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.
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