The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-01-20
Neal Dow's Captor.

of colonel of the regiment.
His command was stationed in North
Georgia in 1863, to assist in stopping
the advance of the Federals. but he
was detailed to take command OF the
post at Jackson, Miss, and was there
during the summer of that memorable
year, when hard fighting was going on
around Vicksburg, and the Confederate
and Union forces were struggling for
supremacy in Mississippi.
"One morning bright and early said
he. while indulging in some reminis-
cences the other day, "a planter from
down near H.;Zlehurst, Miss, called at
headquarters and asked to see me pri-
vately. Taking him into my private
office, he disclosed the fact that there
was a 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 l
wished to effect his capture.
1T was too good an opportunity to
be missed, and taking posse of six
men l proceeded to the little town Of
Hazlehurst, which was the last Con-
federate outpost on the New Orleans,
jackson and Great Northern Railroad
that remained in possession OF the
Confederate forces.
I'VE arrived at Hazlehurst late at
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 pro-
cured and we had to foot it through
the fields and woods for seven miles be-
fore we reached our destination.
"The planter pointed out the house to
us and remained in the background
himself, so that he might not incur the
enmIty of his Unionist neighbors, and
we quietly surrounded the house and
| knocked for admittance. 1t was not
until after he was convinced escape
was impossible that the Unionist agreed
to surrender his guest, and the latter
came out into the struggling light of
the early dawn with his arm IN a
sling.
81 asked him his Dame and rank and
he informed me that he was Neal Dow,
holding the rank of brigadier general
in the Union army. 1 told him that he
must consider himself a prisoner of
war, and we started on the return
journey to Hazlehurst. My prisoner
Ill
manding presence and possessed Of
more than the average intelligence,
and our acquaintance progressed rap
idly
when we arrived at Jackson / con-
signed him to the most comfortable
room in the building which l had ap-
propriated as military prison. 1t had
been the former office of the Flag of
the Union, red-hot Unionist newspa-
per. whose publisher decamped when
the Confederates took possession of
the town, and the name of the newspa-
per still appeared on the front of the
two-story wooden building in flaming
letters.
THE only entrance to the second
story was by an outside stairway. so
that one sentinel could easily prevent
the escape of prisoners confined above,
and in that part of the building placed
my distinguished prisoner. l visited
him every day and carried him such
newspapers as fell into my hands. and
we discussed the merits of the two
sides of the question quite freely.
I'VE soon became the best of friends,
and it was with genuine regret that
started with him to Richmond, where
he was to be consigned to Castle Thun-
der as a prisoner of war. / was accom-
panied by Coon Mitchell, n pudgy lit
tie music teacher, who had wandered
into the ranks of the Confederate army
along with all the rest Of that strangely
assorted assemblage of warriors.
Zone night in August we started and
when we reached Montgomery, Ala,
we went to the old National Hotel,
where | secured room. / had not been
was collecting in front Of the hotel,
and pretty soon the proprietor of the
hotel appeared and with trembling lips
warned me that l had better take
measures to protect my prisoner, as
the mob was gathering with the ayow-
ed intention of taking him out and
hanging him TO lamp-poSt.
III seemed that number of Pensa-
colans, mostly SpaniardS, had refugeed
to Montgomery, and as General Dow
had been in command at Pensacola
during its occupation by the Union
forces. they were greatly incensed
against him and accused him of robbing
them Of their personal property, some
of them even claiming that he had
stolen their silver spoons. OF course,
/ put no credence in the charges, but
the point was to defend my prisoner
from the violence of that angry and ir-
mob. so | sent for Colonel
Bibb, who was in command Of the post.
''On his arrival we went down and
haranged the crowd and pleaded with
them not to cast such a stain on the
government and on the city by such an
dcl vi NloitlCe dSdlilSl all the TuleS ol
civilized warfare. After much plead
ing we succeeded in dispensing the
citizens of Montgomery, who had as
sembled to assist in the execution.
But the Spaniards from Pensacola
were not so easily dissuaded from their
purpose. They continued to fill up on
mean whisky, and in a short time they
began gathering in front of the hotel
again, and Colonel Bibb and the pro-
prietor of the hotel advised me to get
the prisoner out of the city as soon as
possible.
Il learned that the next train for At
ianta would leave at 1 o'clock in the
so that | must do something
20 avert the tragedy and keep my pris.
)ner safe from harm until train time.
General Dow remained perfectly cool
md self-possessed, although suffering
rom tba wound roadp Inv :, h,Illat " binl |