REMINISCENCES OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES BY A BOY IN THE FAR SOUTH AT HOME AND IN THE RANKS OF THE CONFEDERATE MILITIA
By Joshua
Hoyet Frier II
Chapter 3
– Lewis Paine
It was in
the early part of the year 1862 that by chance I happened to meet the boy Doc
Powell, who afterwards became the man of unenviable fame; Lewis Paine, the
attempted assassin of Secretary Seward. I was the bearer of a message to his
father who lived at this time in Hamilton County Florida. I had become acquainted
with all the family, with the exception of him prior to my visit there. I had
heard of him as a very indolent, and worthless boy; the black sheep of the
flock, I had fancied him as a boy of my own size. His brother, Oliver and I
walked out to the barn to put away the horse I rode and found him asleep on the
barn floor. Oliver aroused him, and when he awakened he leered at us in a
manner I shall never forget, and after rubbing his eyes awhile, the boy that
was destined to figure so prominently in one of the most remarkable tragedies
in this, or any age, looked me square in the face for the first time. I thought
him one of the ugliest, and most repulsive looking boys I ever met; great
coarse hair and a dull stupid countenance, slow and awkward in movement. Such
was my first impression of the boy who as a man became the pliant tool of such
a scoundrel as J. Wilkes Booth. Later on in the evening when I got better
acquainted I found him remarkable good natured. We wandered around a lake that
evening and he pointed out his favorite fisherman stories which showed him to
be a sportsman of the first-water. Among them was one that was of peculiar
interest to me; he told me he had slipped off one Sunday morning with tackle
for some sport and caught the devil. He had a terrible fight to land him and
when he finally succeeded, he came near biting off one of his fingers and
walked right back into the water. I asked him how he farther identified the
“Old Man” when he told me Uncle Green, an old Negro on the place had told him
the character of his game. From the description he gave of it I have since been
able to make and alligator turtle out of it, one of the most vicious reptiles
that was ever created. This one accomplished a reform that the fear of the rod
never could; breaking a bad boy from fishing on Sunday. Before the evening was
over Dock and I were great friends; all his repulsiveness had vanished, and it
was with regret next morning that I parted with him. I exacted a promise from
him to visit me at my home, and gave him a similar one in return, neither one
of which was ever fulfilled. I never met him but once afterwards and that was
purely accidental as he shortly afterwards joined Capt. Stewart’s Company of
the 2 Fla. Regmt. And I never heard from him but once until his father got a
letter from him after Lincoln’s assassination. He father endeavored to go see
him in Washington, but lack of funds prevented it. The old man was the soul of
honor, no stain rested on any of his family with the single exception of this
boy, whose full name was Lewis Thornton Powell. The old man died a few years
ago in Orange County in this state; full of years and honor. It was circulated
some years after Paine was hanged that the Elder Powell said he had yielded up
his life in a good cause. This I am satisfied was an untruth; for while the
entire family proved loyal to the South, Lewis excepted, (he having joined the
United States Army at one time) they were to high toned and honorable to
countenance assassination in any form. His brother Oliver before mentioned died
or was killed early in the war. While the oldest brother George is still living
in this states. Such, dear reader, was my acquaintance with the man who for a
given price attempted to take the life of Secretary Seward, and thereby coupled
his name to one of the most atrocious crimes of modern times. While Paine’s
execution was deplored by his family, and their sympathetic friends it was
generally acknowledged to be just as such penalties ever is. Of one thing, I
and everyone is satisfied, that he knew anything of him; it is this; that he
was incapable of conceiving or aiding in the origination of such a fiendish
plot as this. And in acting his part he was simply clay in the molder’s hands,
it was his nature to be easily influenced for either good or evil, and persons
who knew him well said, that any move or enterprise that had the element of
danger in it, had a fascination for him that he was unable to resist. It was
said of his family that the fear of man was something they knew nothing of.
Still, they were peaceable in manners, and courteous to all, and a more law
abiding citizen, or better neighbor than his father never lived.
(Pgs. 13-18)
No comments:
Post a Comment