The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-02
WAR ITEMS,
THE ADVENTURES OF THREE pR1So-
NhRS.
humane treatment of Prisoners by Confed-
crates.
ARLINGTON. Lnlu 81 1871


ee numerous newspaper paragraphs. | have had Il
IL pleasure of conversing with Mr.. Doherty, your
rs gentleman, of very soldier-like bearing and mo
a progressing address-so intelligent, so franl
,e and so modest withal, in his narrative (Which h
permits me to repeat to you) as to leave to hi
auditor, by its straig htforwardness no hoo
T. wherein to hang doubt l think YOU will fin
= his story uncommonly interesting-certaipIv no
d the less so because veracious. Thus it was:
If About O'Clock on Sunday afternoon. inst 10 N.
: chances OF the field were beginning to turn apans
: tne feoeral troops, and the list bad their hand
Iuil, shell took off the foot of cor,roda of ~
d Doherty-his rear MANN Comnanv A NJ n
It Immediately proceeded to carry the poor fellow r.
the hospital, and had hardly done so whom tbf
uIugle souporo the retreat, and his regiment, with
Inc rest OF the troops, retiring rapdlv Iaov
ing him lar behind. He at once made dash for
his own freedom, and gained almost alone an omen
e ne'd, where party of Confederate troops under
capt. Barker, took him prisoner, and conducted
him to the hospital at Sudley Church. Hare he
lound DR.. Pugnet amputating the arm OF a private
OF the Seventy first, and assisted him To the hest of
ms ao,lty 10 me performance of various surgical
operations the whole afternoon. Twelve surgeons
were prisoners in the Church. and thev remained
there for the relief of the wouuded-nearly all OF
whom were Federals-all night. There were 9eG
wounded at this place. 70 being eyposed in tLo
open air Tor lack of Accommodation the rest in the
oacSSmlths shop, carpenters shop, and church
oh monday morning most Of the prisoner sur
re-
. CURED to give their parole but all declined ex
Gept Drs Pugnet, Swift, Winston Blackstone and
DeuFatn. These latter returned and resumed tbeir
duties in the hospital. During the absence of Tho
surgeons, twelve of the wounded died, Thirty-two
had died up to the time of Mr. Doherty's escane
Oh frioay night, about five minutes before 10
CLOCK; py precopcerted ARRANGEMENT, Capt. AL
len aud Messrs. Doherty and Waldorf-wbo had
from the first been allowed reasonable freedopo IF
movement-approached the guard at the black
M W Sn"p: must not forget to mention that
MIR. w abort was wounded in the arm and that
Capt. A lien had contrved to exchange hi, oaioon;
uniform LOT that of private, and that he succass
| July affected to be wounded also Rv sp orranro
ment with Rhode Island soldier, they were to he
| informed by signal when the guard should reach a
certain point on his beat.
Thus prepared, they approached the sentry, and
assuming the Character and tone of Confederate
officers, called out to him "half past 10 thereIu :
they having previously tanned that the susrd
was to be relieved at 10 O. clock The man. sus
! pectlng nothing, Immediately walked to the end or
ms peat TO look tor the relies at the signal
! was given by the Rhode Islander and the three
! prisoners leaping fence, noiseessy crossed n
little brook, and were quickly concealed in the
woods Mr.. Doherty believes that they were not
missed till roll-cal the next morning.
They pushed forward with all speed that niobt
and all OF the next morning. steering by the moon
until at " O'Clock on Saturday afternoon they
reached the house OF a Mr.. Macon. Here they re.
solved, at all risks, to stop and make Inquiries
BY Mrs. Macon, who alone was at home they
we're so closely catechised as to render their !
situation peculiarly uncomfortable. They pass |
ed for men OF the 4th Alabama regiment and
she showed that she was familiar with that
corps, by inquiring to the fate of two officers
named Grey. Doherty told her that one of them
had been killed. This she promptly denied from
the strength of other information which had reach
ed her, but her suspicious were removed BY the
explanation that "the GREY we mean was or |
vatc." The fugtives, however, SEEING that Mrs
macon was oy no means person of easy credulity
lost no time in relieving her Southern hospitality
Of their presence.
Near Leesburg, still passing for Aabamians.
they met man who was satisfied with their STOW
that they were picking blackberries, and had cot
separated from their regiment. He kindly In
formed them that they would find their comrades
at Balls Mill waiting for artillery. Near Milford
they met little boy and girl who directed them
for information, to the house of Mr.. Edwards
where they arrived at P, NJ. on Saturday.
Here also they perceived they were suspected
for horseman rode up, and after comforting with
Edwards departed hastily-when they slipped
away. As they were pressing with all speed to-
wards the Potomac, party of about ten horsemen
came suddenly upon them and ordered them to
halt; but as they had high fence on their right
enclosing cover of trees, they took no further no.
tice of the challenge to leap the fence th9
horsemen discharging their pistols at them and
take retnge among the trees. Some farmers of the
neighboThoOd, hearing the firing, were promptly
On the spot with their guns, and joining the horse
men, took down part of the fence and began a
search. Meantime the fugitives had cut down
branches from he trees, and with these and some
light brgsh-wnod, concealed themselves efactuaIly
Mr.. Doherty assures tho6 a. Tho troopers beat
the woods, the horse of one of them actually tired
slightly on his leg, as he lay in his hiding place.
