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n . 4. w. vr. €?■.«».
Cl! AFTER VIII.
PIIISOX I.IFK
There are persons in the South, strange
to sav, who have not the least idea of
what a Yankee prison was dining ti e
war. They know that oar soldiers snl
sered ; they know that there was no
complaint from our brave men when they
came home, after being exchanged; they
know this, and, careless, easy, good peo
p'e as they are, they have a general, un
definable notion that our men suffered
untold hardships in their Northern pria.
ons. Os their man'y fortitude, of their
unflinching adherence to the right, under
any and all circumstances, they know
nothing; they do not know that our men
were often purposely starved, frozen,
and beaten, that they might be compelled
to take the oath of allegiance and join
the Yankee army. Hundreds did so,
that they might prolong their lives, al i
ready made miserablo beyond the point
cf human endurance; bat, thousandspfe
(erred a lingering, painful death to any
of the allurements held out to tlmm.
While thousands in the Confederacy
•were not feeling the effects of the war,
and living as well as they ever did in
their lives, hunt reds of our poor men
wore fighting like dogs over slop barrels
of the Yankee prison kitchens. Potatoe
peelings were a. godsend ; . old, filthy
bones, the i-Miidum of a month’s cooking,
were devoured with a wolfish avidity
that only the intenscst pangs of hunger
could justify. Gaunt hungry eyed men
collected in vast crowds around the pris
on gates, that they might look into the
barrels that were collected there every
morning to be hauled out of the prison.
Scraps of stale bread, of cheese, of ran
cid meat floating in the greasy, filthy
water, were snatched out by the starviug
men and devoured with as much relish,
as the same men had once evinced 'for a
fiue dinner at home. And, often while
doing this they were shot by the Yankee
on the walls ; shot wantonly, by
the inhuman Dutch soldiers, who com
posed the prison guard as a general
thing.
And when the Northern ladies wished
to relieve the suffering men, by bringing
them bread and meat, they were driven
off with blows and -curses, and called
“and and Copperhead secesh rebels !”
Not only were these noble women driven
off by the brutal sentinels, but they were
often struck down with the butts of their
muskets,- or stabbed with their bayonets
Delicate girls, with large basket.: of pro
visions on their arms, were arrested and
carried before the brute of a Provost
Marshal, who would send th-.-m to j : n,
to be confined with the lowest and via
creatuies, stained and defiled with every
crime; old, grey haired me-r. and w ■.•*.<■■■ .
amid the jeers and taunts of the vile
scum of a Nonitern city, were competed
to march un and down before the prisons
guarded by soldiers, ' with a placard
placed on their backs, or, which was
written: “Copperhead”; little children,
their young hearts full of pit; i r our
starving men, were haled through the
streets in charge of a police officer, sot
attempting to give the prisoners some
bread-
: There were separate prisons for the
j i ffi -era and men, and to one of the latter
our hero, John Yernot, was sent upon
his capture. But little difference could
j bo found in the prisous, only a difference
of degree, and not of kina, for the offi
cere, even those of the highest rank, were*
I often chained down like common felons
for a week at a time to the floor. John
Yernot was placed in the prison hospi
tal for a f, w weeks, until ho had suffi
ciently recovered from the effect of his
wounds to be removed into the prison,
j Here be was assigned a narrow cell with
two other officers, from the Army of
Northern Virginia.gAs these gentl mien
will for some lime make their appear
ance in these veracious pages, we shall
give h short sketch of their early lives.
. Major Ives, tho elder of the two, was,
before the war, a practicing lawyer in
the State of Arkansas, in the good, new
| county of Sevier. Genial, witty, and
well cultivated, lie did not care n rush
for prison life, only as it deprived him
of his daily allowance of whiskey.
Lieut. Grayson, the ether officer was a
man of an entirely different character.
Born ou the sea coast of Virginia, or in
the “tide water region,” he was, in eve
ry sense of the word, a Virginia gentle
1 man. The possessor ol boundless wealth j
1 lie was simple in his taste ns the po r
’ man of our brnUn country; affable com- j
li ens, truthful, and sincere, a warm j
I '"id a trie ;ontlonian, lie win tin- Vir
ginia irentleman'iif the olden tone a race ;
id'which tradition will only speak after
the lapse of a few years, lie too could
make prison life tolerable, for be had
) money, but he was far away from a lit |
tie blue eyed girl, as pretty and charm
i ing as one of her own roses in her own
! special little garden. Lieut. Grayson
would while away the time in ‘chaffing”
; his companions or in mourning out his
| sorrows through the medium ol crack
ed flute purchased at an enormous price
j from an obese Dutchman whose whole
soul was wrapped up in the desire to
make some “monish,'and who had smug
| gled the flute into .the Lieut, under his
j (the Dutchman's; overcoat. Tho only
: drawback to Grayson’s happiness after!
