The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-12-20
A GOOD WAR STORY.
AMaine Yankee Who Served In the
Confederate Army.

AMaine Yankee Who Served In the
Confederate Army.
II was up in the northern part OF
Maine the other day and heard a
story which was q little out OF the
ordinary line of civil war stories 1
have read about" said q. drummer
whose territory is New England. Il
had noticed d funeral in the town, the
turnout of which indicated that the
deceased must have been q prominent
man in bis life time.
"a citizen said in answer to my IN
ouiry that the man had retired from
business several years before his death
The citizen added, His funeral to
day is much larger than it would
have been some years ago.
II then beard the story.
when Lincoln called for troops
there we're few men in the state OF
Maine who opposed coercion OF the
south. This mau was an except
ion.
although a New E1glander from
q colonial family whose history goes
back to the colonial wars, this man
wa at the call for troops, what was
known in the North as copperhea7.
he was an eff )er in the militia at the
time of L ncoln's election. Every
a In bis command except himself
ycluutee cred in answer to Llncoln's
proclamatian.
He not only refu ed to 60, but he
bodily contended that 1t was an out
rage to oppose the secession OF the
southern states. He was o%stracised
socially and commercially. His bus
mess dwindled away.
During the second year OF the wal
he left the community NOBODY
seemed to cAre where he went.
Two years later he returned. he
was a physical wreck. The feeling In
the community was not quite 30 bitter
as in the beginning OF the war
However the man was not cordially
received.
He had not been back long when
1t was learned that he had been
in the Confederate army and was dis.
charged on account Of his liability to
do duty. This information did not
tend to increase his popularity.
He came into possession OF consid
cradle money soon after his return.
Meanwhile some Of the shattered
remnants of the Maine companies bs
gan to drift home. Most OF them
were broken in health and most OF
them were oennileSs.
"This man began contributing to
the relief of the needy. A majority
Of the bene ioiairs did not know the
acu-ce of their help.
After the war was tv5r II
leaked out little by little that the
oenefactor was the man who had been
ostracised. To the credit Of many
he was again admitted to fellowship
and his business began to thrive. he
became independent.
"A few years later he was elected
to cf1ce on the republican ticket
The nomination came to hin
unsought. U to that time he hao
never affiliated with the party thai
elected him.
HE served his term Of Office, but
whenever there was q township OF
county election he voted the demo
cratic ticket. This vas understood
70 be bis right. 1t was never Ques
toned. =
Before he retired from business be
was on one occasion visited by a man
from the south who had been the col
onsl Of the Confederate regiment Of
which he was q member The OK
Confederate was down at the heel In
every way.
mo one knew what happened dur
ing his visit in Maine, but q few years
ago it became known to a few peorls
in the vicinity that the Maine man
helped bis old commander to re,orp
his fortune. That man uatil 1901,
was q successful broker aud banker N
that city and his silent partner for
nearly fifteen years was the Maine
Yankee who as q democrat held re-
publican Cf1oe. ,
"Ihavs travelled all over United
States, and met all sorts Ct people,
bud I have never heard a civil war
story that was anything like this.
NY informant is at the head Of a big
industry in Maine, he told me that
only a few persons knew the facts as
I have stated them. "-Washington
Star.