The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-21

sent the masonic signal With his
a!d' We brought Colonel Palfrey back
MS artery was protected by tourri-
queht and at the first lull in the shell
ing theE We're sent 10 the rear He
begged TO keep his side arms be
cause he said the gold mounted and
very handsome sword had been pre-
sented TO him. ON inspection Of II
iater We found on the blade the words
presented % Lieutenant Colonel
francl9 Winthrop Palfrey l9 Mass
Nolunteers by the town Of Concord.
Mass. on the reverse OF the blade
was the latin motto Of his State which
means in English. az YOU know, BY
the sword, we seek peace"
Colonel Palfrey was very reluctant
10 surrender his sword which he did
upon assurance that il would he pre-
served and returned TO him after the
war. Lieutenant Howl took his
sword while his pistol, a remarkab lily
handsome one fell to me They of
fered US their watches, which Of
course, we refused but cautioned
them to conceal them or our Provost
guard would get them.
We never expected TO see or hear
Of Col. Palfrey again, but cas- learn
| ed after the war; owing to his
wounds he soon exchanged and pro
noted for his gallantry III this battle
to Brlga der General and again com
| manded his brigade in the battle Of
Fredericksburg, 18th December OF
that same year We know nothing
OF that however, for our brigade al
that battle was not in his front but
on Mayre's Heights where Co. + from
Union county aided in repulsng sew
en- successive assaults the chief o1
which was led BY Thomas Francis
Measher's Irish brigade with the
green flag and "Sunburst" After tn,
war when G~p. Ransom was a candi-
date for the I. S. Senate he men
toned TO me one day at Weldon tina
he had received a letter from Gen
eral Palfrey inQuiring about hi
sword. l recalled the incident to hi
tmemory and wrote TO Capt. Howie VII,
according to promise had kept tn
sword which he sent to Senator Ran
som at Washington who delivered i
to one Of the Massachusetts Senators
Inc other weapons mentioned ha
been given by us to friends or los
and could not be traced.
| was deeply impressed by the ma
sonic incident and especially by tn
, cessation of the fire when we wer
4 out to the wounded officer, eXpectin
a volley. After the war, as soon as
\ became of the requisite age, | jOir
a ed the masonic fraternity. When o
the Superior Court Bench at tn
court held in your county in th
spring of 1888 | met Col. Howl
= and the survivors of his company an
We all recalled this incident. 1t
. mentioned in the "Regimental Hi
q tories but not as fully as il is give
'. here.
t Some years later, when editing II
V "Regimental Histories at the I
e quest Of the Confederate Netera1
e of this State, ] wrote to sever
9 Northern Generals to verify data al
n among others to General Palfrey. II
n widow wrote me very courteous T
r ply stating that her husband w
=, dead but that he had written q yC
n ume "Antietam and Fredericksburg
. of which she sent me a copy, which
still have in my library.
IS The survivors of Co. T will /
D. member the above incident and it m:
1t be of some slight interest to Othe
r among your large circle Of reader
J. especially the friends of CAPITA
j. HOWie.
d Most truly yours.
y WALTER CLARK
a Raleigh, Sept. Is, 1915.