receiving this antiquated musical ifistru
; meet, was that he was compelled to play
' it under the blankets to keep the prison
■ officials from hearing him, and he would
: often emerge from his pile ol blankets
as if Ire bad taken a Russian Musical
: bath of the very hottest character. llow
[ ever, to his two Companions, Major Ives]
and John Yernot, this was u most fortu
nate thing for they were spared that
most excruciating of all musical torments
—a cracked flute. Day after day they j
; were subjected to the small tingling an
: noyauccs of a small official placed for a
brief period in a small official position, j
llow is it that we so often see such very
• ordinary men selected to fill even high
| official positions. Men of whom we can
; safely sa-y that they are to the full as ig.
| norant of literature, art, o . . aa if
there were no such thing i tie w rid ;
men with coarse, brutal na , . fit ed
I only to herd with the brutes with whom
and to whom they bear a strong resem
j blance. They think that to be put into
j an official position gives them the right
to trample upon the feelings of every
one with whom they are brought into
official contact. And the same men who
arc so very overbearing and tyrannical
: to those ovei whom they can lord it for
a brief period, are the most abject, the
| most rile scoundrels in the world, to
I those above them in position. Cowards
1 are tyrants. Tyrants are cowards. Wc
j have seen one of these wretches in hu
! man form order a man to be punished in
the most cruel, the most degrading man
} ner that their develish ingenuity could
! devise, then go in the presence of their
; official superiors and submit without a
murmur to any amount of mental kicking
Out on such vile wretches ! they are a
'libel upon human nature, t! • vile
i compound of n : >4 heart, and a weak
; brain W< i ever - . s»v, a man of a
vindictive/:-; v ! * are, that was not al
• so, nine tine iu ten a poor weak spec;-
' men of manhood. Weak, we mean in
.intellect. To such « man ail tho glori
' sights 1 f nat. :e are as nought ; the
blue sky blazing with its milUofl firea ;
the restless Ocean thumb.- ing its cease
less incuniful requiem for the countless
dead that lie in its gloomy caves; the
; gieen earth with its flower gemmed
i carpet bespangled with a thousand hues;
the songs of birds, the rippling laugh of
women and children the music of falling
waters the magnificent forest that stretch
|es in gloomy solemn grandeur for thou
HEKE SHALL THE PRESS THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS MAINTAIN, UNAWED BY TEAR AND UNBRIBED BY GAIN.
QUITMAN, GEO., M.AY 14, 1869.
sands of miles, the cloud cupped mown
| tains—solemn temples of Deity Himself
—all these are as naught to him, to such
a man. Enough of such men. To our
story.
(to iiK CONTIXUeD.)
THE TEXAN DUEL.
“l’nt down that knife, or the conse
quence lie upon your own head. Put it
! down 1 say," and the hand of the apeak
j er slowly and deliberately raised a revol
! ver.
i It was a very anxious moment for the !
i lookers on. One of the combatants was
a brawny rtiffi in upon whose face was I
stamped all the evil passions of the hu
man race. Black haired, black bearded, I
black eyed snd strong enough was he to J
have felled an ox with a single blow of
his list. Tho other was a pale, slender,
intellectual looking young man, boy al
most, with light curls and compexion
and blue eyes.
The scene was in the little town of
Washington, on the Brazos river iu Tex
as, and the time midnight.
“Do you know who yer taking to boy?"
was the coarse and uneducated answer
ot Luke Benton than whom no gambler
in the vicinity was more detested and
feared *
A man to whom (and'not without tea-j
son) was imputed every crime—even’
that of murder; who was an unfailing
shot with the pistol and rifle and un
matched iu skill with Unit strictly bor
der weapon—lhe bow io knife. A short '
residence in that locality had given him
a reputation as a duelist, for li.e long
grass covered the forms of two who had]
fallen by bis band. Where he came
from no one know, and ho was particu
larly reticent about his former life.— (
Still it was whispered behind his back,
for no one was foolhardy enough to say
it to his face—that he was one of the
very few who escaped from the terrible
justice of “Matches under the hdl,” when
the outraged citizns arose in their
wrath and took speedy vengeance in
their own hands. Be that as it might
ho had already earned a name sufficient
ly bad to need no additions even where
the great majority of crimes were looked
upon lightly—making Texas in its in
fancy the paradise of scoundrels.
