The National tribune., 1902-07-10

I r
| United States soldiers, and demanded that
trailing dogs be given him, and said with
| out tia. aid of a single citizen he would.
with his soldiers. trace the murderer and
avenge the murder. Bnt the dogs had
been sent out of the neishborhood two
days before. He could do nothing THAI
way, but told Mrs. Lennon if she would
point out the murderer he would avenge
| her husband. But standing there. COW
cred from head to foot with her loved husi
bands blood, she yet feared her suspicious
might cause an innocent mans death. She
could not do it-and of the collected crowd
only the murdered mans ninc-year-old
son, Robbie Lennon, dared to cry
aloud the name of the party whom circum-
stances and his own heart told him had
made him an orphan. Lieut.. Hanning
said he had seen hundreds of men killed
in battle, but this was different thing
What else was said or done by him on
that terrible 18th of July, 1863 the writer
cannot state, as it was now announced
that, the inquest ended, they were bringing
the remains home and, overcome with
horror of seeing them so dishgured, she
fled shrickng to the home of an humble
lriSh neighbor.
| still thank my God that 1 was spared
that sight so terrible to my brothers. Next
day, when Lieut.. Hanning came to attend
the funeral, | met him, and taking his
hand led and pointed to the covered re-
mains of the loved father, for | could not
speak. After the funeral Lieut. flaming
strOve to aid and protect the widow and
her orphan children. Great was her need.
Port Hudson had fallen on the Sth and
the Confederate officers had been taken to
the United States prison in New Orleans.
Word soon came that Lieut.. Lennon was
i'll unto death in prison. Lieut.. Hanning
came to the mother, advised her to take
the oath of allegiance to the United States
Government, and went with her to Baton
Rouge for that purpose. Also to see Gen.
Banks, who gave her an order OF protec-
ton. written on the back of Lieut.. Han
ning's letter to her. That letter has been
treasured all these years. Lieut., Hannng
escorted her to the Federal gunboat, on
which she was allowed to go to New Or
leans to the assistance of her son. She
was permitted to remove him from prison
to the home of a relative, where she
nursed him back to comparative health.
She was summoned home by the illness
of two younger children. Lieut.. Hanning
came placed a United States soldier on
the place, and rendered every aid and pro-
lection in his power. AT last there came
a morning when he brought Capt. Green
and soldier named George with him, and
said he had come to say ''Good-by." He
had resigned, and was going back North.
Deeply, deeply did we regret his depar
ture. He talked with mother and my
brothers, Robbie and Willie; talked to
Capt. Green and to George; but | stood
apart, for | realized that our kind friend
was going away. AT last he gave mother
his address, wrote it on a piece of yellow
envelope babe her good-by, shook hands
with the boys, then crossing the gallery to
where | stood, and STOPPING down, he
brought his brave, handsome young face
on a level with mine and asked, Twill you
kiss Yankee" For answer | kissed
him heartily. This brought storm OF
teasing eXcamations, for | was noted for
rank little rebel. whom no bribery or
even threats of prison could swerve from
her allegiance; for was not my idolized
brother George a Lieutenant in the Con-
federate army-a prisoner at New Or
leans? Lieut.. Hanning did not forget
him, but passing through the city on his
way North, he visited brother in the pri-
sen to which he had returned GONZALES
cent. poor brother! Far better had he
died in that illness! He lived only to
suffer and die n fearful death later
That was the last visi; Lieut.. Hanning
paid any of us. Years passed, and when
grew to womanhOod | found the bit of
yellow envelope, and wrote to him. | re-
ceived a kind letter from him. He seemed
pleased at my writing and promised to
write again in few days But | never
received another line from him, nor heard
from him again, though | wrote many
letters. both to the address he had given
mother and the one he had given me-12S
Fulton street, Brooklyn, y. Y. | can no
longer hope to hear from him. lie must
sleep with the honored dead.
| have written this infinitely. in the hope
that this may meet the eye of some Of his
comradeS-some of those who came with
him to Lake Clause-Capt. Green. George,
or some of the 30 men who accompanied
him on his errand of aid and foiled justice
on the 18th day of July 1S63.-(Mrs.}
MINNIE J. LENNON SMITH, Z. o. Box %,
La.