The National tribune., 1904-07-07
SAVED e HAIRS BREADTH.
A Rebel General Stops the Murder Of Is Unien
Soldiers.

EDITOR NAT1oNAIr TFIBuxE: win yon
kindly publish the inciosed and say that
should very much lilde to hear from any
Of those 13 who were with Capt. Gary and
myself on that occasion, or any one who
was in Florence Stockade that Winter.
who remembers me! l. nm the man who
was taken ont in,o Commissary Depart
ment tire last few weeks of my PRISON life,
and was allowed to take "A negro to carry
a large basket that filed with the best
edibles / could find after the rebel officers
had finished their meals. / was taken out
as an expert steamboat cook, but was SO
weak from starvation that l could not do
anything That was why l was allowed
the negro to carry the basket. The Com
missaryS name was Wallace, formerly a
Yankee. but was in the South as negro
driver or Overseer. and was very bitter
Southerner when Col. Aversion was about.
The men were starving in the prison.
yet hundreds of carloads of cornmeal
were outside the pen. l shall never for
get Commssary Wallace. When they
were loading us in box cars for Whining
ton, n. c., to go to the Union lines, Wal
lace and his men threw several sacks "f
corn meal into each caf and we ate the
meal raw. We were received by the 1lStil
Ill. remember the contrast between
their appearance and ours. They were
big. brave men, who helped us along into
camp. They would look at our emaciated
frames and cry like children. We were
not allowed to eat anything but fat meat
and raw onions, and drink only vinegar for
several days. If any OF them ever stray
this way l will try to convince them that
my table has been set ever since the war
The foregoing is from Comrade Lyma:1
S. Roach, now of Texarkana, Tex. The
inclosure to which he refers is n letter
from him to newspaper of Texarkana, in
which he recOunts the fact OF the capture
Of two comrades and himself, Dec. 13
1864, ut Hutchinson's Island, Ga. His
companions were Capt. NJ. Il. Gary, Co.
c.. LIST Ohio l.. A.-to which Comrade
Roach belonged-and Comrade Lewis Het-
finger. They. with other prisoners: were
after a few days, sent to Pocataligo, 3.
G.. The extract proceeds:
Capt. Gary and were put at the head
of column and marched through town
and back of 1t perhaps one-half mile.
We were lined mp with 13
others Gary and l still at the head. We
right-dressed in line. There being 10 OF
us the same number of guards took their
positions directly in our front; the officer
in charge Of the guard did not give us any
warning or time to pray; hut the Captain
being older and closer observer than |.
told me that this was our last arch. The
officers stepped TO the head Of the column
and commenced giving orders through the
manual of arms. just at the firing point,
General, with his Aid, came in sight on
feet horses. having been informed in the
town what was going on and knowing the
utter disregard Of the rules of war Of some
OF his men, they had made the race for life
and saved Is lives, some Of whom have
made their mark in America since, AS NJ.
Il. Gary is as fine an intarna tiOnal and
constitutional lawyer as the State Of Ohio
boasts: and others OF that forlorn COM
pany have got to the top Of the ladder in
their line of business. I, for one, will
never get through thanking that General
think his name was Hardy-for making
that swift and famous ride and keeping II
souls from looking too suddenly on that
great white throne. We were taken back
to Pocataligo, then to Charleston. and
there Gary and l separated, he going to
Columbia and to Florence.
II have lived in the Southland ever since
the war, and those that were SO anxious
to make angels of us then are as good and
true friends to-day MS we wish to have.
LYMAN s. Roach, Texarkana, Tex.