From the Richmond Whig, 7/29/1864, p. 2, c. 4

DENIED. - The statement made by us in Wednesday's paper, that I . [J. -ed] Newton Vanlew had voluntarily gone to the Yankees, is denied by his friends. We are informed by Mr. Elijah Warren, who is Mr. Vanlew's agent here, that Mr. V. being, about the 1st of June last, on a visit at the house of a friend in Hanover, was captured and carried off by a Yankee raiding party. Since this event none of his friends have heard anything from him by letter or otherwise.

We shall only add here what the Chief of the Confederate Police says. He says: "Vanlew rode out from his friends in Hanover with a nigger in a buggy. The nigger and the buggy came back, but Vanlew didn't. - It is d-d strange if the Yankee raiders took Vanlew that they didn't take the nigger and buggy, too." From the same authority we learn that Vanlew is certainly at Bermuda Hundred.

Since the above was written, we have received the following:

To the Editor of the Whig:

In your paper of the 28th instant, I read under the head of "Gone to the Yankees," a misrepresentation of the whole matter. The facts of the case are these" Mr. Vanlew came to my house in Henrico county, on Friday, the day previous to Gen. Lee's army, and remained with me and my brother in law, Mr. P. R. Norment, who was doing conscript duty, and cut off from his family, who were at his farm, Studley, in Hanover, within the Yankee lines. Towards the close of the week, when our scouts came in and reported the way clear, to Mr. Norment, who of course was all anxiety about his family, he determined to go home and see what damage had been done his family and property, and Mr. Vanlew, who had formed quite an attachment to him, remarked he would go down with him, as the way was clear, and see how he fared; and both started off together. Mr. Vanlew gave out some linen to wash to my servant, remarking at the time he would be back on Saturday, and compensate her if she would do them up nicely. He attempted to come back to my house on Saturday, as my brother-in-law will testify to; but during his trip it is conjectured that the Yankee cavalry captured him, as there was a heavy cavalry force that came up to our breastworks the same day, and travelled the same road.

HENRY CLAY WINGFIELD.

Enquirer and Dispatch will please copy.

• Prev
• Next