Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-06-09

lof the Duflal OF Lieutenant InOmp-
son, whom we then recognized as
dead. told Captain Brown that |
did OF wish to leave the Lieutenant
at that time, but would risk staying
there until he could go back to the
army and inform my uncle. Colonel
William l.. Graham, that Lieutenant
Thompson had been killed, and send
back to the house squadron of men
with whom l might return; so that
we could more certainly prepare for
/ lThompson's burial.
Many strange things occur i'll the
life of soldic'; who hazarded what We
did. Mr.. Groves and his family v.e.o
greatly distressed ut what had hap
pcned so near their homo, and were
very apprehensive that when the soidi-
crs returned for me they would be
furious and probably do some violence
to them and their home They as
surcd me that they were Southern
sympathizcrs, and even brought in
colored people whom they claimed
as former slaves. | was impressed
with the honesty and truthfuness of
these people. Emong other things,
they told me that there was very
ill man in che of the upper rooms,
who had been soldier in the Con-
fcdcratc army, from Missouri, and
who could assure me that the people
of the household were Southern SYM
pathizcrs and that they had nothing
whatever to do with the killing of
Lieutenant Thompson. They pre-
vailed on me to leave the porch where
WAS constantly on guard, and go
TO this mans room and tall: with
him. His name was Willard. | found,
as Mr.. Graves had informed me. that
he was i'll the last stages of consump-
ton. He told me that he had voiun-
tecrcd IN the company of Captain
Slack, from Chllicothe, Mo, who
afterwards became colonel and,
believe was killed at the battle of Pea
Ridge in Missouri. He also told me
that he was captured ri the battle OF
Pea Ridge and was confined in the
pcnitcntiary in st. Louis, Mo-, where
most of the Confederates captured
during the fighting which occurred in
Missouri were placed; that he was
kept there until he lost his health: that
he was paroled and turned loose; and
that he came to Maryland and engag-
ed in school teaching. He assured me
that Mr.. Groves was Il Confederate
sympathiZer, as were most of the peo-
pie in the eighborhood, and that it
would be crime to molest him and
his family CT his property. Remem-
bering that | had two step uncles
Crockett and Kcmper Mcdonald who
had volunteered in Captain Slack's
company, and that they were both
captured, it occurred to me that he
should know these men.
! knew that when the soldiers came
after me they would be greatly en-
ragged, and that something would have
to be done to prevent them COM
mtting violence in the neighborhood
and especially upon the property of
Mr.. Groves, because Lieutenant
Thompson was an exceedingly popu-
lar man with his soldiers. / asked
Willard if he knew these DcDonalds
and he seemed delighted ut the men
ton of their names and readily told
me that they had been confined in the
st. Louis penitentiary with him and
were released at the same time. |
went so fas as to ask him to de-
scribe their personal appearance,
which he easily did, saying that
Crockett Mcdonald had red hair and
very frtckled face (Which was the
fact), and that there were no par
ticular marks about Kemper that he
could mention, except that he had Il
U
the man was sincere, and when the
squadron of soldiers came back that
night, they were very much cnragcd
at the sight Of Lieutenant Thompson
and fully made up their minds to
burn the house-what else they would
have done do not know. Lieutenant
George Vcrdcgen was in charge of
the squad, and with him was james
| Vail who was born and reared in
Tazewcll, and told them that | did
not believe Mr.. Groves had anything
to do with the killing of Lieutenant
Thompson and that | believed that he
was Il Southern sympathizcr and had
already made preparations for the
burial of Lieutenant Thompson on
the next day. l took Verdegan and
! Vail to the room of Mr.. Willard and
he at once convinced them that he had
been Il Southern soldier and that Mr..
Graves and his family were South
ern sympathiZcrs. He again describ-
cd to Vail, who knew the McDonalds,
these two men, which convinced these
soldiers of the truth of his statement.
The squad who remained in the yard
were told this fact and convinced that
neither Mr.. Groves nor any member
OF his family was connected in any
way with the murder of Lieutenant
Thompson.
Arrangements were made that
night for the lieutenant's burial on
the next day,-early in the morning
and squad of the 10th Cavalry
came back to be present. We told Mr.
Groves that the interment would be
only temporary and that when the
war ended the relatives of Lieutenant
Thompson would come and take his
body to Virginia.
While l was student at Emory &
Henry College, | received a message
from these relatives asking me 10 ac-
company them TO Maryland and lden-
tify Thompson's grave. Something
occurred that prevented my going; but
gave them such minute directions
that they easily founl the home Of
Mr.. Groves, and the body of the
lieutenant was eXhumed and brought
to Tazewell and now lies buried in the
family grave yard of Colonel VIM
Thompson in Thompson Valley.