The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-06-29
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys Of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril.
ling Scenes ON the Battlefield.


During the Federal occupation Of
Holly Springs, Miss, General Grant,
with his staff and Mrs Grant, took up
his quarters In the beautiful home Of
Colonel Harvey w. Walter, which had
been left in charge of Colonel Walters
friend, Mrs. Pugh Govan, q devoted
daughter Of the Confederacy. Accord
ing to the military usage Of those cruel
days, General Grant might have occu-
pied the house by force of arms, but
instead cf doing SO wrote courteous
note to Mrs. Goyan requesting the ia
vor Of board for himself and family,
with the assurance that he would in
commode her as little as possible. Mrs.
Govan graciously assented to his re-
quest, and never by word or act, so
1t is related, did any Of the invaders"
make it needlessly unpleasant for her.
On one occasion while General and
Mrs. Grant had gone to Oxford on a
brief visit General Earl Van Dorm
made one of his famous raids into Hol-
~ Springs. His object was to destroy
the commissary, ordnance and quarter
master stores and other army supplies
concentrated there and thereby thwart
and defeat the purpose of the Federal
commander In the onward march of
his conquering army through Mississip-
pi, Vicksburg being General Grants
| objective point. The raid was COM
piete surprise and perfect success, and
an immense supply Of stored ammuni-
ton was captured and destroyed by
the Confederates.
Failing to find General Grants off,
cial papers in his official headquarters,
General Van Dorm and some of his fol-
lowers dashed down to the Walter resi-
dence. Entering the house and hastily
ascending the broad stairway, the
clanking of their sabers and rafting of
their spurs resounded through its great
halls. 1t was the purpose Of the Con-
federate to search General Grants
apartments for the latter's campaign
documents, but just as he reached the
head of the stairs Mrs. Govan, a strik-
ingly beautiful woman, with the man
ner and bearing Of queen, appeared
suddenly before him and said:
General, / entreat you not to enter
Mrs. Grants bedroom. Such an in
trusion would do for a vandal, but not
for Southern soldiers"
Earl Van Dorm, man Of graceful
figure and courtly bearing, whose chiy-
airy was only equaled by his unques-
toned and answering courage, re-
|. piled: Madam, the rules Of war are
sometimes ironclad. 1t would be
courtesy and not the usual practice Of
war to leave the room unsearched.
However" he added, with a merry
twinkle in his eye, 1--WE will not en-
ter, as it is possible the documents
may not be there"
The Confederate soldiers left the lit
tie town after dusk that evening. On
his return from Oxford, twenty-four
hours later, General Grant was much
astonished over the result Of the Con-
federates' pop call" Knowing what
On incorporating rebel Mrs. Govan
was, he said to her: Mrs. Govan,
owe you a debt of gratitude, for you
have unconsciously done me a great
service. You have saved my campaign
papers. All the documents General
Van Dorm wished were in the drawer
In my wife's dressesr"
Mrs. Govan was deeply grieved that
possibly she had injured a cause for
which she would have given her hearts
best blood, and yet she felt she had
acted from the right impulses. But
for the womanly instinct, prompting
| her to shield the wife of a generous
foe, and the chivalry of Southern Of
ficer, worthy to rank with Bayard in
/ gentle courtesy and Difference to the
wishes of a good woman, history, as
the story goes, touching Van Dorm and
I Grant might have been written differ
emily from what 1t is to-day.
When the distinguished Federal COM
mander left Holly Springs he gave
Mrs. Govan protection papers, which
are still In the possession of her fam
! lily. Several times thereafter the house
was fired by Union soldiers, but was
always quickly extinguished when this
order Of Major General Grant was
shown:
'sThe house of Mrs. Govan, In south
west part Of town, will be exempt
from seizure for hospital or other pub
lie purposes the family having pro-
tected the baggage. arms, etc. for off,
their home also now being the home of
parties who have been deprived of
their homes for public purposes
Memphis Commercial Appeal.