Chapter XXXIII: 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.