The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-01-22

laOOfef, Out was luent1neQ as the as
sailant Of Secretary Seward and the
confederate of Wilkes Booth.
During the trial, or Mt Its close. While
public sentiment was running more
strongly against Payne than any other
Of the living conspira tors, two old peo-
pie. from Centeryille, Va. came to
Washington to testify that Payne's real
name was Powell. that he was really
a humane man, and that while he was
a member of Mosby's cavalry operat-
ing In Virginia, he saved the life of a
Union prisoner whose four compan-
ions had been shot down after their
surrender by Mosby's men. A great
deal was made of the incident in
Payne's behalf, and the inference
was that he could have had no ASSOC
citation with the assassins Of Lincoln.
was startled by this plea, because
saved by the Intervention of Powell or
Payne, and because felt he was as
ISOLATED with the conspiracy to assas-
sinate the President.
II enlisted in the cavalry when was
IL years old. On Christmas day. 1863,
/ was still a very young man. On that
day l, with four others of our COM
pany, moved out on a scouting expedi-
ton from Alexandria and were rounded
UP by Mosby's men. We were taken
without much ceremony to the little
town of Centerville, and drew up in
front Of a saloon, where number OF
| Mosby's men were drinking The
drunken men rushed out of. the saloon
| with their carbines IN their hands. and,
without word of warning. opened fire
on the prisoners.
"One of my men was killed. Three
others We're wounded. ! dropped be-
hind my horse and escaped the bullet
meant for me. Thereupon my captor,
who had been riding by my. side. placed
himself In front of me, drew his re-
yolver, and swore that he would shoot
any man who fired at his prisoner
There was. u great commoti0n over this.
people running from the houses near,
others Of Mosby's command coming up
to re-enforce my protector, and l was
saved.
Il wore on that day a suit of cav
airy blue, new from top to toe, and
was very proud of it. In ten minutes.
however, | was stripped to shirt and
drawers and stockings. and stood shiv-
ering in the street. when two old people,
man and wife, come out of one of the
honses and gave me shabby suit of
clothes, pair of old boots, and an
overcoat. These put OH and was then
ordered to take my dead comrade to
a graveyard near and bury him. The
three wounded men l never heard of
afterward.
I'VE left Centeryille at p. m. NV
captor and defender told me his name
was Powell: that he was the sou Of Il
Methodist Episcopal minister in Texas;
that he had been frequently in Balti-
more and Washington. and could go
to the latter place whenever he pleas
| ed. In his free talk he said he would
be IN Baltimore now. but his last trip
he shot man,and the police We're on
the lookout for him. He drew re-
my head, and fired three shots at a
post behind me- Then he asked me
| to look at the holes in the post and said:
If you try any of your blamed Yankee
tricks on me, YOU know what to ex-
pect.' told him that understood
the situation, and / did. I knew that
Mosby's men could shoot.
.As we rode along toward Mosby's
headquarters, Powell said the South
would never give up. and asked ME
what / thought of the political and
military situation. ! told him that,
with the great resources of the North.
with thousands on thousands OF men
ready to REINFORCE those already In the
army, l saw no hope for the South.
Thereupon Powell replied. You don't
know what you are talking about II
worse come to worst, we will kill Lin
coin and all the others at the head OF
the government. / am ready to do it
ever please.
LAS night came on we came to a
house, where Powell seemed to he we'll
acquainted. Our horses were put in
the stable and we We're assigned to the
parlor on the first floor to sleep. We
carried In our saddles and blankets.
and as we prepared for bed noticed
that Powell himself was under the n-
fiuence of appleiack, and it occurred
to me that might escape.
Powell went to sleep with his hand
on his revolver, but when he slept
soundly, ] raised a window. dropped
my overcoat and boots outside. climbed
out myself. and in my stocking fee
IAN through the slnsh and over The