The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-05
The Shadow
of Death
What President Lincoln
Did While Il Hung
Over Him
By F. A. Mitchell


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following narrative is given ex-
actly as it occurred with scarcely any
nlling In transforming it from ordinary
parlance to the story form:
One Of the saddest features of the
war between the states was the ar
raying against one another Of the DIFF
ferent members Of the same family.
Such cases were 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. were 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
that was to come were 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, bade each other good
by in the town Of Canton, Mo. All
mons sympathies were with the north
In the struggle about to take place.
while Georges were with the south.
II am sorry, George" said Allmon,
that you are determined to take the
Confederate side in this contest, but l
grant that you are honest In your con-
victions. You are to be In the Confed-
erate army; I shall fight with the Fed
erals. hope that we shall never meet
ON the Aeld Of battle"
And regret, Allmon, that you will
not be convinced Of the wrong the
northern people are doing tho south
and that you will not Join me in de.
Tending her. However. since I can't
convince you we must part"
"Goodby. George. hope that w
viii both come out Of the struggle
alive and shall meet again here at oul
home. but something tells me that the
war will be long one and before that
can be we shall both be exposed t.
terrible dangers"
Little did either of the brother,
foresee the great danger that woult
befall one Of them and the efforts ts
b made by the other to save hin
from q fate worse than death ON tn,
battlefield or under the surgeon'l
knife. George Vaughan made his way
to the south. while Allmon was given
position on the stan Of Genera
Mark d. Green, an old friend Of the
vaushan family.
Absat q year after the parting OF
the brothers George Vaughan do
termined to pay q visit to HIS home In
Canton. Being a Confederate soldier
this could only be done secretly
Dlsguising himself. he passed the
UAion 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 q southern
l sympathiaer. for most OF the women
In the border states were on the south.
ern side, even the wives Of Union OH.
GERS not concealing their preference.
When George Vaughan returned
from his visit he was recognized by
one who had known him before the
breaking out OF the war. and since he
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
| eerning the Union forces or plans to
the southern leaders. but It is prob
able that he was. Having brough,
| messages to Mrs. Green. It is quite
likely that be took messages from
her and perhaps TO friends in the
confederacy. and II 10 not unlikely
that there were written messages con
tanning the contraband Information.
George Vaughan was transferred
from Palmyra to g. Louis. where a
charge of being a spy was preferred
| against him. and a court was conven-
| ed 30 try him. His defense was that
he had gone 10 his home for no other
purpose than to visit his family
Whether or no be was bearing infor.
nation to the Confederates, having
/ been caught within the Federal lines In
4 citizens dress was sufficient to convict
him. At any rate, such was the result
of the court martial. and he was sen
| tanrad tn hQ shot