The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-02
AapRvILLK, 8. G., Jan. a. 1893


best surgeons l ever saw. He was
without fear and went into battle with
the line. He was a man OF the highest
honor, llberally educated, refined,
genial, humaEe, high-born and accom-
pliDhed. His father was d!stin-
guished engineer of1icer OF the United
States army but years before the war
went to Russia and under the favor of
the Car directed the building OF sev
eral great railroads. Oar DR.. Whie-
tler spent part Of his life in Russia and
in E1gland. In 1866, in the month OF
February. he had got q furlough Of
four monthe to 60 to Englnnd 30 visit
his mother who then resided in Lon
don. He went through the lines and
before his furlough was out the sur
render at Appomattox took place and
heard from DR.. Whistler until l re-.
eeived a letter from him on December
18th, 1893, Which is published here
with.
Last December read a Newspaper
sketch OF james McNeill Whistler, tho
distinguished artist, who also has a
studio in Paris. I knew from the
sketch that the artist must DO related
20 our friend and cOmrhde. So wrote
and requested the artist to Let mo know
If .he doctor was dead, but IL etill liv-
ing to send my letter to him. The re-
suit was the letter which now fur
nish to the Hoyt publications. 1t will
DO found graphic and interesting.
ROBERT r. HRMPHILL.
10 WIMPLn STREET, CA yENDIsa
SQUARE. LONDON, Nov. 29Lh, 1898.
Ny Dear Mr.. Hemphill: My brother
came over from Parie recently and
brought mo your letter, which would
but have only just recovered from
severe illness, aud go was urable to
write, I have never received any mes
cage that has touched me deeply or
given mo such delight. To be 90 kind
ly remembered by my ola comrades
carries mo back still NOR, vividly to
past times when We were fellow CAM
paigpers in the "Old Cause;'' daye
whioh 1 pever forget and which |
Often do recall my association with
Orr'5 Riee Regiment ae the brighteot
OF my recolleottons OF the war. How
time has none by sinoe l parted, for
short time as ! then supposed, with our
regiment In February, 1865. little
thought that the four months furlough
given mo, as you say, to como abroad,
would have left mo here ahill after
thirty-three yearo.
On reporting In Richmond after leav.
ing she front st Petersburg, l was on.
trusted with dispatches to deliver in
England, which made my gettinR
through tho lines q somewhat more
anxious undertaking. I had arranged
10 ran tho blockade from Chsrleston.
On reaching. Columbia, however, I
found myself stopped by sherman's
retreat from there back again towards
Richmond. Hero l bid goodbye TO
my friend. DR.. John Caldwell, OF our
brigade, who on leave had travelled
With mo this fnr. Sherman's camp
Areo were lighting up the night just
aLross tho river, and tho whole town
was in o hustle OF excitement and prep
.arAtion. Every man was being ordered
to Immediate duty. All trains were
Of the De- ei"Lrrment, and passenger trsf-
fc was temporarily suspended. saw
at once that this was no moment for
showing papers, or entering into OK.
plantations 40 to the undertakings I
had to fulai. 30, finding Treasury
Department. train just starting for Vir-
ginia, It's occupants being ladies en-.
gagged in the Treasury, atowed my
self, unknown to anyone, i. !!h empty
brake van. Hare climbed In the
dark to an upper shelf just under the
roof, and laid down and rested as best
could In the bitter cold, for it was
euowiag. Fortune, however, smiled
on me before the journey was over, and
q friend whom l unexpectedly met, at
q station where we stopped, rescued
me from my stowsway position and
transferred mo to @ car where ell was
bright and cherry, with lovely ladies
whose kind reception L shall mover
forget.
SO we went on TO Richmond, stop
ping for o day at Charlotte, North
Carolina, where l mot our Colonel
MoDufae Miller, and Mr.. Mulally, our
chaplain, who were making their way
10 South Carolina on furl0ugh. Our
ordnance officer, Capt. Thompson, OF
NoGowan'a staff, also joined mo here.
I found II impossible next to run the
TO give up oil chance OF getting out by
sea. The only course open to mo WAC
TO get round Grants line as hest could,
and make my way through Maryland.
I am nmuoed when l recall that tho
travelling suit required by mo. for q
disguise, so to cay, cost mo fourteen
hundrel dollars, and the bundle OF
notes needed to meet the damage was
so bulky that l got negro to tote II
TO the tailor.
To effect my plans was not 90 easy:
anu Ii HAb not until bno 9tn OF h&rCh
that I got fairly of. started In an
ambulance wagon, having secured a
place In IL for ave hundred dollsrs
This being done I may add that !
walked nesrly oil tho Way ovina to
tho state OF the roads. The driver had
not long left Castle Thunder" as nenr
90 remember and my companion was
o man going with him on foraeine
duty. They were rather rough dis,
rnonds, but as you know oil OF Ne had
got we'll used TO roughing; and 80, for
the few days we logged along together
got on very JOLLY with them on our
risky journey. We were making our
way towards tho Rappahannock, my