The Wilmington morning star., 1941-12-06
First Liberty Ship Launched
In Wilmington Bears Name Of
Famed Soldier And Statesman
Continued from Page 14)

made no recommendation; and the
council being evenly divided, the
call fer a special meeting was no
made. Where were now the ac
cusations of an earlier day thai
Vance was a Union man at heart!
The Ex-Governor
AS it was seen tnar surrender
was unavoidable, many m \
feared for the safety Of the Uni.
versity of North Carolina and o1
Rale.g gh with its valuable state rec
ords. Great pressure was again
brought to bear upon Vance to ap.
peal to Sherman, a step which
. his state pride could not allow him
to take. Finally, after conference
of many representative men, a
communication was addressed to
the hated Sherman, and former
Governors Swain and Graham un-
dertook to deliver the letter, but
before they could reach Sherman,
the war was over, the city OF Ra-
leigh had surrendered, and Cover
nor Vance had gone to Hoke's en-
campment. Soon after, Sherman
sent Vance a note, asking him to
return in safety to Raleigh, but
before this was received, he was
on his way to Greensboro to meet
President Davis, at his request,
and later, went with the President
to Charlotte.
1t was time of dread and dis
organization and disaster. When
Vance asked President Davis for
his orders, the answer was that
every one must stand at his post
of duty. Upon being politely re-
quested by a member of the party
for a more specific answer, the
harassed President countered:
'What would you tell him to do?''
1t was so bitter to admit that there
was but one thing to do-to make
terms with the victorious enemy.
Governor Vance was not allowed
to return to Raleigh after General
Schofield took charge, so ne
marked time in Greensboro until
he could rejoin his wife and their
four sons in Statesville.
The Prisoner
But. alas, for his hopes of peace
and security! Within two weeks
after his arrival at home, he was
arrested and lodged in the infa-
NOUS Old Capitol prison in Wash
ington. There he found a number
of other southern governors to
keep him company, and ex-Gover-
nor Fletcher of Virginia was his
cell mate. The notorious old build
ing, of which not a vestige now
remains, had housed many high
class Confederates and Confederate
sympathizers within it's dingy, dir
ty walls. For a more detailed de-
scription of it, the reader is re-
ferred to MY Imprisonment, or
The First Year of Abolition Rule, !"
written by the brilliant Mrs. Rose
O'Neal Greenhow.
Some years before this time,
when Vance was serving his first
an enduring friendship with Hon.
short term in Congress, he formed
Tom CorWin of Ohio. What was
his surprise on one lonesome day
in the dismal old prison, to have
his old friend, Corwin, come in to
see him. The whole day frightened
for the prisoner, and the talk was
almost as CHEEKY as of old. Finally
Corwin said:
'Zeb, what has been the matter
with you down there in the South?
I haven't been able to catch the
hang of it,
''Nor L." said Zeb, 'but I am
am likely to now"
In July Vance was released,
without any charge having been
recorded against him, and he was
paroled to remain at home. But
again, he did not find peace. For
the surrender, with its breaking
down of the old-time civic authori-
ty, gave opportunity for lawless
bands of deserters, especially in
the western counties, to rob and
terrorize, and it is shameful fact
that it was only when the federal
authorities were appealed to, that
order could be restored with the
organization of Home Guards in
various towns. A regiment Of
cavalry was stationed at Governor
Vance's home to protect the people
of that section.
Vance, of course, could not finish
L. &c
the Reconstruction authorities put
their own man in office; so he
began practicing law in Charlotte,
but was always the statesman
first. He was still the idol of the
people. Sometimes, at the conclu-
sion of a case, he would be car
ried around on the shoulders of
the cheering crowd. Often in the
court house, when Vance was ar
guing a case, the judge would be
compelled to give up any effort to
maintain order, while the very
walls would shake with the yells
of laughter from the delighted
crowd listening to the spell binder.
In 1868 he was offered by the
Conservative party the nomination
for governor, but declines, as he
distrusted the platform; though he
was always watching and waiting
to free his beloved state from the
tentacles Of the Reconstruction oc
topus. The thinking men of the
state were using every ounce o.
brain power. to say nothing Of ire
mendous seh-restraint and unceas
ing efforts, to keep the hearts o.
the people courageous. So there
was great rejoicing when, on No