Percy Johns

“ The City of Vicksburg was completely and entirely encompassed by Grant's Army, yet this man alone, Lamar Fontain, in the exercise of an initiative, which characterized the wonderful resources of a wonderful personality, and in obeyance to a restless, dare-devil spirit of adventure, came through those unbroken lines in safety, bringing on his person, and delivering at Chevy Chase, to anxious ones, a "War Treasure", in the nature of letters from loved ones on the firing lines. ”

“ Athirst, ahungered, foot-sore and weary, this manly and considerate soldier-boy, from a fear of causing loved and loving ones at a home that held for him every joy of mind and comfort of body, for which both so long had yearned. It is a picture of self-imposed deprivation in the midst of plenty, worthy the true artist. ”

“ Up to that time, no Federal soldiers had appeared at Chevy Chase, but from the accounts of the raids, and foraging expeditions, the youthful mind pictured them as some deformed human creatures, possibly with "horns on their head", gathering up and taking away, without the consent of the owner, everything of value within their reach. ”

“ As has been said, Vicksburg was only thirty-five miles distant. The three boys were attached to the Artillery Service. In the quiet of a Summer's afternoon, during the siege, we could hear daily, the distant cannon's roar; and frequently the intensity of the cannonading would jar the windows of the old home into a simultaneous vibratory noise - an ominous message from loved ones at the front! I vividly remember just such trying condition, one afternoon, attracting the attention of the neighborhood minister, Mr. Whitfield, who had called to talk over war-news. ”

“ At the beginning of the Civil War, the older group consisted of three stalwart young men. The writer is the youngest of the younger set of boys, and it is my endeavor to record in narrative, as best as I can, the memory of my boyhood at dear old Chevy Chase in "War Times".
Chevy Chase had long been a veritable Mecca -- especially during the summer months -- for friends and relatives of the family, who would flee from the heat and dust, and the maddening crowd of City life, and often as refugees from Yellow Fever in Jackson, Vicksburg and other places. ”

“ Later on, during the War, when the South was invaded by the Northern Army, we younger boys were often kept busy hiding valuable stock, horses and cattle on the place, and even the poultry, by driving it into some out-of-the-way woodland, in safe keeping from the repeated foraging raids of the Northern army. ”

“ It was an experience revealing a wonderful self-control and self-imposed deprivation under the most tempting conditions, inspired by a loving consideration for others.
The Confederate Army had been paroled and the three brothers, inviting a comrade, who had no home of his own, to accompany them, started out on foot from Vicksburg the day previous to tram it to their old home at Chevy Chase. They had crossed Big Black River the previous afternoon and rested during the night. Early morning the four had started out all together, eager for their goal ”

“ If living and well, whether or not they would be imprisoned in the North indefinitely or paroled and sent home, the latter possibility affording the one sustaining hope, which proved eventually to be a most happy reality. ”