The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-04-20

Bishop Charles G .McCabe, of the
III. E. Church, now a resident Of Phila-
delphia, Pa, pays a tribute to the late
Gen. w. 81. Powell, who died at his
home in Bellville, ILL.,, Dec. "a, 1904,
the distinguished Methodist acknowl
edging that to the minisuation of Gen.
Powell, Presbyterian, while they
were fellow Union prisoners during
the Civil War, he owes everything Ibis
life. He says:
Gen. Powell was fellow prisoner
with me in Libby prison in 1862. In
the battle Of Wythesville, Va, he was
terribly wounded, and it was supposed
that his days were numbered He car
ried the bullet with him to his grave.
when he recovered sufficiently to
be moved after the battle he was
brought to Libby prison, and while
there charge Of murder was brought
against him. OF course it was
false and cruel charge. He told me
afterward how the impression got out
that he had killed a man after he had
surrendered. One day he was riding
along at the head Of his command,
when he saw lying right in the road
over which his troopers must pass the
helpless form Of a wounded Confed-
crate officer. Gen. Powell sprang from
his horse and, lifting the man from
his perilous position, carried him to
the side Of the road and laid him
%vo 4
back and mounted his horse. He was
30 far ahead of his troopers that he did
this and still was in the lead
1.-THE officer was found dead by his
friends, and Gen. Powell was charged
with having murdered him. I saw the
sergeant Of the guard take him out
OF Libby prison and put him In the
dungeon to await his trial upon his
false accusation He was kept in the
dungeon thirty-seven days and then
was released because no proof was
Forthcoming that could be brought up
against him. There was no furniture
In the cell where he was confined ex-
cept a little wooden bench, and the
room was dark and dismal enough.
The rats which abounded in the prison
were his only companions.
I'VE had custom in the room in
Libby prison where Milroy's men were
confined, Of singing an evening hymn,
and every evening Nearer, My God, to
Thee or Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me-
Or some other familiar hymn would be
sung by the prisoners. One day
received note from Gen. Powell,
which was brought to me secretly by
4 colored man, which read as follows:
Dear Chaplain: Sing a little louder.
[ can just hear you. W. II. Powell
And always after that appeal from
the dungeon we pitched our tunes in
little higher key so that our lonely.
suffering comrade, far below, could
hear them.
81 had with me a little COPY of the
New Testament and Psalms, such as
the American Bible Society had dis
ributed in the army. priced it much,
but / parted with it to comfort the
General, and wrote on the margin of
the Forty-second Psalm, Hope thou
In God. for thou shalt yet praise Him.
The General carried that little book
with him for many years. Many times
In addressing Sabbath schools and
other religious assemblies, he would
take it out and hold it aloft and tell
the story.
"Just about the time he came out
Of the dungeon was sent to the hos
pital III with typhoid fever. In a few
days Cen Powell was sent there, too.
for he was still suffering greatly from
his wound.
''His family has In its possession
Journal In which he tells what he did
for me in those days. He found me
covered with yermin from head to foot
and supposed to be dying from fever.
He sat down by my side and took out
his little pocket scissors, and he cut off
my long hair, which hung down to
my shoulders, and then he cut off nv
long beard, which hung down to nv
breast. He then secured from the
physician an insect exterminator which
soon relieved me from this part of nv
suffering. The next day ne gave me
q bath with his own hands, and then
asked the prison cook for permission
to go to the kitchen that he might get
up something that could eat, and he
brought me time and again some nour-
lshing food.
I'm an old scrapbook which / have
preserved there is pasted a letter bear
Ing the date of Oct. 3, 1863, Richmond.
Va, addressed to my wife, and Gen.
Powell took it down from my lips, SEN
<ence by sentence, and while the tone
Of it is hopeful Of recovery, thought
at the time that it was the last letter
my wife would ever receive from me.
I wish to record the fact. that L owe
my life and all that it may have been
worth to my family. to my country,
and to the church Of God to the ten
der and faithful ministries Of this good
man. He was as faithful to me as
David was to Jonathan.
"I have said he was a great man.
Gen. Sheridan thought so, too, and
when Gen. Powell's wound made it
necessary for him to resign his COM
mand, and Gen. Sheridan wrote his an
prevail upon it as it passed on to the
Secretary Of War; he made this re-
mark: The army could better spare
me- Gen. Powell always reminded
me Of that little strain in Bayard Tay-
lor's poem about the singing Of An