Two Renegades (Henry)
from the Collection «Roads of Destiny»
Barnard O'Keefe, a Northerner, found himself in the Gate City of the South, where he was dragged from the ranks of the Confederate Veterans by a friend who questioned his presence among the Southern warriors. O'Keefe explained that he was showing gratitude to the Confederate government for saving his life when the United States had failed to protect him.
O'Keefe had gone to Panama during the conflict over the canal and fell ill with Chagres fever. He was treated by a fiercely pro-Confederate doctor named Millikin, who managed to cure him.
Later, O'Keefe joined the Panamanian insurgents and was captured by Colombian troops, who sentenced him to death. The United States consul refused to help, so O'Keefe turned to Dr. Millikin for assistance.
I’m an American citizen and I demand protection. I demand the Mosquito fleet, and Schley, and the Atlantic squadron, and Bob Evans, and General E. Byrd Grubb, and two or three protocols.
Dr. Millikin made O'Keefe swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America and promised that the long-defunct government would help him. Surprisingly, O'Keefe was released from prison just days before his execution, and Dr. Millikin revealed that he had secretly negotiated his release by bribing Colombian officials with $12,000 in Confederate money. O'Keefe expressed his gratitude and pledged to support the Confederacy, while Dr. Millikin considered learning "Yankee Doodle" on his flute as a gesture of goodwill.