New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-04
A PIECE OF PICKET wORK.
From Our Special Correspondent.

ALExAspRA, July i, 1901.
Our soldiers have been In the habit Of declaring that
there was 4" no life anywhere excepting picket
duty" Within few days, however, Ticke, duty seems
10 have ofsredtNnger chances Of death, at least
captivity. The Virginians have developed their
present plan. II is 20 be 9 war on picket guards.
Fifty One is the esus proportonin IN which they make
their attacks. In moments Of unugnAl courage thsy
fall upon straggien when numbering only ten 70 our
one and there s case on record when three Of their
scouts armed ,o ,he eyeds surprised two Of ours, un-
armed and took possession of them On thai occasion
our couple forgot snap their fingers or whistle simple
demonstrations which, ingeniousy applied usually pot
vrginians TO instant fight, unless they backed by
great numbers. Fifty TO One 10 their ordinary game
The faculty Of detecting solitary men, and surrounding
them by vast bodies 10 the most remarkable that ts
Rebels have yet displayed. TIE ruse Of employing
their attractive women 10 entice officers outside our
lines, and TO get them in positions where resistance
svals nothing, is old one. The Virginians eannos
claim it "a exclusively ,he Other barbarous people
have practced il in various ages. But the great prn-
epG Of Fifty TO One ia pure invention Of their own.
Let them enjoy it. Virginia k no. generally ready
with inventions and nobody WI seek to rob her Of
this one.
10
o. they have begun, the plan win need little judi
cious application. II such men az Private hurpay,
OF Lieut. Tompkass Company, are often setuPon, One
Hundred 10 One will have be the rule. To te SIRE,
Fifty to One captured Murphy, but be was taken
at a wofu disadvantage. Had he been on horseback,
seriously believe they never would have kept him.
He was on picket duty near Clouds hill-ths seene
Of more brisk incidents than any other single spot,
thus lAr-snd had len his horse q moment, not sns-
pecting that any enemy was near. While at a little
distance from the road, he found himself suddenly
surrounded by a troop Of horSemeD some Of whom dis
mounted to seize him. Murphy sprung of in the drec-
ton Of his horse, making his saber whrl around him
as be ran and scattering his ATLANTIS right and left
from bis pah. The poor Virginians had relied upon
their plan Of overwhelming numbers for an easy cap
ture. Opposition altogether out Of their reckon
ing, and for minute they hardly knew how 20 meet
il. Somebody among them thought Of pistols. After
the first shot everybody it might do, and shower
of bullets fell forthwith around Murphy. He did not
answer in the same way, but trusted rather to his
saber with which he was making good progress, when
ne discovered that bis horse had been removed. 1h,
though dshesrteniDg, did not prevent him from coz
tnuing the 6ght until exhaused By the unequal strug-
gle. At lsugth be was dsarnsd Of his saber, and
bound then hustled W horse, and strapped upon the
pummel Of the saddle In front Of Of the most
eular Of the party. The few minutes Of rest which
thsoporaton afforded seemed 10 revive him. for just
hs vciors Leading bin away ia triumph, be drew
aide knife, away his fastenings, and, dropping 70
tue groand scampered for the woods at ais best speed
Bat neither courage s,ratsgem could help him ths
time. He was Immediately surrounded again, and all
bi. wsapons were demanded. To this he replied by
shooting man OF two, aud then Gingng bis revolver
far away among the brushwood where the Rebels
woald not have time TO search for It, At least they
should not benefit by has revolver But it was useless
to try 10 save himself any longer he quietly gave in
and was led away Offering no further resistance.
Fifty to One tIumphed that time, and were very
vainglorous their exploit according to the Union
unen Of tho villages through which they passed on their
horle " ard march, They freely spoke Of Murphy's
splendid conduct not mach out of praise for hin as
10 exat tier own vgor and endurance IN vanqushng
him. Where is our Cross of Valorl" Are We 50
have no tokens for our brsyest menf We should all
be glad to see proper mark Of recognition upon Mur-
pby's breast when be returns 70 US, and upon some
other bold fellows who have already finely distinguished
themselves. 1t would DO impossible 10 overestimate
the moral effect of such a testimonial. French
soldier would die for bit OF RIBBON providsdshat rib
bon testified the approval Of his country, and an En-
gsh soldier would not sell his Cross for twenty lives,
ii be had them. We could not take 10 ourselves
better example.