Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-09
#istsllaauas 9saaius.
A CIVIL WAR STORY.
The Confederate Yankee Who Became
the Renefaetor of Union Soldiers.

The Confederate Yankee Who Became
the Bsnefaetor of Union Soldiers.
IT was up in the nothern part Of
Maine the other day and heard b
story which was a little out Of the
ordinary line Of civil war stories
have read about" said New York
drummer whose territory Is In New
England. 81 noticed q funeral in the
town, the turnout Of which indicated
that the deceased must have been q
prominent man in his lifetime.
"a citizen said in answer to my
from business several years before
his death. The citizen added: His
funeral is much larger than It would
have been some years ago.
'T 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 New Englander from a
colonial family whose history goes
back to the colonial wars, this man
was, at the call Of troops. what was
known in the north as copperhead.
He was an officer In the militia at the
time of Lincoln's election. Every
man in his command except him
volunteered in answer to Lncoln's
proclamation.
He not only refused to go out, but
he boldly contended that 1t was an
outrage to oppose the secession OF
the southern states. He was ostra-
cized socially and commercially. His
business dwindled away.
During the second year Of the
war he left the community. Nobody
seemed to care where he went.
1.-TWO years later he returned. He
was a physical wreck. The feeling
in the community was not quite so
bitter as in the beginning of the war.
However, the man was not cordially
received.
HE had not been back long when
It was heard he had been in the Con-
federate army and was discharged on
account Of his inability to do duty.
This information did not tend to in
crease his popularity.
"He came into possession Of con-
siderable money after his return.
Meanwhile some Of the shattered
remnants of the Maine companies
began to drift home. Most of them
were broken in health and some were
penniless.
''This man began contributing to
the relief Of the needy. A majority
Of the benehciaries did not know the
source OF their help.
After the war was over IL leaked
out little by little, that the benefac-
tor was the man who had been os-
tracized. To the credit Of many he
was again admitted to fellowship, and
his business began to thrive. He be-
came independent
"a few years later he was elected
to office on the Republican ticket. The
nomination came to him rnsought.
Up to that-time he. had never afiiliated
with the party that elected him.
"He served his term of office. but
whenever there was township or
county election he voted the Demo-
cratic ticket. This was understood 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 q member,
The ex-Confederate was down at the
heel in every way.
mo one knew what happened dur
ing his visit in Maine, but few years
ago 1t became known to a few people
in the vicinity that the Maine man
helped his old commander to recoup
his fortune. That man until 1901
was a successful broker and bank
er In his city, and, his silent
partner for nearly fifteen years was
the Maine Yankee who as Demo-
crat held Republican office.
"I have travelled all over the United
States, and met all sorts Of people
| but I have never heard civil war
story that was anything like this.
My informant is at the head Of big
industry in Maine; he told me that
only few persons knew the facts
as I have stated them"