Part 3.

[44] Col. Augustus Choate Hamlin, U. S. A., in his "Battle of Chancellorsville" (Bangor, Me., published by the author), says (page 27), speaking of Blenker's Division: "The men justly complained of their treatment, and also of the abuse bestowed upon them during the march across the Shenandoah Valley for alleged acts of pillage on the way. From what the inspector saw he was of the opinion that the stories had been overestimated, and he has thought since that the Second Corps put in the breastworks at North Anna more valuables, in the shape of pianos, scientific apparatus, and choice furniture, than Blenker's Division stole or destroyed during their march over the mountains to Northern Virginia. Their booty and destruction, even as exaggerated, was infinitesimal as compared to that of the army of the Potomac at the capture of Fredericksburg."

After Gen. Payne, U. S. A., who was stationed at Paducah, Ky., had been court-martialed, he was relieved, and among the papers left behind him was one saying: "Don't send any more pianos, or plated silver, or pictures: all the kin are supplied; but you can send bed linen and solid silverware."

[45] When Maj. Wiley Abercrombie, Mrs. French's brother, left college to join the Confederate army, his father sent Rica, his carriage driver, to wait on him--Wiley being a youth.

Now Rica had never worked on the plantation; from childhood he had assisted in taking care of the family horses and carriages, and in due time became the driver of the family carriage.

At the battle of Gettysburg Rica was captured and carried nearly to Philadelphia, Pa. One night, however, he made his escape, traveled on foot to the Potomac, crossed that river, and finally reached Richmond, Va. Thence the authorities gave him transportation to Columbus, Ga. When Wiley became a member of my staff Rica came with him, and continued with us till the war ended. He and his wife remained in my family in Columbus; thence they went with us to Winter Park, Fla.

In 1884 Rica made a visit to Columbus, and on his journey home, becoming short of money to purchase a ticket from Jacksonville to Winter Park, he obtained work on a railroad. While thus employed he was accidentally killed by a tree felled on him by one of the hands.

Poor Rica! His fate was a sad one. A slave in name, he fled from freedom given him at Gettysburg, and wandered back to be a bondsman; and next when freedom was imposed on him by legislative enactment he spurned it, desiring only a home for life with the family that had treated him almost as one of their own children. I had almost similar experience with my own servants before and after the war.

[46] How noble the conduct of this man who had been in the army contrasted with the citizens who remained at home crying for vengeance!

[47] Washington Irving.

[48] The confiscation of the slaves by act of Congress is an acknowledgment of the just decision made by Chief Justice Taney in the Dred Scott case, that a slave was chattel, or personal property.

[49] I know a man North who paid $6,000 to a Congressman for his son's appointment. This was excluding the South from positions in the army and navy.

[50] Shakespeare's "Tempest," Act I.

[51] Appointed June 15, 1868.

[52] Lincoln's December proclamation says: "Such States shall be received again into the Union."

* * * * * *

Transcriber's note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

The writer used several alternate spellings of proper names. It is not always clear whether or not these refer to one or several people or places are referenced. These alternate spellings were left unchanged:

Chadburne/Chadbourne/Chadbourn Twigg/Twiggs Torrejon/Torrajon Tewksbury/Tewkesbury Reseca/Resaca Prevost/Provost MacIntosh/McIntosh Lombardini/Lombardeni Cleburne/Cleburn/Clebur Carteret/Cartaret Hoskin/Hoskins

On page 41, Matamoras should possibly be Matamoros.

On page 43, matadore should possibly be matador.

On page 133, Penberton should possibly be Pemberton.

On page 26, "Arburthnot and Ambriester" should possibly be Arbuthnot and Ambrister".

On page 189, Alamucha should possibly be Almucha.

On page 221, Gen. M. Jeff. Thompson should possibly by Gen. M. Jeff Thompson.

In several places 12 M. should be either 12 P.M. or A.M.