The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-04-16

parplexity and strain of his life. There
were some two or three hundred re-
turning soldiers, besides no less de.
termihed citizens. These desperate
men. a. reckless mob, cody demanded
| the money. as being as much theirs as
any ones, and they We're armed to en-
1 force their demand A number OF
Asoldiers and officers stood by Maj
/ Moses, giving him friendly aid, Maj
| Moses demonstrated quietly and arglr
mentatiyely with the menacing m Il
surrounding him, appealed to their
honor and patriotism and stated
! his orders. At length it seemed
nothing could avert the attempted
ravishment of this specie.
"A wounded soldier seemed to be
the ringleader. Finally. as if by an
inspiration, Maj. Moses stepped up to
this officer and addressed him in
these words:
Sir, your rank indicates that you
are a gentleman, and your wound tes-
| titles that you have been a soldier I
| appeal to you in the spirit of that hon
or that beIonges to all brave men, to
assist me in the discharge of this
! trust"
1.-THE officer promptly responded
that he would willingly aid in the
matter, and he went among the threat
ening soldiers, quieting them. Nal
t Moses was enabled to safely continue
his trip, and delivered the bullion to
Gen. Molineaux, stationed at Augusta,
and did so upon his promise to feed
the returning soldiers and see that
/ the sick in the hospitals were cared
| for The bullion was weighed and
turned out in excess fully $4,000 of
/ the estimated amount. 1t was deliver.
ed by order of Gen Molineaux to one
Adams, of Massachusetts, then acting
provost marshal of Augusta Maj
Moses has since attempted to learn
whether this money ever reached the
/ federal treasury, AT " eat in company
with Maj. J. D. WaddeIl of Washing
ton city, and delivered it to the Hon
Jerry Black, with the request that he
would trace the fund but he has
never heard the result of the investi-
CATION.
fNow here follows the part of the
story that we wish to call particular
attention as it is 50 unlike what
many Of us would have done under
similar circumstances
Just after the departure of Gen.
Breckenridge from Washington with
a body of cavalry, a cavalry man rode
back in a gallop and threw bag Of
geld coin oyer the fence. around Gen.
Toombs residence and then as rapid
" rode away.
rs mo explanation was given Of this
liberal act, no instructions accompani
ed the money, and there was no clew
ever obtained as to the motive or pur-
+ pose of the soldier The bag contain
ed $4,000 in gold currency. Gen.
Toombs at the time was in great fl
nancial distress and was borrowing
gold for his. contemplated flight out Of
the country. but he swore with a round
oath that he would not touch dollar
OF this money. so strangely and unex-
pectedly showered upon him.
1.-THE bag. was turned over to Capt.
Abraham. federal commlssary, for
the purchase of flour and other pro-
visions for the returning Confederate
soldiers. and Mai. Moses states that
his son aided in the disposition of the
fund
Gen. Toombs had 1ordly scofn
for illigitimate money and said that
no unclean or tainted money should
ever pass through his hands"
What a lordly lesson for those Of US
who are money-mad
Here was a wagon loa5 of gold tha
belonged to defunct g ,veri .neat--
it was ownerIess yet in order to cdl
ry out the terms Of capitulatio1 lalt
though it was not specificately inciad
ed in the terms) those men who had
the money in charge, regarding it as
sacred trust, rather than distribute
it among their comrades who we're
in dire distress. preferred to risk their
lives in order to place it in the hands
of those who spread ruin and devasta-
ton along the line Of their recent in
vasion because Of a supposedly moral
obligation to. do SO.
We do not suppose that the incident
has parrellel in history.
How different from the actors Il