Uncle Daniel's Story Of "Tom" Anderson, and Twenty Great BattlesMcElroy, John
History
Uncle Daniel's Story Of "Tom" Anderson, and Twenty Great Battles
McElroy, John
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
“Jackson here interrupted, saying: 'Doctor, you seem to have your scheme
pretty well planned, and it looks as though it might be a success.'
“This Dr. Blackman seems to have been a communicative individual, and
Jackson having sounded him all that he wished at that time, the Captain
and Jackson took their leave and repaired to their hotel. When there
the Captain walked into Jackson's room and stood for a moment looking
straight into Jackson's face. Finally, he spoke in about these words:
“'Mr. Jackson, I am a rebel! I am what is called a traitor to the United
States Government. I am in favor of the whole country becoming one
universal wreck before I would submit to go back into the Union. But,
sir, I want you to remember, if you should ever think of Capt. Redingson
in the future, that his mother was a Christian woman, and taught her son
to have some of the instincts of humanity. No, sir; I am no murderer;
no city burner; no poisoner! I have listened to all these things and
remained partially silent. But, as God is my judge, I will not be a
party to any of these schemes. I will obey all legitimate orders, so far
as money is concerned, and as a soldier will do my duty; but no man has
a right to order me to commit murder or to perform inhuman acts, and I
will not do it!'
“Jackson listened to him, and then gave him his hand, saying:
“'Captain, you are a man, and a gentleman, with true appreciation of
what may be justified in war, and that which cannot be.'
“The Captain said he would go the next day to see the syndicate that was
to take the bonds, and as soon as he could arrange his matters he would
leave London.
“Jackson told him he would go with him, and they parted for the night
with that understanding.
“The next day the Captain made a visit to the office of the syndicate,
where all the preliminaries were arranged. Jackson, at the Captain's
request, and in pursuance of their former understanding, accompanied
him. An arrangement was made for the Captain to meet these gentlemen
the next day at the Bank of England, where the bonds were to be verified
with papers sent by the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy.
Being quite weary they did not that evening visit the rooms of Jacob
Thomlinson. After the Captain retired Jackson wrote to me a detailed
statement of all that had transpired, and directed his letter to his
mother, so that no suspicion could attach, not knowing what might
happen.
“I will digress here a moment to say that the letter was received in the
due course of the mail. The statements it contained as to the proposed
schemes were so revolting that they struck terror to my very soul.
I left for Washington the next morning. On arriving there I laid the
letter before the President. He read it and seemed to be dumfounded. He
finally said:
“'Is it possible that such men live in this day and age?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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