The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-27
He FORCED A
MILITARY PASS
How a Bankerat Confederate
Reunion Explained His
Lameness.

AT the confederate veteran camps
meeting, held at the Waldorf Astoria last
Monday night, a group were exchanging
recollections in one corner of the room
before the speeches. One Of the group,
man connected with a New York bank,
was asked by comrade where he was
wounded, for the banker has a noticeable
limp.
My lameness is the result Of a forg-
cry" he replied
Bank episode. eh?" asked one.
NO" was the reply. mot exactly.
reckon may as well satisfy your Curl
osity.
about six months after nv enlistment
under Gen. Sterling Price, of Missouri
l was sent to the hospital for repairs
War was hell to me right in the beginning,
l was left in a farmhouse, and as the
Yanks were hot on our trail 1 had to be
moved.
Il resolved to get back home, and by
various stratagems I succeeded. 1t was
quite journey-from Arkansas to the
northwest corner of Missouri, where my
people lived. I got home by night travel.
Il found the old town in possession Of
the federals. Old Col Bob Smith, with
his Sixteenth Illinois infantry, was hold
ing the place, and every road and hog
path leading to the town was guarded.
l had to run the pickets to get inside.
I got to my fathers place late in the
night and crept into the barn. AS soon
mouse, under a stairway, was fixed up
for me. Every few days Col Bob Smiths
SSoidlers We're searching the houses Of
our place several times. but they never
got onto my hiding place
Secures "a Blank Pass.
Things We're getting very warm in the
old town 1t was under martial law. An
oLLoeT was issued that no man or woman
should be permitted 10 leave the town
without a pass signed by the provost
marshal and the officer of the day, and in
p prdeF TO get such pass the applicant
mad 10 swear allegiance to the govern
ment, and, in addition, personal de-
scr1pt1on Of the applicant had to be writ
ten on the back of the pass.
II had resolved to leave the town not
only because was anxious to get into the
fight again, but because every Gay l re-
NAMED ma in my fathers house 1 was. liza
meant exile for my old father, my mother
and my sisters.
1T was easy enough to get a blank
or the provost marshal and the officer Of
the day to be of any value. My father,
through a friend who was regarded as
Union man, secured a blank permit.
l used up a bottle of ink and made my
wrist lame trying to initiate the proper
signatures slso7t Finally mastered every
and, writing them on the pass, l filed out
my description and signed a false name
under oath.
Il was to leave on a night train. had
planned to go to the end of the road,
about 400 miles, and then l expected to
board boat on the. Mississippi and take
my chances: The night favored my leav
ing home. 1t was black and the rain was
falling in sluices. l reached the train and
took a seat. On every train leaving the
city was an officer, who examined the
passes of all passengers. The train
limped along to the first station. about
twenty miles out. and then the guards
returned. I was sitting near the rear
door Of the car.
Jumped and Broke His Leg.
II saw the officer when he came in at
the front door with the conductor. l saw
that he scrutinized very closely every
holder to see If the description tailed.
He looked at one mans head very close
ly. That made me nervous, for had on
a Wig which had got from my father.
l was afraid the officer would get onto
my false hair, but what 1 most feared
was that he should discover that the sig
natures on the pass were forgerieS.
Il left my seat cautiously and went
out on the rear platform. The train was
running about ten miles nhour. There
iron handle of the platform and jumped
with the train
II thought 1 should never touch bot
tom. When I tried to pick myself up
found 1 had broken leg In that condi-
ton, drenched to the skin. In the most
eXcrucfat1ng pain, craWled back to my
fathers house. think if 1 had had
pistol I would have killed myself
II must have crawled six or seven
miles-maybe more. 1 reached home just
before daylight. Ny fathers old family
doctor was called and he was sworn to
how my old father told him he would
kill him If he betrayed u.s. But, of course,
he never would have done that. An OPP
Grafton was necessary to save my life.
l have been lame from the effects of it
ever since"
afterward?' asked a Virginian.
THAT is another story" replied the
banker-veteran, "but 1t wasn't on forged
pass" o1hScyS. .F6hhdolOdb. "a
pass" New York Sun