On the other hand of bis boy antagonist
even less was known. It was but two
days since his arrival and he had come
on horseback and alone. Os his busi
ness he had nothing to say, but his suave
manner and quiet, gentlemanly de port
rnent had already made him friends a
mong the better portion of the sparse
population.
Very much to their surprise, therefore
was it that they had seen him enter in tola
contest at cards with the professional
gamester Benton, confident that hv
would either be cheated oi bullied out of
his money, in case he was successful,
which was almost beyond the range of
possibility.
But for two hours the game had been
progressing, the gambler getting more
angry at every deal, and the youth keep
ing perfectly cool and breathing taun
! ting words as if his object was still fur
ther to provoke him. If it was his pur
pose to do so, he was mine than success
ful for Bentou had suddenly sprung to
his feet and drawn his heavy knife, with
oaths upon his lips and murder flashing
from his eyes.
] “Put down that knife,” again repeated
the young man, Mark Whiteman, as he
had given all to understand was his
j name. “Put it down. No one but a
ccwurd and a cheat would attempt to
use such fatal argument* iu a simple
game of chance."
“Er cheat—coward 1” thundered Ben
] ton with all his wrath aroused. "By
heaven, I'll make yer eat yer words.”
“For (bar you do not fully understand
I will repeat them ”
“) er dare not 1” was hissed from the
more than tightly compressed lips.
‘ Coward! cheat! I dare say anything
' to one Hko you.”
“Coward er gin!” and his knife flashed
still more wildly round.
In vain the wtffcr* interfered. They
cared litUo for the professional and bru
tal gamester, but they did for youn g
j Whiteman arid could not but be surpris
] ed at the almost sublimity of his cooln-ss
: and bravery even though he was cour-
I ting' his own death.
F miething in the manner of the young
: man too, appeared to deeply impress
this antagonist, who never restrained hia
hand from swift vengeance. The deli
j cate frame trembled not; the sweet al
most girlish expression upon those mo
blo lips remained unaltered; the cheeks
! were uiiblanched, and the mild blue eyes
never swerved from their steady gaze
upon the fiery black ones. It-appeared
as if the serpent and the bird bad exchan
ged places and the fierce charmer be
came the charmed.
‘Pshaw!" at length continued Luke
Benton, “1 am a fool to take any notice
of cr boy who I could crush between my
tumb and fingers. Take yer money il
yer such a sneak ; go hack among the
women and never dare ter show yer Qice
criming men ergain.”
‘ I care nothing for the money,” wan
still the calm response. “It’s nothing to
me.”
“What do yer want, then?”
“To prove that you are a coward at
henrt.”
"No man ever lived that could prove
such er thing.”
“Simply becaase you murdered them
Luke Benton.”
"Murdered ? but no, I'll not fight cr
boy.”
“Because you dare not. But you shall
have no oxcpsc,” and Mark \V hitemau
spat full in the face of the bloodstained
gambler.
In an instant all was confusion Ben
ton sprang forward with his knife up
raised, and would have cut down his in
sidti'i- with a blow. But others did the;
same. They realized that blood must be j
sired, but. they insisted upon 1 fair play." j
Even in the horrible code of lexas duel
ing they demanded that the rules ofhon
or (?) should be strictly adhered to.
“If you must fight,” said an old ranger
“and I see no way to avoid it now, it
shall he all open and above board. Il s
your choice Benton Pick up your wen
pun and stand up and fight it out like
men.
“Pistols then—ten pace —word 1” was
the gruff answer.
"Are you satisfied ?” was asked of
Whiteman.
"Yes—perfectly. Let him take his
revolver—l have mine. We will com
mence firing at the woitl and continue to
advance to do so until one or both falls.”
A few steps from the house brought
them to a spot where the green grass
and bright flowers had more than once
been stained in such encounters. The
men were plac 'd,'the weapons prepared,
and the fatal word was about to he giv
en when Whiteman called the Bangui
(who was acting as his second) and,
taking his hand within his own, whis
peied : “You appear to be a true heart,
ed man, and I wish to ask a favor ol
you.”
| “Speak on. Anything I can do shall
be done. Just say the word and I’ll
I take your place ”
i “No, not that. But if 1 should chance
to fall promise that you will see me bu
ried as I am. Do nut let my dress be
disturbed in the least. Roll me up in
a blanket ar.d let no one pry around me
after lam dead. Will you promise me
that ?”
