The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-08-12
TheCOttOn
Buyer
Eow He Traded In the South During
tie Civil War and Why He Quit.
BY ALBERT CHITTENDEN
Copyright 1910. by American Press
Association
BY ALBERT CHITTENDEN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

In 1862 when President Lincoln fear
rd that the want of cotton by the Eng
li>h and ether foreign manufacturers
might lead to Intervention. he issued
an order to his generals to give every
facility in their power to persons de-
string to purchase the article and per-
NIT them to ship it on the army wag-
ons going north empty for supplies for
he troops. At the time cotton could
be bought for song in the south. and
before the war closed it had risen to
dollar pound in the northern
states.
was then young and eager to make
money. Having some capital. l went
down into Virginia and rode among
the plantations in the neighborhood of
the Union armies. buying cotton wher-
ever | found an opportunity to get it
within our lines and send it north.
One day l had been out a few miles
beyond the Union vedettes to u planta-
ton where l had been told was stored
large stock of cotton. There was no
enemy in that direction. and if there
were considered my vocation shield
against interference. for l was citi-
zen engaged in assisting the southern
planters to turn their cotton into mon
ey. l bought fifty bales on condition
that l could get transportation for
them and rode back to the Union lines.
Something about the arrangement of
the camps looked different from what
| 7 hn6 Lee
deal Of difference. While had been
away the corps l had left had moved
and another had taken its place. The
officer Of the picket post would not al
low me to go where liked. but took
me to the provost marshal. Major
Campbell.
I noticed that the moment the pro-
vost marshal looked at me be gave a
family perceptible start. l told him
who was and the business l was en-
gagged in. He listened to my story.
then said he would report my case to
! the general commanding. He left me
to do so and was going so long that,
tired Of waiting. was about to mount
my horse and ride away when sentry
stopped me. l asked him why he de-
tanned me. and he said that he had
been ordered not to let me leave till
the provost marshal returned.
I, Major Campbell rode up as l was
talking with the sentry. He asked me
to come into his tent and. getting out
the army demijohn. invited me to have
something. He chatted in a familiar
way; seeming much interested in my
cotton purchases and asking me q
number Of questions pertaining to the
business. He told me that the gen.
eral would like to see me. but was too
busy to receive me till the next day.
u had left my belongings at a house
short distance in rear Of the army.
and when the conversation Jagged l
arose and said l would ride there. re-
turn in the morning and call on the
general. Major Campbell said that
there was no necessity for me to go
away, since he would be happy to give
me a cot in tent with a subaltern
officer and my meals ut his mess. But
l said 1 wished some clean linen and
would prefer to go. At that he told
me as politely as possible that the
general had directed him to bring me
i TO his headquarters the next day and
he would not dare risk losing me.
q This was equivalent to telling me
4 that l was a temporary quasi pris-
oner Nevertheless did not think
4 much of the matter. for if permitted
i to go might find it inconvenient to
return In that event the major
would be liable to censure for disobe-
: dience Of orders. So made IL virtue
of necessity. saying that | would be
happy to accept his hospitality.
7 During the evening ! played the
army game with the major and sew
erai other officers in his tent. the
army game being draw poker. with
greenbacks in lieu of chips. Somehow
it seemed to me that | was an object
i Of interest Every now and again an
officer would come to the tent to look
over the game. But. glancing up at
these gentlemen. | invariably noticed
their eyes fixed OIL me rather than on
81 the cards. was puzzled. What was
i there about civilian engaged in cot
a ton buying to interest officers of the
army? However. the game interested
. me. and speculation of this kind did
., not take root in my mind. We played
till midnight. when the party broke
up. and l was conducted by my tent
mate to my place of rest. l noticed
that he kept an eve on me while l took
off my outer clothing and did not take
it away till l stood III my undergar-
ments.
While going to sleep the circum
stances of my detention. the interest
had excited. this watchfulness of my
tent mate. altogether found firmer
Judgment in my brain. Yet as | pom.
i dered over the matter l could not
think of one act sufficiently noticeable
TO signify anything in particular. As
for my visit to the general the next
day. it might be an advantage. l had
expected to arrange for cotton trans