The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-18
MISCELLANY.
LincOln's Last Pardon.

0B lHbt OUlCibl hCb DoIiOImtu NY
Abraham Lincoln as President of the
| United States was the signing of the
pardon of George s. f. Vaughan, I'M
der sentence of death, charged with be-
ing Confederate spy. Mr.. Vaughan,
now an old and broken man, lives in
Marysville, Mo. .Tbe story of his arrest,
sentence to death and final pardon an
hour before Lincoln was shot by j.
Wilkes Booth is one of the most inter
esting of the unpublished chapters OF
the civil war.
Before the war George s e. Vaughan
lived in Canton, Lewis county, Mo.
He had a wife and seven children and
was one of the most prominent men Of
the village. One of his most intimate
friends was Mark e. Green, who had
already begun to attain prominence as
Democrat of the pro-slavery type, and
who afterward became Major
in the Confederate army. On the out
break of hosiiities Green raised Con-
federate regiment and received COM
mis- sion as Colonel from the southern
government. The Vaughan family,
like many others, was divided on the
question OF the war. George enlisted
in Green's regiment and his brother
Allmon, who was captain in the State
guards, stuck to the Union.
George Vaughan followed Green
throughout the Missouri campaign.
One of the engagements in which he
particip ated was the battle of Athens.
Here the historians statement that
'brother grappled with brother" was
literally true, for George S. E. Vaughan
followed the banner of the Confederacy
and on the other side his brother
Allmon was fighting under the flag OF
the Union.
After a number of engagements in
Missouri, among them the battle of
Wilson's Creek, where the brave and
chivalrous Lyon fell, Green and his
men, who were with Price and Van
Dorm were transferred to Arkansas.
After the battle of Shiloh, in which
they participated, they went south with
the other shattered forces of the Con-
federacy and camped near Tupelo,
Miss, where they remained inactive
for some time.
Vaughan had by this time been made
regimental quartermaster, with the
rank of captain, and continued to enjoy
| General Greene's confidence and friend
ship. Greene had not heard for a
long time direct from his home, and
was almost entirely unacquainted with
the progress of affairs in Missouri. 1t
was desirable that he should know
more about them, and Vaughan was
chosen to 90 on the perilous mission.
Mr.. Vaughan denies that he came
North as spy. He declares that the
inaction of camp life had become dis
| r..I l. nd hot hn daair-
GUS only TO see his own family and to
carry messages from General Green to
his wife. However that may be, it is
certain that he started with knowl-
edge of the fact that he must go within
the lines of the Union army and remain
there some time if he was successful in
his mission. 1t was predicted by his
comrades, who knew where he ex-
pected to 60, that he would never get
back alive, but he started to make the
attempt. He was accompanied by a
fellow soldier, George Yates, whose
home was in the vicinity of st. Louis.
They had been "bunkies" and were
close friends.
1--WE determined from the first" said
Mr.. Vaughan, in relating the events
that followed, "that we would go along
like ordinary citizens, that we would
talk as little as possible without excit-
ing suspicion and that we would as far
as possible avoid meeting people. I'm
til we reached St. Louis we were in
country that was held by the Confeder'
ates, and we reached ST. Louis without
any adventures. On the outskirts OF
the city we separated, with the under
standing that no matter what happened
to either of US each would deny any
knowledge of the other.
81 made my way through the city
without exciting any attention aGc
reached the wharf in safety. On in
uuiry learned that boat was loading
which would leave in a short time fo
Keokuk, la. All the boats were watched
and guarded by Union soldiers, and
had TO be extremely guarded in my
movements to avoid suspicion. l passed
their lines all right and went on board
Immediately. 1 received permission
from the clerk to remain on board unit
our departure, and / did 30. Before
, the war / went smooth-faced. Later
had grown moustache and beard an(
? BACKED them. When / carried my
> head down my disguise was so perfec
> that nobody would have recognized
3 me. In fact, man from Canton, whom
/ / had been acquainted with for years
[ was on the boat, but did not recognize
+. me.
4 II learned as we neared Canton, Mo.
Q which was my home, that the boat wa
: to stop there short time TO take on
8 small cargo, and when we reached tn
q little wharf leaped ashore and quick
+ ly disappeared in the darkness. 1t wa
4 late; nobody was on the streets of tn
8 town, and made my way to my HON
:, without being seen. remained in
r doors all day, and the next night
mounted my horse and rode out to Gen
: Green's house, where l delivered hi
8 message to his wife.
|. ~ made my presence known to
t few of my most intimate friends in tn
K town and learned all could about wha
t, was going on in that part of Missouri
j In few days Confederate captain
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