Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-11

direction Of Mr. Stogdon, along the lateral
gorge towards the place where the confed
crate robber had disappeared between the
projecting lodges Of rock At a point oppo-
site the supposed cave they dismounted, and
secured their horses among the bushes be-
gan to climb up the steep ACTIVITY. In
few moments, arriving BY different routes,
the men and dogs were all assembled at the
designated point.
The evidences ofhuman inhabitancy were
unmistakable. The ground Immediately in
front Of the rocks was trodden and hard
Worn paths branched off in several direc-
tons from the spot. The entrance, mar
row passage between the two projecting
rocks, ran inwardly aud the avenue, ex-
cept for few feet at the opening, was dark
and entirely impenetrable to the eye It led
evidently into cave or subterranean shell
ter Of some sort, which tie company prepa-
red at once to explore.
Dry branches Of trees ard dead under
growth were gathered, tied into bundles,
lighted with fire kindled by flint and finder.
With these for torches, six Of the more reso-
Lutte men entered the opening between the
rocks, with the view of exploring the inte-
rior to which it led. The passage was so
narrow that only two could walk ABREAST
TWo men in front bore torches, as did the
two in the rear. The middle couple carried
musket heavily charged.
AS they advanced the passage rapidly
widened, and the roof sprang up to great
hight overhead. They had gone. about
twenty PAGES from the entrance when a
blaze Of light, accompanied by the almost
simultaneous report of firearms, flashed forth
from distant, interior point of the cave
The two men in front fell to the earth. =
EDischarging their muskets in the direction
of the fash, the others retreated from the
cave, dragging their fallen companions af-
ter them, one of whom was seriously woun-
Eded and the other entirely dead
Enraged at The spectacle Of blood, the be-
siegers began more resolutely the work of
assault upon the cave, for such it was now
ascertained to be, and of considerable di-
mensions, TOO. An effort was made to in
duce the dogs to enter. The more reso-
lutte advanced few PAGES, and then ran
back in apparent alarm. The majority stood
at the entrance and barked, but could not
| be enticed, by words or blows, to so fur
I Their.
Another expedient was tried. A large
tree was cut down and riven into bolts of
considerable length and thickness. A dou-
bic row Of these timbers were placed up
right across the entrance passage, some
twenty feet from the opening, and securely
| wedged and braced, so as to form a power
full barricade or wall. The powder In all
the horns and TASKS, except few rounds
reserved in each, was poured in a pile on
THE ground near to the upright timbers. -
Another barricade, similar to the inner one,
was constructed in front and close to the
powder, train being first laid from the
pile, through notch in the timbers, to the
outer edge Of the barricade A line of dry
leaves was formed, extending from the pow
der several feet outside the entrance s:t.
The crowd having retired to safe dis
tance, or hid behind trees and rocks, the
train Of leaves was fired by man who
quickly gained the shelter Of large tree
close by the cave. I'm few moments a
terrific explosion fairly shook the mountain
and filed the air with sui phurous vapor.-
A stiff breeze, blowing directly into the
mouth Of the cave, soon dissipated the
smoke, when It was found that the barri-
cades had been thrown down by. the con-
cussion, but the sides and roofs Of the cave
remained pnharmed. ~
Night was coming on a detachment Of
the men was sent back to the settlement for
provisions and such materials as would be
needed in the execution OF the next plan of
assault which it was decided to- pursue ~
The restremained as guard over the now
imprisoned robbers. Building large fire
near the entrance Of the cave, they watched
and slept by turns until morning
: At daylight the recruiting party returned
bringing more men, provisions for man and
horse, and materials for the further prose
cution Of the assault upon the cave.
After eating q hasty meal and feeding
their horses, the assailants collected a large
quantity Of wood, green and dry, and then,
beginning as far inwardly in the entrance
to the cave as they could venture to 60,
they piled it up in successive layers, inter-
spersing dried tobacco stalks and leaves
and sulphur in great abundance, among the
wood until small space only was left be-
tween the top Of the pile and the roof Of the
passage. The outer end Of the heap was
then set on fire. A strong wind, still blow
ing directly into the mouth Of the cave,
spread the flames rapidly through the pile,
and drove the smoke, III a dense column,
into the cave, the narrow avenue between
the wood and the roof serving as fue to
conduct it to the interior.
No voice or sound came from the cave, or
if any was uttered, it was lost in the roar
of the fire, which blazed and cracked and
famed in the narrow passage until it glow
ed and shot forth sparkles and smoke like
the crater Of volcano during an eruption.
For several hours the fire ragged with una
bated violence, fresh fuel being constantly
supplied from the adjacent wood The
smoke, having filled the cave, streamed out
in dense masses and aoated off in the drec-
ton of the wind to the upper heights of the
mountain. ~
AT length tho fire was permitted TO burn
down. 4 stream Of water issuing close by
from the side Of the mountain furnished the
ready means fer cooling the rocks and ez-
tinguishing the smoufdering embers. But
il was hot until late hour in the evening
that the smoke had escaped from the cave
sufficiently to permit an entrance to be