The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-12-22
YANKEE CONFEDERATE.
Main Democrat Held Republican Office.

Of Maine the other day and heard a
story which was little out of the
ordinary line of civil war stories
have read about" said drummer
whose territory is New England.
l mad noticed a funeral in the
town, the turnout of which ihdi-
Gated that the deceasen must have
a prominent man in his life time.
A citizen said in answer to my
quiry that the man had retired
from business several years before
his Death. The citizen added:
His funeral today is much larger
than it would have been some years
ago.
/ then heard the story.
When Lincoln called for troops
there were few men in the State of
Maine who opposed coercion of the
South. This man was an exception.
Although a New Englander
from n colonial family whose his
tory goes back to the colonial wars,
this man was, at the call for troops,
what was known in the North as
coppcrhead. He was an officer in
the militia at the time of Lincoln's
proclamation.
He not only refused to 60, but
he bodily contendcd that it was an
outrage to oppose the secession of
the southern states. He was os-
tracised socially and commercially.
His business dwindled away.
During the second year of the
war he left the community. No
body seemed to care where he went.
Two years later he returned.
Ilc was physical wreck. The feel
ing in the community was not quite
SO bitter as in the beginning of the
wir. However, tho man was not
cordially receiv, d.
He had not been back long
when it was learned that he had
been in the Confederate army and
was discharged on account of his
inability to do duty. This inform
alton did not tend to increase his
popularity.
lie came into possession of con-
siderable money soon after his re-
turn. Meanwhile some of the shat
tered remnants of the Maine COM
panies began to drift home. Most
OF them were broken in health and
most OF them were pcnniless.
This man began contributing to
the relief of the needy. A majority
of the beneficiarics did not know
the source of their help.
After the war was over it leaked
out little by little, that the benefic-
tor was the man who had been os-
tracised. 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 office on the republican ticket.
The nomination came to him un
sought. Up to that time he had
never affiliated with the party that
elected him.
He served his term of office,
but whenever there was a township
or county election he voted the
democratic ticket. This was under
stood to be his right. 1t was never
questioned.
Before he retired from business
he was on one occasion visited by a
man from the South who had been
the colonel of the Confederate regi-
ment of which he was member.
The eXConfederate was down at
the heel In every way.
No one knew what happened
during his visit in Maine, but a few
years ago it became known to a few
people in the vicinity that the Maine
man helped his old commander to
rccoup his fortune. That man un-
til 1901, was successful broker
and banker in this dity, and his 81
lent partner for nearly fifteen years
was the Maine Yankee who as a
democrat held a republican office.
Il have travelled all over the
United States, and met all sorts of
people, but l have never heard a
civil war story that was anything
like: this. My informant is at Il e
head OF a big industry in Maine; he
told me that only a few persons