MAURY COUNTY, TN - LETTERS - Henry Rutgers Mizner to R. E. Andrews ----¤¤¤---- 61 Pitcher Street Detroit, Mich. November 14th, 1905 Mr. R. E. Andrews, My Dear Friend, I thank you very much for the kind expressions contained in your favor of the 10th Inst. You can form but a faint idea of the terrible time through which I passed in saving your Father's life. One afternoon two Irishmen, who had been drinking, got your father down upon the floor of the Sutler's store, and were beating him when he pulled a 4 inch colt, killed one and wounded the other. This was promptly reported to me and I hastened to the scene. I found the citizens sympathizing with the soldiers and encouraging to violence. I went at once to the family who were in greatest distress, your noble sister Sallie throwing her arms about me, and imploring me to save her Father's life. I can never forget it. It will be 40 years in January. I threw a guard around your house, a three story brick, just outside the Court House Square upon the road to Pulaski. About 8 in the evening I became satisfied that my men would attack your home and I went at once to the family, where I found four or five of my officers. I had not been in the house to exceed five minutes, when the front door was burst open and in came two hundred men armed with revolvers, and wild with rage. I sprang upon the leaders and struggled with them up two flights of stairs before I succeeded in stopping them. I was unarmed. Arms would have done me no good. I depended upon the power of my language and my influence over them. While on the second floor a shot was fired striking the casing of the door near me and undoubtedly intended for me. Had I been killed nothing could have saved your Father's life and the building would have been gutted. No one on earth could have controlled my men but me. They did not expect to find me in the building. Thirty minutes later, on a bright moonlight night I walked across the square with your father and my small group of officers and placed him in the jail. My men were upon the walk but did not interfere with me. The next morning with a mounted, armed escort I got him safely to the depot and to Nashville. ************************************************************* s/ Henry R. Mizner Brigadier General U. S. Army ___________________ Note: The "will be 40 years in Jan." comment is not accurate as the military record of Brigadier General (then Colonel) MIZNER shows him stationed in Columbia, TN in late 1863 and 1864 before his Regiment (14th MI Vol Inf) left the area for the Atlanta campaign and never returned to TN thereafter. This incident had to take place in Jan 1864. HH ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Hugh HFTHusma@aol.com ___________________________________________________________________