The National tribune., 1906-07-12
WHO WAS HE?
A Highly Interesting and MysteriOu,
Episode of AndersOnyillc.

Editor National Tribune: 1t appears
from the Records of the War of the Re-
be lion that Jefferson Davis. the Presi-
dent, and Alexander II. Stephens. the
Vice President of the Southern Confed-
| eracy. became, during the Spring and
Summer of 1864 lat the outs the lat
ter charging the former with being luke
warm, if not at enmity, towards the Nc
Clellan-PendletOn-V n-VaIlandigham Peace
Party of the North and preferring the
triumph of Lincoln over the former; all
of which Davis denied. The whole
'ructiOn" seems to have been occasioued
by letter written to Stephens by one
David F. Gable on the goth of March of
that year. who was at the time an in
mate and prisoner within the Stockade
at AnderSonville, Ga, wherein the writ
er stated that he was not rightly con-
fined, as he was non-combatant,
though he had accompanied the Federal
forces into Florida in the Olustee expe-
ditiOn and had been captured at that
battle and brought to Andersonville;
that he was representative OF the
Peace Party of the North, and that his
object in crossing the rebel lines was to
have conference with prominent reb-
els and. If possible, procure such con-
cert of action between the rebel au-
thorities and the Peace Party in the
North, so as to secure the defeat of
the Abolition Administration at Wash
ington. He sought a parole and the
obtaining of such a conference. SO that
he could go back and report the results
of his mission to those sending him into
the Confederacy. Stephens requested
Davis to have the matter investigated
Immediately, and if found that Cables
statements were true to parole him at
once. Davis attempted to have the in
vestigation made, but owing TO the dis
arrangement of the mails the order ap-
pears never to have reached the officer
TO whom it was directed, and conse-
quently Gable was left to enjoy the
high living and salubrious atmosphere
of that noted caravansary until the 10th
OF July doubtless cursing the parties
sending him on his fool mission" his
jailors, the Confederacy and all of its
supporters, with his latest breath),
when he died. More extended details
of this strange and exceptional occur
renee and the animosities engendered
from it can be found on PIP. 934 and
1000, Vol. 8, Series w, Records of the
Rebellion
While almost everyone will say that
ii served the Copperhead just right, If
it was true that he was down in Dixie
conspiring to aid the rebels in their
fiendish and damnable work; that It
was but even-handed justice; that he
sHould nave Deen swept by the rebel
maelstrom into that horrible place
where even Hope declined TO enter.
1t is very possible that the subject
matter has been, at some time, inquired
after by some writer to The National
Tribune; but If so / have not observed
it. and l write this now, hoping 1t may
attract the eye Of some comrade from
Ohio Gas Gable claimed to be a resident
of Ohio, but what place therein the cor
respondence fails to disclose), or some
ore who made his acquaintance in An
dersonville, and out of II all we may
ascertain for the truth of history wheth-
er he was what he claimed to be, or
whether ii was ruse invented by him,
under the delusion that he could there
by escape from his tormentors and
avoid an untimely death. Let anyone
capable of throwing anv light upon the
matter give us all they may know about
Cable, his antecedents, and If it was
but a ruse for the purpose mentioned
let his memory be cleared of the un-
holy imputation of having died in the
detestable cause Of Copperheadism; for,
according to my view of the matter he
was fully justified in resorting to any
device in order to escape the slow tor
| ture and death inseparable from con-
fnement there. Andersonville is the
unwashed hand of the rebel Confeder-
acy.-Frederick M. Grant, Canton, Ill.