The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
NEAL DOW'S CLOSE CALL.
STORY TOLD BY REBEL VINO
CAPTURED HIM IN III WAR.
Taken from tho House or n Unionist In Mlsais
rippi-A Mob Gathers to HING Him-Pro-
tected by His Captors and Rushed Out or
Town in the NiEht-story OF His Cnptor.

Taken from tho House or n Unionist In sIisnts
rippi-A Mob Gathers TO Hang Hlm-Pro-
tected by Els Captors and Rushed Out or
Town In the N~iEht-story OF His Cnptor.
From the Chicago Times. Herald.
ATLANTA. May 15.-Col. Allen d. Chandler,
G~eorgia's Secretary Of State. was a mountain
schoolmaster at tho breaking out of the civil
war. but he comes of fine old Irish ancestry, and
the opportunity to lay aside the rod Of correc-
ton and take the shillelah of war was too much
for the doughty pcdagogue, and hc raised a
company and offered his services to the Con-
fcdcratc Government and soon rose to the rank
Of Colonel of the eGiment His ommand was
stationed in north Georgia In 1868 to assist in
stopping the advance of tho Federals. but he
was detailed to take command Of the post at
Jackson, Miss. and was there during the sum-
mer Of that memorable year, when hard fighting
was going on around Vicksburg, and the Con-
fedcratc and Union forces were struggling for
supremacy in Mississippi.
"Onc morning bright and carly" said he.
while indulging in some "reminiscences the other
day, "a planter from down near Hazlehurst,
Miss. called at headquarters and asked to see
mo privately. Taking him into my private
office. he disclosed the fact that there was n
Union General who had been severely wounded
around Vicksburg stopping in his neighborhood
at the home of a Union sympathizer, and he
offered to pilot me to the house If wished to
effect his capture.
at was too good an opportunity to be missed.
and. taking a posse of six men. l proceeded to the
C Cea1e t9wn OUTPOST Sn I msf on the News Orleans Sa JACK.
son and Great Northern Railroad that remained
in .P% Ssee asriTe Of at aho H fontf%sra'H ia tSF ss night. and
with the planter to guide us, started on the
march over roads so abominable that we could
hardly pick our way in the darkness. There
was no conveyance OF any kind, to be procured,
and we had to foot it through the fields and
,,,nla m on,ap p,ilaa hafnra xra ranpheH MIR
THE planter pointed out the house to us, and
might not incur the enmity of his Unionist
ncighbors. and We quietly surrounded the house
after he was convinced escape was impossible
that the Cnionist agreed to surrender his guest,
I Of the early dawn, with his arm in a Sling.
II asked him his name and rank and he In,
rank OF Brigadier-General in the Union army. I
told him that he must consider himself a pris-
0rSr 10 of H Ta1; hnd we M siHr priso 9n tR pso Te.It fo be 5es am
elderly man of commanding presence and pos
sessed of more than the average Intelligence.
when we arrived at Jackson consigned him
to the most comfortable room In the building
It T"his had ! BEEN the former odico Of the Flag o. the
Union: a red-hot unionist newspaper. whose
took possession OF the town. and the name OF tho
newspaper still appeared on thefront OF thetwo-
story wooden building in flaming letters.
"Thc only entrance to the second story was by
an outside stairway. SO that one sentinel could
easily prevent the escape Of prisoners confined
my distingulshed prisoner. visited MN every
my my R a and We discussed the merits Of the
two sides Of he question quite freely.
was mW VITA foS San nGG%ni Tet .ne G fSat q { st irrsSas Win ahS him
to Richmond. where he was TO be consigned TO
C commnsI Ta%nS DC !co a pTEiSMGGi tah 81 war a lit l was Su sfs
teacher, who had wandered into the ranks OF the
Confederate army, along with all the rest OF that
] = ~ nnn1N Al . n nCpnnNh lnty nf n nTFinra
One night In August VIC started, and when
we reached. Montgomery, Ala, we went TO the
had not been there long before noticed that a
mob was collecting in front Of the hotel, and
and with trembling lips warned me that l had
better take measures to protect my prisoner, AS
ton of taking him out and hanging him to q
lamp post: ,,o, . - po,.,o.,s
mostly spaniards. had r~efugeed to MONTGOMERY.
and as Gen. Dow had been in NINA at Pcnsa-
cola during its OCCUPATION by the Union him forces.
cused him of robbing them of their personal
property, some of, them even claiming that he
had stolen their silver spoons. VI course, i put
no %credcncc in the charges. but the point was TO
defend my prisoner from the violence of that
angry and irresponsible mob. SO l sent for Col.
Bib, who was in command OF the post, =,
"on his arrival We went down and haranRcd
the crowd and pleaded with them not 10 cast
such a stain on the Government and on the city
ny such an act OF violence against al The rules
succeeded in dispensing the citizens of Mont
gomery, who had assembled To assist in the ex-
%ccution. But the Spaniards from Pensacola
were not 50 easily dissuaded from their purpose.
They continued to NIL up on mean whiskey, and
in "A short time they began gathering In front Of
the hotel again, and Col. Bib and the PROPRIETOR
OF he hotel advised me to get my prisoner out
OF the city as soon as possible.
II lcaTnod that tho next train for Atlanta
would leave al 4 O'Clock in the morning, so that
] must do something 10 avert. the tragedy and
keep my prisoner safe from harm, until train
time. Gen. Dow remained perfectly cool and
self possessed, although suffering from the
wound made 10y II bullet which had passed
through the iicshy portion OF his right arm. and
did not appear at all disconnected by the danger
that mcna"Cd him.
Leaving the hotel by n back door, VIC picked
our way carefully through the garden, and
slipping through a gate into. an unfrequented
nll"y, wC made our way TO the railway yards.
Locating the mixed train which was TO pull out
AT l o'clock. | Obtained permission to enter n
box ear, and, folding our blankets. we lay down
on the floor Of the car, having securely fastened
the door, and awaited The time Of leaving.
In all my war experience ! never passed
safe until we had passed the outskirts of the city
and were speeding away toward Atlanta as fast
rs steam could carry us. When ! arrived here
j turned Gen. Dow over 10 Coon Mitchell,
feeling TINT all danger was past, and he accom-.
panied the prisoner TO Richmond and turned
him over to tho authorities there.
81 passed through many thrilling experiences
during the war, but | was never In such "a close
place as | was that night in Montgomery. while
was afterward 10 make such a world wide repu'
tation az the undauntul leader OF the crusade
against the liquor evil"