“It is a strange thing to ask, but I’ll
do it.”
“Then I’m ready.”.
“Yes, PH do it,” repeated the Hanger,
as he slowly retreated, muttering to him
self, “and if you do fall I’ll send a bullet
through the skull of him that kills yon,
and may the good Lord forgive me if it
is murder.”
“Now, Benton,” continued Whiteman,
"I am ready. Yet one word,” and he
stepped to iiis side and handed him a
miiialure. “If I die, look at this.”
“I’ll do it now ;” and with trembling
fingers .he undid the clasp—then let it
fall from his hands as if it had been a
serpent, exclaiming, “No, I’ll not fight
you. Take him away, some one—take
him away, for God’s stke.”
“Not fight ! then you will dio like a
dog;” and Whiteman raised his psto'
and motioned for the woid to he given.
It was some time, however, before Ins
request was complied with. The sinewy
frame of the gambler trembled like a dry
oaf in the autumn wind ; all the color
had left his face • his lips were like a.sii
. os; his pistol was pointed downwards
and shook in his hand. At length he
. succeeded' by a mighty effort,- in calm
ing himself. He braced his nerves—-
! gazed wildly round, and with ail the
; calmness of despair, stood upon his
I guard.
“Are you ready—both ready ?” was
asked.
“Yes,” came simultaneously from two
. pair of lips.
j ‘ Cue—two—three—fire I”
j The repm't of the pi«tolw cut flic last
word in twain. The secoudn ni hed for
; ward and lifted the men up again for
both had fallen. One, however, would
never breathe more. Luke Benton had
I fought hia last duel—had gone to his fi -
] nnl account with his heart bullet ('lift
Whiteman, too, was dangerously wound
ed. With his breath bubbling forth
through blood ho called the ranger to
him and asked him for the minatiue. It
was given to him—the fair face of a
young man. He coveied it with bloody
fingers, whispen and, “Bury it with me,”
and ceased to live.
With teal fill eyes that form was pro
pared for the grave, the ranger insisting j
that IBs promise to the dead should be'
fulfilled to the letter. But all saw suffi- .
cicnt to satisfy them that lie who called !
himself Whiteman was a young woman.
And years later they found a ulue to the
mystery. It was a wife who had then
avenged the death of her husband ; mur
dered for saving her from dishonor !
From a bloody grave in the chapparel,
she had gone to join him she had loved
so well, ill the laud that lies beyond tbe
dark river. •
Was her last act one of sin ? It is not
for us to judge of siicb a tiling. We
know nothing of the maddened hen; t and
insane brain ; know nothing of the long I
days and Inii.yei nights of snlleriiig ; I
nothing of how w- would act under such
circumstances Better leave judgment :
to Him who can vend both the mind and |
Im.irt, and whose will directed the aveng j
ingbulht,,' None other is without sin, I
and who will dic e to east the first stone? I
Savannah Houses.
W. J. WALSH,
WHOLESALE DEALER IN
DRUGS, MEDICINES,
CHEMICALS,
Patent Medicines,
i Perfumery, Fancy Goods,
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS,
TEUSIWKH,
| PAINTS, OILS AND VARNISHES, I
Dye Stuffs, Garden Seeds, A-c.
FINE WINES AND LIQUORS,
SOUTHEAST CORNER BROUGHTON* AND i
IIARNARD STREETS,
Savannah, Georgia.
February 19, 18(i9. ft-ly
Edgar L. Gckkard. Edward L. Hoi.comuu
(iliiilt.lllll Si HOLCOMBE,
FACTORS,
General Commission & Shipping
MERCHANTS,
No. 6 Stoddard’s Lower Range, Ray St.
SA VANN AH GEORGIA.
AGENTS FOR THE
Best Fertilizers in Use.
S. S. STRICKLAND, Agent.
February 19, 1869. Jy
SAVANNAH MACHINE WORKS.
S. W. GLE ASON,
Sugar Milts, Sugar Fans, Gin Gear, Shafting, Pul
leys, Iron Railing, Iron and Ilrass Castings.
Portable and Stationary Steam Engines, and Ma
chinery of all kinds.
St. Julian Street,
SAVA NN AII, GEORGIA.
February lit, 5-ly
O, FALVE\
DEALER IX
E VERY VARIETY
OF
WMMMitJhi ■ Ms ass dMs W j
153 Broughton St.,
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.