After perhaps an hour and half of Intellectual
search, they abandoned the woods, and took to the
road, concluding that the prisoners had given
them the slip, and got off in that wav Before
going, however, they left a on guard, who
very soon lay down on log but a few feet from
his hidden foes. Doherty, almost exhausted, had
avaied himself of the occasion aud his coy con-
cealment, to take nap, and when he was reused
by the captain, who whispered that thew must be
moving, he had just dreamed that he was prisoner
again, and could not easily shake off the impress
sion.
Their guard still sleeping, and they might
easily have killed him with a six shooter, their
only arms, but forbOre from fear of bringing the
people down upon them. At AZ O'Clock Sunday
morning they reached the Potomac, here they found
a solitary horsemaD, who made sudden rush, no !
doubt to give the alarm, whereupOn they plunged
at once into the river, and partly by swimming,
partly by wading, reached Long Island II miles
from Washington. {
Mr. Doherty assures me-aud Captain Allen will,
/ believe, cordially endorse his statement-that
nothing could exceed the magnanimty of the Con-
federate officers towards their prisoners wounded
or unwounded. Not harsh word fell from them {
to mortiv or insult the men who had just struggled
with them. sword to sword, and bayonet to bayo-
net; but, on the contrary, they displayed a lively
solictude for their comfort. This Kindness was es.
pecialy conspicuous in the artillery and cavalry
officers. ,
Capt. Ball, who, whilst prisoner at Washington
had been guarded by detachment Of the list, was
assiduous in his hosptabe attentions. He aud his
men (who were not in The fight has been report.
ed) sent milk, eggs and brandy. A farmer in the
nelghborhood named Rickett was very kind. He |
and his wife sent the Federal wounded SOUP cruel
and young lamb. They feel especially grateful |
70 Captains White aud Patrick, and Col. Barker.
The latter said to them, "Take good of your-
selves, boys, and see that your wounded have what
they require"
General Beauregard rode up to the hospital, and {
gave particular orders that the enemy's wounded |
, nstIH ha tpgll ofFn dad
manly evidence of these gentlemen. No dying I
robbed FAIR PLAY
Statement from Col Miles.
This officer who figures so conspicuouslv in the +
late official reposts of Col. Richardson, publishes
in the Washington Star of last a
evening for the purpose he says of correcting "the
errors he (Col. Richardson) has committed" and s
adds in conclusion: /
Col. Richardson states a conversation with Lieu I
tenant Colonel Stevens, of bis command. | never :
saw Colonel Stevens, to my knowledge. | never 4
gave h M or any one, the order to deploy his col
umn; the order must have emanated from some one 8
eae, and hence my misfortune for on has impression
that was drunk, those not Immediately connected
with me rung it over the field, without inquiry or
lnvestig alton. This is all that proper for me to
say at this time, as have called for court to in
vestigate the whole transaction. Those who have
read Richardson's report will confer favor to G
compare this statement with 1.-THE discrepancies
are glazing, the errors by deductions apparent. 9
l.. 5. MILES,
Colonel I'd Infantry. I
From, the Cincinnati Gazette l
Cairo 10 be Attacked--I2, 900 Troops Have '
Crossed the Mississippi
An alusion was made in the New Albany LedGer t
of Friday to information which had been placed in t
its possession, to the effect that the railroads of
Western Tennessee bad been taken possession of bv
the authorities of Tennessee for the purpose of t
troops towards Cairo. The editor has 6
the intelligence which he believes to be entirely !
authentic, confirming that of Friday Twelve Z
thousand troops have already crossed the Misgissp-
pi to New Madrid, where they are to be Joined BY
others from Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, I
numbering in the aggregate fifty thousand men,
well supplied with artillery. These troops are to
make speedy attack on Cairo, now almost bare of
troops, in consequence of the expiration of the
terms of the three months volunteers, and it is
believed by them that the entire force of General 9
Prentss will be easily captured and the Thus q
to the Ohio River border and Missouri.
This intelligence from a that will not t
permit the editor to disregard it. t
PARTICULARS. I
The following despatch was sent to Gov. Morton, r
of Indiana s
New ALBANY, July 81. r
GOVERNOR q. P. MoRroN:-A gentleman of =
acquaintance and perfectly reliable, direct from
Tennessee, says an immediate attack Cairo is r
contemplated 1000 men left Union City yester- \
for New Madrid, the rendezvous. This is reliable.
Telegraph Governor Yates.
JEFF. c. DAVIS,
d. G. ANTHONY.
Mr.. Davis is the Adjutant- General of Indiana, {
and both are Of the Governors staff
Ordered to Harper's Ferry
Thot yrp Dan rlvap to-, plar |