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Show FORGOTTEN HEROES ! BV Elmo Scott Watson i The Perils of Peace THIS end of war does not always mean the coming of pence. That fact was all too strongly Impressed upon the mind of Col. Robert E. Withers of the Confederate army in April, 18G5. He was commander command-er of the military prison at Danville. Dan-ville. Va., where were held more than 6,000 Union prisoners guarded only by disabled Confederates and men too old and boys too young to serve in the field. All through the last winter of the Civil war the specter of famine had been ever-present In Danville famine fam-ine for the captives, the guards and the townspeople. Then came the news that Richmond had surrendered surren-dered and with it Confederate cavalrymen cav-alrymen who Informed the colonel that they bad orders to burn the bridges across the river and all tobacco to-bacco warehouses In Danvllla Withers With-ers protested. It would mean a conflagration con-flagration which would destroy the town, and since the Confederacy had collapsed In Virginia there was no military advantage to such ruin. Finding his protests unavailing. Colonel Withers declared that he would resist such destruction wltb armed force and bis stand saved the bridges and the warehouses The next crisis came after the surrender of Appomattox. A large body of paroled soldiers from Lee's army arrived in Danville.. Hungry and In rags, they became excited at the rumor that the warehouses contained con-tained the very things they needed and they were urged on by people from the surrounding country who hoped to share in the loot No sooner soon-er had he broken up this mob than some Federal "bummers" appeared. Should they enter. It was likely they would release the Federal prisoners pris-oners who were clamoring for their freedom aiid whose temper was an uncertain qnantlty after the prlva tioni they had endured. If they got out of hand, Danville would be In the power of a mob whose excesses ex-cesses would know no limits. So when the train bearing the "bummers" "bum-mers" rolled Into town it was met by a group of armed. men whose determined de-termined attitude soon sent them on their way. - V. ; The jext day the advance guard of. the Federal troops appeared and Colonel Withers was happy to turn over to the Union commander the responsibility for keeping order after the prisoners were released. So Danville remembers the name of Robert E. Withers, whose determln atlon and courage saved It from 'he perils of peace which were greater than the perils of war. . ' '. Justice After 24 Years THE second battle of Hull Run In the (Mvll war had been fought and again . the Union forces had been' defeated. The news Stunned the North, especially since the name "Bull Run: was one which rankled In Its mind after the Ignominious affair af-fair of July 21. 1861. Rumors of disloyalty and of sympathy with the Southern cause among .certain officers of the Union army had been frequent before the battle, and after aft-er It was all over the public wanted want-ed a scapegoat. Gen. John Pope, commander of the Culon forces., who had been "outsmarted" "out-smarted" by Stonewall Jackson and who had fought a battle of blunders, blun-ders, was ready to furnish such a scapegoat. He had given MaJ. Gen. Fits-John Porter certain orders which, as the battle developed, were Impossible tc obey minutely. So in his report Pope shouldered the blame for the defeat off on to Por- ter. Up to this Mme Porter's record had been a brilliant - one. But It could not save him from being made the: victim of- the second defeat at Manassas. . ,, - , In November, 18G2. he was court-martialed court-martialed at Washington and tn a trial the result of which was a foregone fore-gone conclusion, was found guilty of the charges, disobedience to or- i ders and cowardice In the face of the enemy, "cashiered and forever J disqualified from holding any office of trust or profit under the govern-meat." govern-meat." ' .-.- . But Porter had proved himself a fighting man on the battlefield and a fighting man he intended to yon tlnue being. For years he. made repeated efforts to have his case" reopened, re-opened, but his appeals fell upon deaf ears. Grant while President, refused to Intercede, and It was not until access was had to Confederate records of the battle that new light was thrown upon the case. A military board under President Hayes acquitted Porter of all fault except unwise criticism of his su perior. In May, 1882. President Arthur, Ar-thur, remitted the sentence but ve toed a Dill providing for the payment pay-ment of back salary. Finally In 1886 a bill was passed by congress and signed by .'resident Cleveland making mak-ing Porter a colonel of Infantry In the regular army, to rank from May 14, 1801, and placing him on the retired., re-tired., list After holding various civil offices in New Sork, Porter died In May. 15)01, and for a brief moment mo-ment America. recalled the hero of a 24-year fight for justice. (. llil WMWtB NewsnaMr liolon.) |