freeing
themselves. II possible. from imprison-
ment that eventually meant death, after
weary trials of tortured endurance. Their
one reasonable hope lay In reaching by
letter some one to whose humanity they
could appeal, and upon whose ability to
aid them they could rely.
At this point in their endeavors TO FIX
upon some one at once able and humane.
the steward came upon his daily round
to serve supplies. and among other arti-
cles furnished TO the two men was
cake of common washing soap. which
he first cut in two pieces. giving to each
of the prisoners half a cake.
To men solitary save for memo
rles CT home, one can easl-
ly understand how even the
sr .aliest item of each days life woul3
have a morbid and exaggerated interest.
aud when each OF the men saw upon
his half cake OF soap what was evil
IDENTIFY the part of q name, their brains,
busy with enc thought of escape, We're
swift to fly to conclusion, and, placing
the two cakes OF soap together, they dis
covered, to their delight. cut In the cake
the firm name of one Of the largest Soap
manufacturing companies OF the DAY
"McKeem Won Harlan & Co." A discus
sion at once arose as to which member
OF the firm they should address as
medium for the accomplishment Of their
purT,ose, but at length Won Harlan was
decided upon. To that gentleman. ac-
cordngly our friend from Caroline cour.
~ addressed lengthy letter. detailing
the misery of his situation-his sufferings
from starvation sickness, lack OF money,
etc.-and imploring the humane consid-
Grafton Of that gentler. an.
One can picture TO himself how the
weary hours Jagged along after that
"forlorn hope" was sent; how fear and
confidence strove In the heart or tie
writer; but imagine the almost over
whelming surprise, the nearly fatal de-
light, upon receipt, In not 90 Veiy many
slow-moving days, Of reply from Won
Harlan, enclosing money for the relief
of the penniless sufferers physical wants
and those hearty assurances of sympathy
that are so welcome TO us all!
Ven Harlan wrote that % all the men
in the broad land he was, IN the provi-
dence of God, the very best one upon
whom his correspondent could have de-
cided TO appeal for aid, and
assured our friend that he would at once
go TO work TO effect his speedy release
fro m captivity and starvation to home
and friends. His letter further stated
that when he, poor German migrant
boy, with no possessions save the thread
bare cloth IS he wore. first came over TO
America the father of his present corre-
spondent had given HIM employment on
his farm, and had in thousand ways ad-
vanced his interests. and shown TO the
stranger in a strange land a generous
kindness which had been his starting
force In life. and which he had never for
gotten.
Naturally. to be able to reader a ser
vice TO the son of such father was TO
the generous soap manufacturer source
Of the intensest pleasure and Gratifca-
ton.
There is littIe more Of the remarkable
story to tell, except that the release OF the
prisoner was through Won Harlan's CRATE
full efforts speedily effected.
To the fact that there is a Providence
that shapes our ends" 1t is but another
testimonial, and furnishes another Illus
tration of the fact that truth" is often
stranger than fiction"