The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-02
THE LEON REPORTER THURSDAY SEPTEMBER @ 1915
Another Chapter in Search for Dead
Captain.

A few weeks ago we published a
clipping from the Des Moines Regis
ter and Leader, telling of an appeal
made by j. A. Mccullough, of
Greenville, S. c., for Captain Charles
n johnson, of Co. A, 18th Iowa
~ rteers, in order to repay a kind
vol- n ered by Capt. Johnson to
t mess or rener of Mrs. Mccullough.
c eng nJJ Johnson from Leon,
Feb. rs, 1862, and df .ua"nds re-
ago from the effects of rno,d
ceived in service. Hon. G. F.astod
of Garden Grove, became intefNe
on learning of the quest, and Wrdel
to Mr.. Mccullough at Greenvtlle, who
in turn wrote to Charles d'Alvigney,
of Atlanta, Georgia, who had a clil-
ping from an Atlanta paper in regard
to Capt. Johnson, which was treas
ured as an heirloom in his family.
Mr.. d'Alvigney sent the clipping to
Mr.. Arnold by registered mail for his
inspection, with the request that 1T
be carefully preserved and returned
to him. The clipping which will be
read with interest, especially by some
of the older residents of this cOun-
ty who remember Capt Johnson, is
as follows:
"A few days ago DR.. Chas. DIAL
vigney, of Atlanta, found among the
private papers of the late DR.. Noel
d'Alvigney, famous surgeon of the
war period, the following document,
written in faded ink:
Atlanta, Ca, Oct. l, 1864.-To all
U. S. authorities whom it may con-
Germ: Having been wounded at
Jackson, Miss, the 18th day of May,
1853, and having fallen into the
hands of the enemy and brought by
them to this place, the 21st day of
June, 1868, became acquainted
with DR.. Noel d'Alvigney, a resident
of Atlanta, who has been my attend
ing surgeon since Sept. 10, 1868. He
has done everything in his power to
alleviate the sufferings of the wound
cd federal prisoners who were
brought here from time to time, as
private surgeon without any spec
ial pay or profit in any way. AS he
was a sArgeon belonging to the con-
federate service, what he did was in
the interests of humanity. He will
fulfill any agreement that he enters
into. Anything you can do for him
will be worthily bestowed and will be
favor to me. Yours respectfully,
Chas P. Johnson, Capt. II Iowa, V. l.
The confederate surgeons son
handed this paper to me the other
day:
very grateful to my father, and he
wrote this letter hoping it might be
of some service to the members OF
our family, who were in bad fix
after the siege of Atlanta"
johnson of Iowa." exclaimed, II
remember the man. His case was
peculiarly sad one.'
And then l told d'Alvigney the
story of the unfortunate prisoner. 1t
is worth repeating here because the
hero of it won the sympathy and re-
gard O. two armies and turned his
foemen into loving friends.
When the gallant young captain
was brought to an Atlanta military
hospital in the spring of 1868. the
surgeons soon discovered that MS IN
juries were of very serious nature.
The prisoner had been wounded IN
his spine, and he was compelled to
remain in bed or rest in a reclining
chair.
Month after month rolled by, and
it became evident that he would new
er recover. He could not be sent to
prison. That would have been bar
barous. He could not receive proper
attention in the crowded hospital,
and he could not be exchanged at
that time.
The ladies wrote his letters for
him, and interested themselves In
seeing that they were sent through
the lines. The prisoners mother In
far of Iowa was kept advised OF her
sons condition, and she succeeded IN
persuading high officials in both arm
les to allow her to enter the cohfed-
eraey.
Mrs. Johnson reached Atlanta in
the summer of 1868. She rented a
cottage, and the authorities permit
ted her to take the captain from the
hospital in order to give him the
careful nursing which he needed SO
much.
A year passed and the siege of At
lanta commenced in earnest.
Johnson was still confined to his
bed, and in his helpless condition 1t
was a great trial to worry through
the hot days and nights, with rain
Of federal shells falling around him.
For eighteen months or more the
helpless man lay on his couch OF
pain, within the lines of the enemy.
Without murmur he accepted his
fate and few ever looked upon his
pale and emaciated face and form
without wiping away tear.
The siege was drawing to a close
when DR.. d'Alvigney and several Of
ficers called one evening to see the
patient.
Tomorrow. said the doctor, you
will be in the hands of your friends"
What do you mean?" asked the
captain.
II mean" was the answer, that
we can hold Atlanta No longer. To-
morrow Sherman's troops will enter
the city"
johnson clasped his thin white
hands together in his excitement, and
his eyes flashed with pleasure.
In another moment sad look
q -