The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-04
CONFEDERATE BILL
WITH A HISTORY.
Returned to Judge Fuller After Thirty
-Four Helped Feed a
Starving Family.

Representing nothing on Gods earth
now
And naught in the waters beneath il"
1t is an ordinary Confederate $500
bill. but it has history; and pathetic
little story it is, too.
It has not seen much of the world
this bill. now worthless and representing
nothing. Still new and fresh-looking,
one can see that its circulation was
limited. but in that brief career it did
more good perhaps, than has many an
other bill of greater value and wider
circulation. Several families it saved
from absolute want and very likely from
almost starvation. Having helped buy
one barrel of flour that fed many hungry
mouths, its life of usefulness was at an
end.
1t was in April 1865 that this particu-
lar bill came from the Confederate print
ing presses in Richmond, bright and
crisp it was and goodly to look upon,
but the war was now almost at an end,
and few could doubt what the end would
be.
The bill was paid out of the treasury
to member of the Confederate States
Congress, Col. Thomas c. Fuller, now
a judge on the bench of the United
States court of Land Claims. Col. Fuller
was then living in Fayetteville. Sher-
man had just been through the South
burning, destroying and stealing all the
property that he could find. Reaching
Raleigh Col. Fuller received Il letter
telling him of the destitution prevailing
around his home. His family and neigh
bors were without sufficient food. What
was more the railroad track had been
torn up and his only means of reach
ing home was by private conveyance. He
went by way of Holly Springs, where
they spent the first night. the next night
he stopped in Lockville, Chatham county.
Here Col. Fuller, who had once kept
Il store in Fayetteville, mdt an old
friend and customer. Mr.. Joseph A.
Parham, a miller. He related to Par
ham the condition of his family and
neighbors and asked if he could afford to
sell him barrel of flour for Confederate
money. the only kind Col. Fuller had.
parham remarked that he didn't think
the chances for Confederate money
were very good, but that he had -four 10
sell and if people were suffering for
food he'd take his chances on even Con-
federate money. SO Col. Fuller paid
him $400
That was nearly thirty-fiye years ago.
but neither Col. Fuller nor Mr.. Parham
have forgotten the incident 1t is one
of those things that live in a mans
memory and close to his heart. as the
tears in Col. Fuller's eyes proved yester-
day when he showed me the following
letter which he had just received:
''Lockville. y. c., Feb. 23, 1898.
Hon. Thomas Fuller:
Dear Sir: Enclosed find n Confeder-
ate bill you paid me for one barrel of
-four at $400 per barrel, bought April,
1865. / am enjoying good health, hope
you are the same.
Respectfully,
j. A. PARHAM."
Mr.. Parham is one of Chatham's best
citizens. He was a member of the Leg
islature in 1895, one of the most conser-
vative and conscientious representatives
of his people in that body.
In another letter to a friend here Mr..
Parham says that he has kept all four
of the bills Judge Fuller paid him. He
sends Judge Fuller one and keeps the