The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-16
Seeks Lona.Lost "Bunkie,"

Among the strange quests that men
have undertaken in an effort to satisfy
an uncomfortable desire to know is
the search which is about to engage
the .ime and money of Richard Duvall,
this city. says the Los Angeles Times.
Z. Davall served with honor in the
civh war and during the awful strug-
gle was enable to assist a corrade in
dire peril. After the war had closed
all efforts to find the comrade proved
fruitless, and, while at intervals
word had been received that the man
is alive and well. for some unaccount-
able reason his whereabouts has re-
mained a mystery.
Moved with a consuming desire to
fir.l the man. the old soldier. who is
In business in Los Angeles, will pass
th: remaining years of his life trying
to find his long-lost "bunke''
Without any attempt to gain noto
ricty, Duvall tells of his desire to see
his old friend and relates some of his
experiences during the bloody strife.
Il entered the Confederate army at
the commencement of the war" says
Duvall, some time in April, 1861 and
was a member of company F, 18th
Mississippi infantry; was engaged in
the battle of Bull Run or Manassas.
the battles of Balls Bluff or Lccsburg,
was all through the Yorktown cam
paign, and saw some hard service in
the battles in the defense of Rich
mond Owing to physical disability
and exposure | was honorahly dis.
charged from my regiment and soon
thereafter entered the local forces in
defense of the confederate capital.
For some time | was in charge
of Castle Thunder hospital, where the
political prisoners We're confined.
While there had opportunities Of
lending aid to the union prisoners and
others who were in sore need of help.
Zone case in particular | well re-
member, that of man named W. w.
EcChestnay. whose home address was
62 South street, New York city. He
belonged to the Masonic order of
which l was a member. He longed
for liberty and fretted so that |
thought he would die. BY persistent
effort | succeeded in obtaining his
release and sent him north to rejoin
his friends. The man was a prince of
good fellows and esteemed him
highly and missed him much when he
was gone from the gloomy prison. |
was in New York several months after
the war and tried to find Mac but
he had gone West. Since that time
Ill efforts to reach him have failed.
During my stay at Castle Thunder
4 made many visits to Libby prison.
On one of these visits met a prisoner
who made himself known to ne as a
Freemason. He was a tall, fine look
ing man, weak and emaciated from
hard service. told him | you'd try
to obtain his release. but he said
there was no hope for him. rs all ef-
forts had failed.
my plan was to interview every
officer of the prison with whom | was
acquainted and after three weeks of
persistent effort the release was Sc
cured and the man was sent home to
his friends. ! saw him safely on board
the confederate exchange steamer,
ed homeward on the union exchange
steamer. ! gave him a basket of lunch
and some money, and was richly re-
paid with his overHowing gratitude.
81 have lost the name and address
Of this man, but If he or any of his
friends read these lines would most
earnestly ask them to communicate
with me.
81 have been asked why am so
anxious to find comrades in the war,
but 1t is difficult to give an Ineligible
answer. The associations were sacred
to me, and If they could be resumed,
even for brief dag, my heart would
be glad"
Mr. Duvall is southerner with a
fund Of experience and rare knowl.
edge of human nature that will doubt.
less serve him well in the search he is
soon to undertake. He still has many