The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-12
A Var RemIniscnce:

In the winter Of 1864, Mr. F., rich
banker of Washington, D. c., wrote to
me, asking me to try and locate cou-
sin Of his-one Lieut.. Holbrook of
Pennsylvania-who was taken prisoner
while serving in Sherman's army in
the West. This prisoner had been
confined. where Mr.. F. could reach
him and supply his wants, in the
Libby prison at Richmond, for year
and a half. He had been removed,
and was requested to find him, and
Mr.. F. offered to reciprocate favors on
any Confederate I should designate.
J. promptly instituted search of
the prisons in Columbia, Anderson
Vile and Charleston, where he had
been placed ''under fire." as it was
designated, within the city limits
and in reach Of the shells fired by the
Yankee fleet. I learned through
friends that the prisoner had been i'll
with pneumonia and was then in the
Rikersville Hospital, just outside OF
the city on the South Carolina Railroad:
BE was in precarious health, and I
opened correspondence with Gen.
Hardee, asking permission to transfer
Lieut.. Holbrook to my house in
Winnsboro, stating that reciprocal
exchange of courtesies would be exer-
cised on prisoner North. was soon
honored with the necessary permit
and brought my prisoner home myself
and nursed him into convalescence.
Through Provost Marshal Gayer Of
Charleston (who recently died) my
prisoner was exchanged in the course
of few weeks. The poor fellow,
however, died in less than a year from
the effects of his long confinement and
illness in prison.
Ny substitute was Capt. John L.
Jones of Liberty Hill, one Of the cap
tains of the Seventh Battalion, who
about that time was made prisoner
and confined at Fort Delaware. The
rich banker, as soon as he was inform
ed of the services rendered to his
cousin, reciprocated in a magnificent
manner. The jolly captain, whom
imprisonment, even in this dreary
Yankee prison, could not entirely de-
press, was lying around, no doubt ex-
pecting to rot where he was, until the
war ended. He was reused 'one day
by brief and astounding letter from
perfect stranger with still stranger
German name, with an enclosure of
s75 in greenbacks. "Who the devil
is this Dutchman Fahnestock, and
how did he know about me p He could
hardly believe his eyes and this wind
fall. But the captain was soon "cock
of the walk" and in his natural ele-
ment,. treating" friends and enjoying
himself as far as it was possible, con-
sidering his surroundings. News was
slow reaching Washington in those
days, but as soon as Mr.. F. heard that
my lieutenant had been sent on for
exchange, he fixed up Capt. Jones
papers. In two weeks after the first
surprise, second letter reached him,
announcing his release and cordial
invitation extended to spend few
days in Washington with Mr.. F. He
was entertained handsomely and shown
the sights of the city. A 500 bill
was quietly thrust into the captain 8
hands next day, to enable him to
make some little purchases for his
family at home, - "only begging him
for a little reservation in one corner
of his trunk for small package for
my cousin in South Carolina"
Capt. Jones ever retained feeling
of relationship to that noble Yankee,
who was not ashamed to entertain a
Confederate soldier in princely style,
Notwithstanding his ragged Confed-
crate uniform. Capt. Jones never
had the remotest idea how the thing
all came about until he got to Wash
ington, and his debt Of gratitude to
me was paid with interest.-M. G..
Rion, in Won,an's Edition Columbia
Nfnfo