The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1908-04-15
An Interesting Letter From
Capt. W. A. Montgomery


NJ Dear Madam.
Remembering my promise to give
you some dots f,r your paper In the
interest Of our Confederate womans
monument and having a few leisure
moments as ! await for the mornings
train here. I want to write Of Mrs. Le-
tltia Rossman the mother Of Mrs.
Charles B. Allen, Of Yokena. Her son,
Ran ethan whom no drawer soldier
ever faced a foel. and his friend,
Charles b. Allen. also a grand soldier.
we're scouting with me when I was cap
tured near Red Bone. in Warren coun-
ty. in 1864. after an unsuccessful at
tempt ID burn the Yankee gunbOat In
dianola, that was fast upon a sandbar
IN Davis Bend on the Mississippi.
They made their escape and came to
the R0ssman home. near Baldwin's
Ferry, after dark and although not in
the habit Of sleeping in a house so
near TO the enemy, they concluded to
Tut their horses in the stable and go
up stairs and sleep. as they had been
up all the night before That night a
very unusual thing happened. A Cap
tain Howe. with two companies Of
mounted United States infantry. con-
cluded he would make a aight raid =
upon the Rossman house, proverbiai
for the gathering there Of Montgomery
scouts. Now, CharliesAllen was al that
time IN love with Miss Eueenia Ross
man NOV Mrs Chas. Allen, daugh-
ter OF the Mrs. Rossman. whose mem
ory l would cherish as a grand Confed-
crate woman whom we all loved for
her noble deeds.
During the night Mrs. Rossman rush
/ ed up stairs to where the two soldiers
slept and hurried them out Of bed with
| the information that the Yankees we're
/ all around the house, and babe them
| follow her into her room before she
would open the door for the Yankees
/ to make search. The captain knew
| they were there. because he had cap
tured their horses. Mrs. Rossman then
| opened the door of the hall and point
ed them to the room up stairs where
| they had slept, but said to the captain.
You may search, but the boys are
gone and appearing to be in splendid
cheer because they had gone. The
Yanks went up stairs. and there found
their guns and pistols and outside
clothing, and soon returned to the door
OF the ladies' room and ordered them
to get up and dress; that they meant
to search their room for the COnfed-
crates. Mrs. Rossman in the mean
time had taken the boys into a back
room, where Miss Eugenia and Miss
Kate RCssman were sleeping and put
Roam between the mattresses Of the
bed. where his sister and cousin were
sleeping, and put the young man,
Charlie Allen. who afterwards became
her s5n-inlaw. on top of an old-fash-
Toned wardrobe with heavy cornice
around the top. where by laying with
face ND and feet drawn in a cramped
position he was well hid from man
len the floor. The Yanks searched the
elderly ladies' room and demanded ad-
mission into the young ladies' apart
ment. Mrs. Rossman told them that
she had no objection to their search
ing but that surely they would not go
E into the young ladies' ROOM Capt.
Howe, however. said he would so IN,
but not disturb the ladies'. thar be only
wanted to see whether indeed they
were young ladies' in bed or the two
rebels they were hunting She opened
the door and invited him in, and after
holding a light to the young ladies'
faces and being convinced that his
game was not there, he stepped upon
chair and scraped his sword over the
top of the wardrobe to see that there
was no one up there. Charlie Allen,
who is yet living, will tell you that as
he did so he neeled the skin Of his
nose, and if it had been an inch longer
Q HA
All this time Capt Howe's men had
completely circled the house and there
was no chance of escape, but as the
commanding officer stepped out upon
the front gallery. after leaving orders
for the young ladies to get up and
dress themselves so that he might
more thoroughly search the house. his
men took it for granted he had the
prisoners and came to the front of the
house. Mrs. n3ssman, ever on the
alert. as soon as the Yankee captain
went cut of the room made the boys
come out of their hiding places and
stand beside the back door. The
/ Yanks were gone fran that door only
a half minute when she pushed her
boy and Charlie Allen out of the back
door and told them to run for liberty,
! and they made it, but the cold October
air made it cool stepping for barefoot
+ ed soldiers clothed only in X-barred
underwear
If this is worth anything to you, |
! will be glad if ! have done anything
, to perpetuate the name Of this noble
woman, whose loyalty to the Confed-
, crate cause entities her to be remem-
bered in columns more lasting than
, marble or brass. But there are others
/, in your own county Of whim | shall try
/, to write. Your friend,
W. A. MONTGOMERY.