Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-06-28
Thrilling Incident before the Fight mt
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From the st. Adams (vt) Messenger
The following occurs in II letter from Adiu
tan: Stephens of the LIST Vermont regiment.
The incident took place nine miles from For
ress Monroe, on the march of the troops to
Bethel -
Just as we halted to start to the rear on
hearing firing, resell sconndrel cIme out OF a
house and &, llt, rately fired his gun at us.
The ball passed 80 close 10 Inc that l heard it
whiz-on its way going through the coat and
pants and just grazing the skin of Orderly Ser
geant Sweet III the Woodstock company. The
rascal was secured and is prisoner and
what was done by way Of stern entertainment
to one of the +. +. VS. you will hear If | ever
live to return. then, as the firing to the rear
had ceased, with revolver in hand accompa.
MED by Filter, approached the fellows house,
having some expectation of an ounce of lead
being deposited in my tall body without ask
ing my permission. BY this time all our
troops were out of sight in the woods, by
turn in the road, and l was alone with Filter,
when some negroes came from the house,
having less fear of two men than of two thou.
sand. On inquiry the slaves told me that
Adjutant Whiting, whom we had just taken
prisoner, was the owner, that he belonged to
the secession army, and that no white folks
were in the house, all having left. Without
the ceremony OF ringing, | entered and sur
veyed the premises, and found most elegant
ly furnished house, took hasty survey in
search of arms, but finding none, left the
house and started to overtake our column.
On reaching bend in the road, | took sur,
vey in the rear, to "see hat | might see,"
and discovered a single soldier coming to-
wards me, and waited for him 10 come up
found it was Clark, of the Bradford company.
Before he reached me | observed a horseman
coming at full speed towards me- On reach
ing the house he turned in, which induced me
to think him a secessonist | ordered
Clark 10 cover him with his rifle and revolver
in hand ordered him to dlsinount and surren.
der. He cried out, "who are you 2" answer,
"VermontP "Then raise your piece, Yer
mont; | am Col. Duryea of the Zouaves;"
and so it was. His gay-looking red boys just
appeared turning the corner of The road coming
toward us. He asked me the cause of the
firing in the rear, and whose premises we
were on. | told him he knew the first as well
as did, but as to the last could give tull in.
formation; that the house belonged TO one
Adjutant Whiting, who, just before, had sent
bullet whizzing by me and shot one of my
boys, and that my greatest pleasure would be
to burn the rascaPs house in payment. "Your
wish will be gratitied at once" said the col.
onel 81 am ordered by G neral Butler to
burn every house whose occupant or own
er fires upon our troops. Burn it," He
leaped from his horse, and | upon the
steps, and by that time three Zouaves
were with me. l ordered them to try the
door with the butts OF their guns-down went
the door and in went we. A well packed trav~
cling bag lay upon a mahogany table. / tore
it open with the hopes of finding a revolver,
but did not The first thing | took out was
g.. Il
Col. Duryea put lighted match to it. Other
clothing was added to the pile and soon we
had Il rousing fire. Before leaving went into
the large parlor in the right wing of the house.
1t was perfectly splendid. A large room with
tapestry carpet, nice piano, a fine library OF
miscellaneous books, rich Sofas elegant chairs
with superior needlework wrought bottoms,
whalnOts in the corners, loaded with articles
of luxury, taste, and refinement, and upon
mahogany center table lay Bible ard lady's
portrait. The last two articles l took, and
have them now in my possession. | also took
decanter of most excellent old brandy from
the sdeboard, and left the burning house BY
this time the Zouave regiment had come up. |
Joined Them and in short time came up with
our rear guard, and saw a sight, the like of
which | wish never to see again, viz
nine Of Colonel Townsends Albany reg
iment stretched on the floor of II house,
where they had just been carried, and
eight of them MORALLY wounded by our own
men. Oh the sight was dreadful | cried
like boy, and so did many others. l imme-
diately thought of my decanter of brandy,
took a tin cup from a soldier and poured into
it my brandy, and flied it 1.-THE cup) with wa
ter from a canteen, and from one poor boy to
another l passed and poured into their pale
and Quivering lips the invigorating fluid and
with my hand wiped the sweat-drops of death
from their foreheads. Oh how grateful the
poor fellows looked at me, as they saw, by my
uniform, that the usually stern officer and
commander had become to them the nd and
tenderhearted woman, by doing tor them
woman's holy duty. One stroug fellow,
wounded in the head and bloody as a butch.
er's floor, soon rallied, and was able to con-
verse with me. asked him if ls. knew The
poor fellows around him. He said yes, and
pointing to one he said :--"rhat man stood
by my side-he was my second mani saw
his gun fly out of his hands, being struck by
grape shot, and a moment after we both lunl-
bled TO the ground together" Invent out and
picked up Enfield rifle, nearly cut in two
by ball. said he, chat is his gun" | saw
its owner die, and brought the gun with me
back to my camp, and have it in my possess
sion