, 1862-05-24
Retafi Of Sergeant Raw0rth.
HIS RICHMOND CAPTIVITY.
suFflRlAas Of uAloN PR.suklRs:
! - =:
Interesting Narrative efhIs captures

We had the pleasure Of an Interview yester- =
law with E. n. Raworth, Esq, brpthEr-fn-1aW |: I
# e1:A1dezznan Ward Of this city, and Ser i
,eant Major In BevesidGe's battalion OF the t
III Illinois Cavalry. Sergeant Raworth wasl !
aken p.dsonex BY the rebels on tbs Eth Of
darch 1ast, near the Rappahaunock river, and
cturned home yesterday upon parole. - !
In relation to the manner Of his capture, be
ays, that on the morning Of the day alluded
o above, the regiment was falling back from :
he Rappahaunock after brisk engagement, /
esu1ting in driving the rebels across the river.
It that time Capt. Medill Was in command Of
he rear guard, and AdJutaut Il. G. Lumbard
of this city, brother Of Frank and Jules G.
Lumbard,) commanding 3 squad Of five, Of
which RaWoEth Was member. This squad f.
vas detached from the regiment IN search Of I
Capt. Fsrna1n, who had been left behind in
The advance Of The previous day sick at Q house
near The line Of march. Following aleng in
the rear Of the regiment, at distance ofa
mile or 80. they reached house where Capt,
Farnam had slept the night before.
As their horses had not been fed for twenty
four hours, they stationed the three priyates
outside as guard, provided their horses with
fodder and themselves {RaWorth and Lum-
bard) with lunch, to which they sat down az
royalty as kings. While engaged In discuss
ing the viauds, Raworth egpled, through the
window company Of cavalry about half 3
mile distant, coming toward the house. He
directed the attention Of Adjutant Lumbard
to it. The latter thought the company be-
longed to their regiment, but Rawerth OBJ
serving white horses In the troop knew they
were rebels as there were no horses Of that
color in their reg iment- 4
The alarm Was at once sounded, but before
they could slip the brides upon their horses
and mount them, the rebels we're close upon
them and fred voley, wounding H. Krober
Of Dearborn, McHenry county, Ill, In the
thigh and hand. They returned the fire with |
their carbines, dlsmountlng two OF the rebels. |
By this time the latter we're close upon them !
and took prisoners the three prfvates, A. |
Krober, Tobias LeClare and William Wilson, |
all from MeHcnry county. Raworth and
Lumbard put spurs to their horses and DASH
ed like lightning across the open fields,
through woods, into rayines and scross
bitches, the rebels pouring In To1ley after vol
ley as they hurried after them in hot
pursuit. The chase Was an exciting one,
the bullets whist1ing By their ears
Ike hai}stones. At Last our two heroes met
an unforeseen obstruction in the shspe Of q
high fence, which they could not get over.
They wheeled their horses around, facing the
| enemy, and gave them the contents of their
carbi1es. By this time their pursuers were
upon them, and took them prisoners. They
were obliged to dismount and we're disarmed.
! Col Lee, son Of Gen Lee, Was in command
| of the rebel troops. He came up In an inso-
! lent, staggering manner, subjected them to
every insult and inaignity he could offer, ad-
dressing them BY the title Of s* damned Yankee
cutthroats,'' and placing cooked pistol 1t
| their heads, threatened to blow their brains
out it they did not inform him where their
regiment WIS. They told him they were ig-
norant Of its whereabouts, but if he would
follow them mp. they would speak for them
selves. The same threats were made to Lum-
bard, and the Same answer in effect returned.
They were then taken across the Rappahan-
mock, and brought into the presence of Gen.
Stewart, who directed them to be Immedi.
ate:y taken to Richmond, with twenty three
other prisoners. They were packed like brutee
days, except some hard biscuits, fortunately
. remaining in their hayersacks, and were sub
jected to every possible indignity by the Vul
gar rabble who assembled In immense nun
bers at every station, and amused themselve
By heaping insults upon the prisoners. Nea'
Richmond they were severely cross-examinet
By Provost Marshal IS to the whereabogt
: of the Federal army, its condition and It's ia
/, tentions. Their replies were not Of natur
y to greatly encourage the rebela, or afford then
n any grounds for 1nordinate rejoicing; po
h contra, if the rebels believed all that Was to1
II them, they must have slept uneasi1y TIN
rs night.
.. Arrived ut Richmond, the privates we1
ii separated from the officers, and all wcre COL
ta fined in bacon warehouse. Raworth an
he Lurnbard were placed In tho secozd stor
IN with fifty other officers, among them Colonel
"A Corcoran and Wilcox. In the stories aboV
4. them eight hundred priyates were huddled tc
gether in the most destitute and filthy mau
ner conceivable, and all suffering from 8 1ac
10 Of proper food and the appliances of cleanl
ID ness. But Notwithstanding their harsh an
re cruel treatment and scanty fare, the spirit {
ne freedom in them was unquenched. The
et only c1ung the stronger to Unionism and vel
ns more determined than ever to promote th
Ii great struggle until It reached successful i
n sue. They we're fed upon half rations of ii
nd poorest description of food-food which
nd Norfbern man would not give,to his swim
ne They were cut Oft entirely from intercour1
ne with the outside world. ard during the
hl- stay. never SAW hut one man ut
ne was in favor Of the Uaiou. He vas clerz
&c man; loaned them money, aided them othe
wite and furnished them correct iuformatit
90. Of The progress Of the war: The rebels to
r. them the most outrageous lies; said that 0
.oy army at Corinth was beaten; that Gener;
Va. Grant and Buell. were killed; that half o
g | army we're driven into the Tennessee Riy
,da and the Other half nearly exterminated, 3
nd TINT their army would spcedily invade India
The and Illinois. During their confinement p
,ne yate arrangement was effected BY which II
,,+. obtained copies Of the Richmond papers
i'm. creted in 1oares Of bEead. The bread =
M. opened in the cook-room, one n
vba | thoroughly 1ead it, committed
apo more important portions to memo
oea and then informed his fellow prisoners. Fl
Al. we're frequently searched, and In fact "
,vn subjected to those insults and cruelties ~t
,n1c only brntes or batbarians would infict VI
their pri.oners. They were even robbed
their money. When any OF the officers
The ont gold with which to purchase luxuries
nst- most inferior articles we're furnished th
Fere and the change given them in coaftderafe e
pre- At length their troubles were ended
ngi- priyatcs and non commissioned officers a
, ia. IN free r1nny, their 73aFn1p mol