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I pronounce utterly false and Mr. Cofer knew it to be false when he had it penned. I never, either directly or indirectly, by word or letter censured Mr. Cofer for his loyalty to his government and he knew he was asserting what was false when he intimated, that he was being "persecuted by the civil authorities for his loyalty" at least so for as the change would in any wise attach to myself.
But that you may fully understand the position I occupy towards Mr. Cofer, I will briefly state - that, I am and was, a practicing lawyer, during the late war, a part of the time, I was a commissioned officer in the Army of the Confederate States of America: after that resigned my commission and resumed my practice, Mr. Cofer was arrested by the conscript officer of Montgomery County and was confined, in the guardhousing at Dublin and Wytheville and as I understood, was charged with certain [[strikethrough]] certain [[/strikethrough]]offenses that would, if proven rendered him liable to capitol punishment, under the laws of the Confederate States.