The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-31

the county of Southampton had voted
him for the gallantry which he, as
young lieutenant had displayed in the
war with Mexico Il decade or more Be
fore. Being unmarried when the SWORD
was presented to him, he had sent II
home for keeping The reply which MS
sisters sent to him when he wrote for his
sword Is said by=a kinsman familiar with
its contents to have been one of the
most scathinS pieces Of sarcasm he had
ever read. To the reader Of to-day its
pathos must be its feature.
The ladies wrote acknowledging the re-
ceipt of Major Thomas letter, requesting
the sword of their brother. The letter
stated that they once had Il brother, but
that he had proven himself a traitor
and was then dead; that his sword was
the only Inemcnto which they had OF
their once brave and loyal brother, and
they therefore wished to keep it as Il
token eff his bravery and fidelity in life.
The sisters never received Il reply to
this letter. They never again commun-
Gated with their brother. The neighbors
used 10 marvel at the news which came
telling Of the daring and skill OF Thomas
but they soon learned to refrain from
mentioning anything of General Thomas
to his sisters. The manner in which
they kept up the fiction that their broth
ed had died when lie drew his sword
against his State was pathetic but abso
lutely consistent Sometimes when his
name was mentioned they involuntarily
manifested anger. Generally when some
visitor who did not know the tragedy in
the lives of the two women, alluded to
the career of their brother, and the fame
he was acquiring as a soldier they would
reply that there must be some mistake,
that they had no brother, that a brave
brother had died when Virginia seeded
from the Union, on the seventeenth day
of April, 1861.
The persistency with which the sisters
denied that their brother was still in life
was most remarkable. They could not
be even trapped into admitting that they
had a brother Irlmedia tely after the
war, while Virginia was a military dis
trict some Union officers, stationed at
Petersburg probably, learned that the
sisters Of Gen. Thomas, living in South
ampton, were in destitute circumstances
as a. result of the ravages of war. The
officers, one OF whom at least had known
Thomas at West Point, had an army
wagon loaded with household supplies
of every character and accompanied it to
the home OF the sisters. The ladies re-
ceived them with stately courtesy but
with icy coldness. The officers, after a
formed the ladies that their brother, Cen
eral Thomas, was very dear friend, and
they had been at West Point with him
and would be delighted to show them
some kindness as a token OF their friend
ship.
The reply came without hesitation. The
ladies assured the soldiers that they had
no brother The officers insisted. But to
no avail The ladies persisted to the
last that their brother was dead.
Nonplussed the officers finally told the
ladies they understood they had suffered
greatly by the war and SO had made
bold to bring them some supplies In the
way OF hams, flour sugar coffee and other
articles most needed by Nirginians IN
those DAYS. Now as a matter of fact the
larder of the Thomas household was al
most absolutely bare. like the majority
os Virginia pantries at the close Of the
war
But the ladies had no idea ting
gifts from the enemy. They I'll their
visitors but assured them they -19od in
need of nothing. So the officers. who
had visited the Misses Thomas with the
commendable intention OF relieving the
needs of the family OF their 1ellow-sol-
der had to return. absolutely baHed by
= nr,de which could not be overcome by
the sternest want
Confederate soldier from Southamp-
North Carolina had the greatest diff
culty in reaching home. Somebody gave
him transportation to- town IN Tennes-
see. Upon reaching th MAJ. point NJ me ne sol
coed further except on foot. as he had not
a cent In the world and could not -et the
permit for FREQ transportation on the
railroads. Just when he was on the point