HAS IN STORE a large and varied assort
ment of
MAHOGANY, WALNUT.
CIir.STiNUT AAD ENAMELED
~-ix .BSZ r Ht:- r *-ms <9
Tables & Bureaus,
Os Every Style and i’attcrn,
OX&AXXI.S,
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, d-G., <£•(
February 19, 1399. • Cm
ROBERTS’ It ILL Mil A,
Commission Merchants,
1 North aide l!ay St., i’nd door West of Exchange,
SAVANNAH,CA.
] Hiram Roberts, Savannah, Josnrn Tij.lman
D. L. Roberto, . Madison f>i. V I:.
1 octl«-18(i«
[•s!’.oo per A.itnu i
NO. 17
P. Nv BE HI .
Cotton Factor,
AND —
GENERAL COMMISSION MELCIIAM ,
First door West of Kx battge.
' Bay Sthkkt lAV.tx.v.vn, Gro
* octl6-’tiß HU-1 y *
J WM. H. TJtiOV. WM. W-GORDO'
jilnl? [i fsIIMIJIv- v
j ‘Cotton Factor.-.
j General (Tominission A r .
96 Bay Ftrkkt, Savannah
Bagging. Rope or Iron Ties advance;.
Liberal advances made on oon
of Cotton.
(iratoful for liberal natronage in the
ry effort will lie made to continue to nieri
lie confidence.
October 2.1868. u ra
S. 8. FILLER,
PK.vuti; IK
f .Miiioiasy, wjiiir a\ n pj ;, r;
FUJtN ITUKF,
FRENCH AND GOTT' ft!
ClilllTS 111B!U"'m
•MaltniKßiiu imult i
No. lA7 I?-onghloii . o
SA V \ NN.AH (; ] i( ,(, | \
ii|i!t IT
M.M. SULLIVAN,
DEALER IN
Shad, and a’l Rinds of f\'A.>
In tlitii Seas; ii,
Oysters, Game, etc.,
No. I JO Hay La’ie,
AVI r.I.V.V.i// GEO.
: motto is: Jn»Uoe p, »H.
; *f'Oi;d,Ts from Hie eountry will In prompt
t !y and nnrpfully lilled. *
J. BERRIEN OLIVER,
| (General (Tonmnssioir IHfrchiif,
No. 97 Bay Street, (over Wilcox. Mibhs .1 <
SA VAXANH GEORGIA.
December 4. 1868. I v
FMNITUSS HOUSE.
JOHN M. WITT,
I Cabinet Makvs' ?I ,i.!.; kt r.
QUIT MAPI, OA.
riIAKKS pleasure in no:. ?' •
| J . citizens of Brooks and • -t'
< ton n lies, sh it he has - •
| Liniunaii, a regular IF 11 a** i. * ' ;->•
II In <*Loi”y, and i -p,vpun I to p i.
j order—
| BUREAUX, BE I) ST E \T) \ !•
| lUES, SIDE BO- KDB VAJ
W AUDI ORES.
; and every thing needed in the i*i.::n ; .
in any style required.
I An ex M*riejice of many y ft. ■
; a suring thejudic ti<a‘ Li.-Uv ■ .v
j fiction in every respect- : ;n I » * .
, p yre tavo'fihl) w
I .ere, with dii- imp *ria ,( m ;?
C-a- - ere piece f Ui ,
tab \ . b ■ win •
• - dins vrAh ,
1i.;.;,
In connection wiih ti e*• e i
is also coiwltiGiing tl h‘ « U.i
will put up. oil very she ri-U
tion of. CO Ml S' -I’lain or <o ,
Iriimued. and laonutod, if d<?ire.
A general assortinout ot C ol ■ •
on hand.
j ypLl' Brices ns moderate »:-• * •
WAITED,
• Inm in need of a larire quant v 1
SONED LUMBER, ■ ; >
j Ohllia. * -lieiTy, Maple. iWacA Wamut. '
! for which a liberal price will l.e oaid
jozzm m. Witt
, Qmtioftn, .lan Z 2, J-,
DR. D. L. KICKS,
OF TUB ORIQJNAT, FIRM OF
DBNTI lEc. *IT' ,4
WIUUUT <N lt.ieivS,
AUGUSTA. «A„
Noav Sfo'id. at of- '
»riful!y -udii'ii -the ) t r>> 'f of ' ■*' rb : Gi- r-rin and Florida, j
’ i’c- t* S: i: tCi.O). t