The National tribune., 1899-08-17

various periods of time, as L understood.
I acquainted my friend Geo. W. Sizer with
my discrimination. We roomed together
at the time. We considered, first, how
should get out of Richmond. Every rail-
road and County road was guarded by sol
iers; even Mayos Bridge, leading to Man
chester. was guarded.
[ remember that some ladies. one an old
school friend, from Portsmouth, kindly
hunted me up in Richmond. and when we
reached the Manchester Bridge, | was told
by the guards that could not go over; but
the ladies' We're permitted TO return to Man.
chester, because their pass read: Pass to
Richmond and return" We separated,
with kind adieus, on the bridge.
/ first applied to Provost-Marshal Cook,
from whom L had gotten my exemption
paper, but he politely informed me that he
could not comply with my request, and was
sorry. but that Gen. Winder had issued an
order that all passes for persons to leave the
city must be signed by him. Now, [ saw
fun ahead, indeed: [ knew all about Winder,
from private sources. He had been sent
there from far Southern State to rule over
Virginians. He was martinez, vain and
imoer5ineut to citizen callers for favors;
told Geo. Sizer that L thought Winder
wolld not think quite so much of his abill-
ties after had gotten through with him;
and George replied that he thought we were.
or would be, fully equal to the occasion, and
that he was with me. Enough.
[ marched up town TO Winders head
quarters; soldier at the door admitted me,
and in a moment stood before the marvel
ouS Gen. Winder whom scarcely anybody
liked. He was writing, but raised his
head. and, looking at me sharply, said:
"What is your business, Sir?' Irepliedthat
| desired TO visit some friends in Staunton,
Va. and called TO get pass from him. He
said: you can't go TO Staunton, sir; the
Yankees are now near Staunton; and.
m pynnnt from military
duty?' | said | was, and handed my ex-
emption to him. Without word, he took
down a large book. turned to a page, then
looked at me and inquired: What is your
name and profession?' L answered hIm
correctly. Again looking at the book, he
turned to me and said sharply: You can't
go, sir!" Ireplied. 'I can't go, General, of
course, unless you think proper to give me
pass" and bowed myself out
After telling George SiZer all about it, we
considered the case, and George said: Il
have it; am mechanic, and have been TO
Petersburg on a pass from Winder. L Will
get one from him TO Staunton; then you can
get on the cars, and [ know you can man.
age the rest The guards won't know you,
of course. 'Eurekaw 1t was good!
George got the pass for himself a day or
two after and proceeded to the depot of the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, with George
following close behind. On arriving,
found one end of the passenger car locked
up and the other en1 guarded by four sol
dierS Waiting until the cars were about TO
start, / stepped briskly forward and pre-
sented the pass of Geo. Washington Sizer
TO Staunton. George then came TO my win
dow and we shook hands, and, as per
agreement / left the pass in his hand. The
train moved of the next second.
There were no soldiers on board then, but
at the next station a spruce young Lieu
tenant, with a small detachment of some
half dozen men, got on board and seated
themselves near me. [ greeted the Lieu
tenant, who returned the greeting in very
polite manner. [ then turned to Frank
Bolivita, friend, who had met me on the
cars by agreement, and whispered TO him,
asking if he had any whisky with him.
He replied by handing me quart bottle
full [ noted that the soldiers eyes fairly
twinkled when they observed the bottle;
at once turned to the Lieutenant and asked
him if he would "join me- in drink. He
guards asked me for drink, if it could be
spared-why, it was for them, if they had
but known. The Lieutenant having no
objections, handed the bottle to them, for
which they thanked me profusely. And
no wonderl whisky was worth then $40 or
S12 gallon, and drinks dollar eachi AT
this point the Lieutenant said to me:
You have your pass, of course?'
Of course had my pass, and searched
my pockets and pocket book. then under
the seat, when exclaimed that Il must have
dropped it in some way when I got on
board" Frank, at wink from me. as
sisted in the search on the floor of the car.
Not found, when [ said to the Lieutenant:
You know must have had the pass to get
by the guards at the car door" The Lieu
tenant replied: "0f course you had the pass
to get by the guards; perhaps, in your
butit is all right" OF course had dropped
it-in George SizerS hands.
This officer then informed me that he was
Lieut.. Avis, commanding the Provost
Guard at Staunton, and that Capt. John
Avis was his father. EVERYBODY remembers
Capt. Avis, of John Brown fame. He
hung John Brown, or Brown was hung
under mis- auspices, | do not know which.
AT STAUNToN.
Reaching Staunton in the evening, / re-
ported TO Capt Avis, ,Provost-Marshal, but
said nothing about the episode of the "lost
pass" [ became very intimate with Lieut.
Avis, through mutual friend, particularly,
and We were always good friends; and when
he returned from Gettysburg, he came to
me and we shook hands cordially; and /
told him. and from my heart, too, that /
congratulated him on his safe return from
the battlefield: | could say much more of
interest in this regard, but 1 must soon
close the "Recollections." / send him a
friendly greeting. and hope he will read
interested. He is now druggist some
where near the Valley of Virginia.
[ will say that Provost Marshal Avis
tried his level best TO outwit me, and make
me c3nnit myself, but all his plans failed.
| had good and true friends all about him,
which he little thought of or suspected
He olcs sent three or four Confederate SOL
dier5, during the Winter of 1863, in Staun-
ton, dressed in Federal uniforms, to induce
me to give them private information how to
get through the lines North. 1t was pre-
teliei that these disguised Confederates
were there on parole, and they actually
worked some in the Captains garden
Surely, IN vain is the net set in the sight of
any bird"
The Captain finally absolutely took my
exemption from me in Staunton, but had
another of the same kind, as may be re-
membere1 in a previous article, and after
had gone, the Captain offered johnny
Crbbens, Of Mount Sydney, clerkship in
the ProvoSt-Mar5hals Office during the war
fond Of joke. after asking if the promise
was goo1, told the Captain that | was in
Baltimore. The Captain saw the joke and
actually kept his word. This Johnny told
me when returned, after the war.
With feelings of charity, abstain from
writing OF the almost general depravity
that xistei III Staunton during the Winter
of 1853; let it pass. | could not possibly
get away safely until the Summer of 1864.
| tried 10 get TO Gen. Averi!I's forces when
ne threatened Staunton from the west
when he reached Monterey, Highland
County. [ went in buggy with friend
TO the summit of the North Mountain, over
looking the village Of Monterey; slept in the