The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-04-05
A YANKEE PRISONER
Writes Of Pleasant Memories
of His Southern Captors.

Writes OF Pleasant Memories
OF His Southern Captors.
The following clipping from the
Houston (Texas) Post, has been
handed rs by Cot R. II Wallace.
president of the First National Bank
of Sumter, to whom the paper was
cent by friend. Col Wallace
eorrobcrases the statements therein
referring to himself He says that
the prisoner Stewart did not jump
from the train, but made his escape
sn Louisville just after getting off
the train Col Wallace was between
the guard and Stewart aud held his
Dsanket to shake out the dust. and
thereby hid Stewart from the guard
while he got away. Stewart had a
suit Of citizens clothes, which aided
his escape. Wallace was in Confed
crate uniform, and he knew it was
useless for him to attempt an escape.
Stewart was bright Mason and was
aided by members of the fraternity
to whom he made himself known:
la Grange, Texas. March % -
st the annual meeting of. the Colonel
B Timmons camp, No. 81, o. g v,
to-day the following letter was to
have been read As it will no doubt
prove TO be very interesting to the
veterans and their friends, the Post
reporter secured 1t for publication
Mr. Nat G. Riyes of Terry Rangers,
Company F, Eighth Texas cavalry,
Ia Grange, Texas.
New York City, 259 West 1856
Street. March 1o.-My Dear Sir /: |
thank yon sincerely for your kind
invitation to be present at the return
30 the flag of your regiment by the
Seventeenth Indiana. / most heartily
approve every act which tends to
cbiiserate the harsher memories,
while perpetusting the heroism, the
magnanimity and the self sacrifice
displayed alike by Federals and Con-
sederates in the sad and wasting but
necessary struggle of the ..War De-
tween the States"
My sentiments in this regard were
expressed many years ago in Mem
orisl day address at San Francisco. a
copy of which will try 20 find and
send you. ! have some friendships
with men who were Confederate
soldiers. which ! value as highly as
any have known in life, and do
not think that history has on its
pages any nobler names than those OF
Morgan of Alabama, Wheeler of the
same State, and Gordon of Georgia,
whom l met on the field and loved
always afterward. / knew we'll in
California David s. Terry, who led a
Texas regiment, and admired him as
among the last Of grand type of
men who were developed by frontier
life and are unfortunately passing
away, since our civilization no longer
has frontiers on this continent Re-
Gently in Washington | met and
spent some pleasant hours with
augustus FL. Garland, whom had
long desired to know, because Of his
magnificent victory over Northern
prejudice and passion in the removal
of the "Test oath" exacted from
lawyers who had been Confederates
after the war was over. | know of
no finer expression of the indomita-
bic unconquered and unconquerable
spirit cf the true men of the South
than was manifested in that great
but peaceful struggle for right and
Justice, which will be remembered
and honored as long as any victory
of the war. General Garland would
have been my friend, but he died
suddenly (whiie / was waiting at his
hotel) in the chamber Of the supreme
court where he won his greatest
triumph many years before After
the close of the war | married a
younger sister of the widow of the
late Justice Lamar, and after she died
married another lady from the State
of Georgia. so you see come natur-
ally by my knowledge of the good
qualities OF the people of the South
Yes, am the La Grange who was
captured in charge of the Eight and
Eleventh Taxas cavalry at Varnell
Station on the 9Th of May 1864. Ny
second horse was sboi under me
while was fighting with my rear
guard after my line had been broken
and beaten by Wheeler's command.
] took the name of my csptor, j G..
Haynie of La Grange, Texas, who
spared my life, which l bad forfeited by
firing my last shot at him and wound
;no him si;ohtIv in the hand aa | Law