Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-03-03
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The Shadow
of Death
What President Lincoln
Did While 1t Hung
Over Him
By F. A. Mitchell


Inc IOilOWlnS narrative IS gwen eA
actly as it occurred with scarcely any
filling in transforming it from ordinary
parlance to the story form:
One of the saddest features of the
war between the states was the ar
raging against one another of the diff
ferent members of the same family
Such cases We're more especially to be
found on the border line between the
United States and the Confederacy. In
east Tennessee the prevailing senti
ment was for the Union. Kentucky
was about equally divided. Maryland
was in favor of the Confederacy. All
these states, however, We're held for
the Union by being occupied by Fed
eral troops in the early part Of the
war. In Missouri, which was geo.
graphically a northern state, the insti
tuition of slavery had been planted, and
both Confederates and Federals waged
war for its possession, the latter gain
ing the day during the early part of
the war.
For years the mutterings of the strife
i that was to come We're heard in the
land, and for months those who were
farseeing began to fear that it was
about to break forth. Then came the
day Of firing on Fort Sumter. and the
people began to range themselves on
the side with which they sympathiZed.
One day two brothers, Allmon and
George Vaughan, babe each other good
by in the town of Canton. Mo. All
mons sympathies We're with the north
in the struggle about to take place
while Georges were with the south.
Il am sorry, George" said Allmon,
that you are determined to take the
Confederate side in this contest. but !
grant that you are honest in your con-
victiOns. You are to be in the COnfed-
crate army; shall fight with the Fed
erals. hope that we shall never meet
on the field Of battle
"And l regret, Allmon, that you will
not be convinced of the wrong the
northern people are doing the south
and that you will not join me in de.
Tending her. However. since l can't
convince you we must part"
"Goodby, George. l hope that we
will both come out OF the struggle
alive and shall meet again here at our
home, but something tells me that the
war will be long one and before that
can be we shall both be exposed to
terrible dangers
Little did either of the brothers
foresee the great danger that would
befall one of them and the efforts to
be made by the other to save him
from a fate worse than death on the
battlefield or under the surgeons
knife. George Vaughan made his way
to the south. while Allmon was given
a position on the staff of General
Mark e. Green, an old friend Of the
Vaughan family.
About year after the parting of
the brothers George Vaughan de.
termined to pay visit to his home in
Canton. Being Confederate soldier.
this could only be done secretly
Disgusting himself, he passed the
Union lines and reached Canton with
out his identity being discovered. He
was received with joy, mingled with
fear and trembling, by the members
of his family. To Mrs. General Green.
on whose husbands staff his brother
Allmon was serving, he bore messages
from friends in the Confederacy.
Quite likely the lady was southern
sympathizer, for most of the women
in the border states were on the south
ern side. even the wives Of Union Off
GERS not concealing their preference.
When George Vaughan returned
from his visit he was recognized by
one who had known him before the
was known to have gone south to en-
list in the Confederate army, and
caught within the Union lines in dis
guise he was arrested and lodged in
Jail at Palmyra.
The record does not state that the
prisoner was bearing information con-
corning the Union forces or plans to
the southern leaders, but it is prob
able that he was. Having brought
messages to Mrs: Green, it is quite
likely that he took messages from
her and perhaps to friends in the
Confederacy, and it is not unlikely
that there were written messages con-
tanning the contraband information.
George Vaughan was transferred
from Palmyra to St Louis, where
charge of being a spy was preferred
against him, and a court was cOnven-
ed to try him. His defense was that
he had gone to his home for no other
purpose than to visit his family.
Whether or no he was bearing infor-
nation TO the Confederates. having
been caught within the Federal lines In
citizens dress was sufficient to convict
him. At any rate, such was the result
of the court martial, and he was SEN
fenced to be shot.
Here was a singular case. The broth
er Of captain in the Union army was
to be executed by the Federal officers.