The Washington herald., 1910-12-25
MAGAZINE
SECTION
War HERO
PUT TO DEATH FOR
AYENCING WOMAN

The original manuscript of the follow
ing narrative is in the possession Of a
great-nepheW of the man who wrote it in
the year 1852, in one OF the camps Of
the Federal army
The real names OF persons and of
places have, however. been changed TO
fictitious ones, partly because they have
no real bearing on the interest Of the
episode and partly on account OF obvious
personal considerations.
Camp of the Federal Army
At Jacksonville, Nd.
September 9. 1862
1t is now 10 p. m. and I am TO be shot
at daybreak. I am tired and have not
much time before me for writing Yet
/ am going TO set down here clearly, and
so that no doubt may remain, what hap
pened in my case, at the storming Of
Davidstown redoubt the day before yes
terday, and how it was that 1 did what
l did
/ write this to you, my nephew. and
only near relative, so that you may read
ii when you grow up (for they have
promised to let my lawyer have it,. You
Will then know how your father died.
and you will also know that nothing dis
honorable attaches 10 my name-Our
name-in spite Of all.
Should any one ever say anything TO
the contrary you may call him liar for
what I am about TO say is true in
every particular. give my most solemn
word.
The court has found me guilty. but that
is mere circumstance-hideOus circum-
stance; it is not my fault, and my CON
science is clear before God. my final
tribunal.
Firstly, though, I must ten you aboue
your father. Long before the war broke
out he and I had quarreled-about your
dear mother That is a different story.
Never mind that; il was another hard
stroke of fate in my life, though perhaps
it will all be put right now.
Both Loved Her.
We both loved her. your father and
I: and he won I left our home and
went 10 New York. where I joined Sam
son and Hadley then a rising firm Of
engineers. Your father stayed at the
old place down South (Which I hope viii
be left for you when this hateful war is
over. and there he married your mother
and ran the plantations OF his own
We had been very dear friends all our
lives, he and I, and I was further en-
FILTERED by that separation. coming as
il did in addition 10 my other great loss.
for your mother was the sweetest Wom-
an that ever walked this earth, Cecil. re-
member that
She died four years ago next Decem-
Der on your birthday.
Your father 1 never saw again until
the day before yesterday
1t is as much for the sake OF her mem
DRY as for any other reason that / am
making this statement for you. You are
her son. all that is left Of her now on
this earth; and so I write this in order
that you, dear boy. may never believe
wrong of me. She never would have.
Nov, when the war broke out your
father, of course. vas bound TO the
South. the Confederates. The place is in
the South. and he was a "slaVe-Owner5"
though you viii know as well as any one
when you read this that our slaves are
slaves in name only.
l. however, had severed my connection
with the South; ] had no interest in IT,
no reason TO fight for IL now that the
property had passed from me, and now
that your mother was no longer there.
"Learn to Hate War"
On the contrary / had every reason 10
night for the North: and / have done so.
and fought as well as any man-with
what result
My boy. learn TO hate war, and above
all, civil war: for that is when he'll is
let loose upon earth. Thank God that
your mother never lived to see this.
AS for myself, in one way L am not
sorry that this has happened, though
wish with all my heart that i had died
fighting the day before yesterday, for.
despite all my efforts, life has been a bur
den 10 me for years: IN fact, ever since
that which / FIRST told you Of
For your mother. when ] dared think
Of her (couid think of her. I should say.
never knew anything but love. But
love is a strange thing 10 men OF our
hot blood and strong feelings, and when
bitterness and the intensest Of Jealousy
are eating at your heart il Is torture.
was not so grief-stTicken when I heard
OF her death as I thought l should have
been. have loved her better, and been
more at peace, since then.
Your father never let me know OF Ter
DEATH heard il from a friend who had
been down at Newtown that winter-and
/ resented that too; he might have
known how IL would cut me TO hear that
from a casual friend So. instead Of a
possible reconciiiationKa thing which I
would have almost wd4comed, then. over
her gravel think ] hated him more.
They say love can only turn TO hatred,
never TO friendship; and so that chance
passed.
Killed HIS Enemy.
This is longer in writing than I had
meant IT to be- Cecil; / had meant only
TO tell you the actual facts of our last
meeting, but I had not then had limo
to collect my thoughts properly, and now
that l am writing / find il necessary tC
Continued on Page 4, Column 7.