The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

Daring Capture of Two Federal Generals,

- es -

The Richmond Enquirer gives the following ac-
count of the capture of Generals Crook and Kelly
at Cumberland, in Maryland, by Lieut. M'Neill
and 30 Confederate .troopers :—" The Confederate
party crossed the Potomac in front of the town at a
late hour on the night of the event, and capturing
the only sentinel to be seen, induced him to divulge
the countersign. The main body of the detachment
was then posted in a convenient position, and the
lieutenant commanding, with several of his men,
boldly rode into the town, which was garrisoned by
over 400 Union troops. The head-quarters of
General Crook were at one hotel, and those of
Kelly at another, and, their locations being duly
made known by the captured sentinel, the daring
partisans made their way to those of the former,
arriving just in front of which the lieutenant
halted, and inquired of the sentinel if the General
was in. Receiving an affirmative reply, he said he
had important despatches to him, and dismounting,
followed by his men, advanced to the sentinel, gave
the countersign, and passed in. Upon entering the
hotel, the squad was received by an old negro
woman, who, it appears, was the " night clerk" of
the establishment, and upon making known their
desire to be conducted to the room of General
Crook, the old domestic looked at them with a
kind of humorous suspicion, and remarked, Well,
you all is de strangest soldiers, I declar—you—
you—you must take de light ye'selves, and go fast;
I'll pint de room out to you. I won't carry you
dar, though, no how.' It did not make any differ-
ence to our bold cavaliers which method the
old woman preferred; they took the light and the
lead, and, in a moment or two, were in front of the
door, where the old woman hastily left them. After
several responses from within, entrance was ob-
tained. "Is this General Crook?" asked the Lieu-
tenant, holding the light to give full view of the
General, as he drowsily looked at them from his bed.
Yes ; what do you want ?" was the reply. ' I,' said
the Lieutenant, am General Rosser,' and, drawing
a pistol, and presenting it, added, ' I have some very
important business with you, General Crook, and
will give you precisely two minutes to get up and put
on your clothes.' The bewildered General did not
know how to reply, and did not dare to resist. He
saw at a glance that it would be as useless as danger-
ous to attempt escape by raising an alarm, and he
did not stop to solve the mystery of so unexpected
a call. He obeyed at once, and a gentle suggestion
of the propriety of keeping quiet being whispered in
his ear, he passed out with his escort as mute as a
mummy. On their egress, the party persuaded the
sentinel on duty to follow them, by inducements
similar to those submitted to the general, and, mak-
ing their prisoners mount behind them, rode back to
the main body. In the meantime a second detach-
ment rode up to the quarters of Gen. Kelly, when a
similar scene occurred, and that officer was, in due
time, under guard. But the party was not content.
Ascertaining the quarters of the adjutant-general,
they gave him a call, and found him in bed with his
wife. This capping the climax of the night's sport, the
rendezvous was regained, and, with their prisoners
riding behind them, the command recrossed the river,
and sped away through Hampshire. By some means
the affair was discovered soon after they left, and a
whole regiment pursued them to no purpose for 50
miles. Upon being presented to General Early at
his head-quarters in the Valley, the prisoners were
received with the homely but no doubt acceptable
greeting, Take seats, gentlemen, I presume you
are tired after your ride ; ' and then added the hero
of brilliant victories and stunning defeats, with an
intensification of that fine-tooth comb peculiarity
of his enunciation, I expect some enterprising
Yankee will be stealing off with me in the same way
one of these days."