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AMPLY I \ SC RED
SHIP BY TRUCK
30
He Brought His
Master Back
By .1. it.
WHENEVER the memory of
tho-e hernfs of ill»* sixties, who
were “first al Bethel and last
al Apjiomatlox" is honored, the story
of how Georg** Mills, a I6-year-old
slave, drove day and night to bring
the body of his young master, (-apt.
Watt Bryson, from a Maryland bat¬
tlefield back to the "big bouse" near
Hendersonville will he retold.
George Mills told it himself for
the last time in 192') 62 years after
Captain Bryson was killed — when he
stood before the casket which had
been disinterred for removal to an¬
other location to make room for t lu-
new Methodist Church at Hender¬
sonville. lie died soon afterwards,
and was buried only a stone’s throw
from his "Massa."
" Bring him back to us." the old
missus shouted to the grinning Ne¬
gro lad who proudly Imre the gay
captain's luggage, as they started off
for the war together.
"Ycssuin," George agreed hearti-
ily. and the captain waved reassur¬
ingly as he galloped off in a cloud of
dust.
Killed in Maryland
Together they went through the
cruel campaigns. Captain Bryson was
in charge of Co. G. 35th N. C. regi¬
ment. Then after a terrific conflict
on a Maryland battlefield in 1863,
the name of which was never defi¬
nitely ascertained. Captain Bryson
did not return to his tent. The com¬
pany was cut to pieces, and the terri¬
fied Negro lad could find none who
could tell him where the captain had
fallen.
Before the fighting had ended.
George crept over the shell-tom
ground in search of his master. He
wandered among the wounded and
dead until he eanie upon the captain
who had fallen in the thickest of t In¬
fighting, shattered by grape-shot, lie
was dead.
On his strong young shoulders, t In-
Negro carried the bloody body t" his
tent and found a country man wlm
agreed to make a rude wooden casket
in which to lay it. With funds found
in the luggage of the Captain. In-
hired a wagon and team, and drove
niCKMN
furiously to Fredericksburg. Va. Get¬
ting a change of horses, he pushed on
towards Hendersonville, driving
night and day with stops only to get
a piece of bread and to change teams.
Exhausted, he pulled into the grove
«if the "big house" several «lavs later.
Faithful to his pledge, he had
brought home his "Massa!"
Fully Authenticated
The late Charles French Toms.
Hendersonville attorney, heart! tin-
story from the lips of the Negro more
than once, and said it had been fully
authenticated. The aged Negro at¬
tended all North Carolina reunions
of Confederate veterans, and in his
later years drew a small pension
from the state. His descendants still
live in Henderson County, but the
inn . liatc Bryson family seems to
have disappeared.
Because tin- grave of Captain Bry¬
son was on space to be excavated for
the new Methodist Church, it ami
others were removed to new lots. The
removal was facilita1«-<l because «if
the fact that a steel casket had been
used. Since all of his immediate fam¬
ily had moved away and their ad¬
dresses were unknown. Thomas Shep¬
herd, of Hendersonville, son of (’apt.
•I. M. Shepherd, who had served with
Captain Bryson, provided a hand¬
some marker bearing the simple in¬
scription. "Kille«l during a Mary¬
land campaign in 1863."
Sentiment in State is
In Favor of Third Term
There is much discussion in news¬
papers and magazines tlu-se days rel¬
ative to the candidacy of President
Roosevelt for a thir«l term.
Here in North Carolina there has
1н-еп
some slight decrease in the
Presiilent's popularity. At the same
time, it must be admitt«-d that if he
.iffered himself as a candidate for a
third term, the state would vote for
him by a substantial majority.
The opinion of most political lead¬
ers in North Carolina appears to he
that Mr. Roosevelt will not be a
candidate.
