The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-03-31
MET IN OPPOSING ARMIES.
Confederate Veteran Seeking the North ern Soldier Who Wounded Him.


 Confederate Veteran Seeking the North
 ern Soldier Who Wounded Him.
 Veterans sf the civil war in Bangor and elsewhere will be interested In the following communication which IS peine sent to Maine newspapers for publica tion:
 "A touch of romance, though truth ful, will probably interest your readers On the last day of October, 1871, l was travelling westward from South Caroli l na No particular destination claimed 1 my attention. Having just passed through Georgia and entered Alabama my attention was turned to gentle manly passenger seated near me In the railway coach. We gradually fell into conversation about the weather and current topics. He told me he was a l drummer for a northern house, and hailed from Maine.
 | I've exhausted small talk and got on | the civil war. He asked me 1T was in the army. I told him had belonged to General B's brigade. Well said he, we ought to be acquainted, for l be- longed to Clusters brigade Thereupon I remarked that we probably had met, | but did not wait for introduction.' Just here permit me to remark that | Clusters brigade fought us harder than any other; and we had great respect for them; especially for their gallant commander, who fought fair and con- sdered the contest one of honor, never allowing his men to maltreat a prison- CT. We called him Miss Fanny on ac- count of his wearing long hair, and many of us -Confederates sincerely ! regretted his massacre by Sitting Bulls savage followers.
 My new acquaintance said that he had been long anxious to know what had become of a certain youth at - station; then he described the part of the battlefield, what that youth had said and done, and surrounding cir cumstancec.
 q told him, I T am happy to inform you that youth is now talking to you
 His eyes frightened as with joy, and he exclaimed T am very glad to gee you living, but I tried my best to kill you
 T meekly acknowledged my thank fulness for being alive, and he pro- fessed like pleasure. We talked about the fight; he patted my hand crippled by the shot; his sorrow was sincere, and he asked me not to bear malice.
 "I told him the war was over with me when we surrendered under that bravest of braves (Hampton) in North Caroli- ma; and that I wanted all malice out of the question: and, besides, if I had got the same chance at him I would have used it. We Confederates ran into an ambush and I did not see the Federals on account of thick bushes (though within twenty steps) but they saw us, as evidenced by eleven of our company on that ground in less than two min utes; hence I did not see who shot me until over seven years afterward.
 After we had professed friendship and so forth my acquaintance prepared to leave the train; and as we bade goodbye he gave me his card, re- questing me to write him when I got To- cated- which I promised to do.
 Putting the card in my upper vest pocket I began to scan the country, though late in the evening, for my rea- tives had spoken to me of it's fertility; but the growing crops disappointed mo. On arriving at Montgomery I changed cars and went to sleep on my seat. Next morning on waking, on the edge of Mississippi, I felt for the card; but it and little money put in that pocket were both gone, Thus 1 lost my friends address and was unable to write him. He may have thought I was false in my promise: and I ought to have inquired after him sooner; but in the hurly-burly of life we neglect things that are dear to us
 If my railroad acquaintance is liv- ing l want him to write me; and l want him to feel assured that feel no anil mostly at him for crippling me; for, as I said before, I would have improved q lika opportunity.
 According to my recollection we did not ask each others names though at this distant date I am not sure.
 "If he will write me I shall be glad He will remember why I was going west and his recalling of the cause will serve to identify him. Yours truly
 SAM r. MASSEY.
 Fort Mill, $. C., March 6, 100.''