Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-08-13
pa-A vIsIr 70 D1xIE.-Mrs. Ben Cough,

/ s1-A vIsIr TO DrnE.-Mrs. Ben Cough,
(wife of Lieutenant Ben Cough, OF the 18th
Virginia Infantry, wi o was killed at Win
chester during the last engagement at that
place. accompanied by her husbands sis
ter, went to Winchester several weeks ago
to recover the body of the husband and
brother, which had been rudely inferred
upon the battle field. They succeeded in
having the body disinterred and appropri-
ately buried beneath the shadow of the
building where Gen. Washington held his
headquarters during the revolution. HaV-
ing performed the sad duty, the town of
Winchester still being in possession of the
rebels, they started towards New Creek on
foot, and had travelled but short distance
when they were arrested as spies, and TAX
en- back to Winchester and from there to
Castle Thunder, Richmond. Mrs. Ben
Cough has written out quite lengthy ac-
count of her trip from which the following
is an extract: r.#
We kept up bravely until the first truce
went away with the officers wives that had
ACCOMPANIED US from Stanton. We still
bad hope up to that moment, but when we
were left alone, and the cOmmandant of
Caatle Thunder read his order to US, di-
recting him to put us in close confinement,
and not allow US to communicate with
each other, and being told that we were in
for the war, felt very much like waif,
and in fact lost all confidence in Uncle
hia n RF0fhnt N Cant
Rowand, of Milroy's command, First Vir-
glnia Independent Cavalry, came with US
from Stanton We arrived at Richmond
the day after the lots had been drawn for
the execution of the captains that were to
be shot in retaliation for the execution of
the rebel captains by the United States au-
thorities That was the first thing we
heard upon arriving at Richmond.
While in Castle Thunder, under the
charge of Capt. G. w. Alexander, rebel
officer, we were treated very well, person
ally, and our fare was the same as the
officers received, but we witnessed intense
suffering on the part of the prisoners from
Belle Island. Such emaciated, dirty, dis
tressed looking Objects hope shall never
see again, While in the Castle saw one
of our prisoners shot for breaking prison
rules. The person who was shot was an
innocent party, as we afterwards learned. |
The guard who did the dastardly act was |
an Irishman, but disgrace to the name. |
The prisoner was shot in the arm. The |
arm was amputated, and we afterwards |
found the man in the hospital at Annapolis.
He told US that he had been very kindly |
treated while in the Libby Hospital, but |
that Annapolis was Heaven after Rich
mond. The Kindness came too late, for |
the prisoners wrote to the Colonel of the |
regiment to which the poor fellow belonged |
and he has sworn vengeance. We were |
kept in prison three weeks, and no charges |
being forwarded from Winchester, we be-
gan to hope once more, and constantly |
begged for an investigation. Capt. Alex
ander took the case in hand, and through |
his influence, Gen. Winder consented to |
our release, and after a delay OF two weeks, |
in regard to exchanges, we were at length |
permitted to leave, and on Sunday, August
I'd, we once more saw the beloved Stars
and Stripes floating proudlyfrom the trnce
boat, which was to conduct US to our own |
lines.
Mrs.. Ben Cough writes that the night
before herself and sister-in-law left Rich |
mond they stayed up aud sang songs for
the prisoners, as was their custom while |
there. They sang all the songs of home
they could think of and some National
airs. All at once some brave. hearted fell |
low struck up the song of "When this Cruel
War is Over" First one and then another
Joined in, until the night air vibrated
with the sound of their voices. Song fol-
lowed song until the order to "march" was
given.