The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-02-14
For the Western Democrat
SKETCH OF A TRIP IN PURSUIT OF
HORSE THIEVES.


HORSE THIEVES.
Editor of Charlotte Democrat Since | have
recovered nv stolen horses, deem it not improper
To olive Won a detail of the affair. On Thursday,
18th January, soldier, calling himself Hiekell,
came to my house to stay all night He said he
was driven from the Kanawha Valley about two
years since and joined the 18th Virginia cavalry;
that as he had gotten furlougb and could not get
home, he came South to see a couple of horses that
had been carried back to recruit, and were then
H. York District, only seven miles from me. Said
as lad good gray mare he wished to sell. Next
aor5lng he started to the horses, and By night
ed to my house with the gray mare, bringing
e 7oung man, calling himself James Leasy, with
i'm. The two remained at my house until Sab
bath morning Hickell then said he could not
sci. The mare, be would go up into Davie coun-
=. N G., to Pennington, where he intended to
have a pair of fine boots made. Leasy returned
to where the horses were feeding. On the next
Sabbath morning, being the 2Sth, my two horses
were missing. When went to the barn | dis
covered they had been taken out at small gate,
convincing me it was by some one who had been
there. AS those two men had full access to my
stables, I at once suspected Hickell, he seemed
fond of trading, and had, when at my house, two
watches. The ground being very bard frozen, it
was difficult to track them, but found that about
aquarter above my house two shod horses had come
come expressly for my horses. then tracked
them to Charlotte, and passing through town found
the track ON the Statesville road About eight
miles beyond town saw some negroes who told
me they had been to candy stew the night before
and that they met two soldiers each leading
horse, one gray, riding very last. AT Davidson
College Mrs. Holt informed me that ten soldiers
lad put up at her house on Friday night. One Of
the men complained that he was badly clad and
vviph o6 hs 1odi Of 70 do
sewing for him; he having the cloth for coat and
pantaloons The ladies found the remainder and
made him coat, pants, vest, shirt and drawers, with
out charge. Eight of the soldiers went on and the
other two pretended they had lost pistol 10 Char
iotte and they would go down and get it while the
ladies would do the sewing. They returned next
morning and got their breakfast and new clothes.
The description given by Mrs Holt identified
Leasy and corroborated With what he had told me;
that he was raised in Mobile, and at the commence
ment of the war his father removed to Mississippi.
L learned from young man at Davidson that he
knew the young mans father and that his name
was James Gardner. l then knew he was the
man who was at my house and who had the horses,
although they managed 50 as to let no one at the
College see the horses, having by their own con-
fession, tied them in pine thicket mile or two
from the College before day light The other
young man was from Maryland.
L
Lawson Potts, 37th N. T. Regiment About FIVE
miles above the College we saw young man who
gave US full description of men and horses. 1t
now being in the night, and difficult to trace them
| took the Statesville road and the balance of my
company the Salisbury road. l felt that my only
chance to ride in the night, SO | rode to
Statesvie that night, fifty miles, young nag
without shoes, the night cold and dark and the
ground hard frozen. But before [ got to States
viii Ia T ubn
came to their camp little before day light, ap-
pearing to be very cold and few hours thereafter
passed them riding gray mare and leading bay
horse. He knew him to be the same who
was at his camp in company with another, and that
they went on the Salisbury road.
At Statesvile procured the services Of Hugh
Loyn0lds, who had lived many years in Davie
county and knew all the roads in Davie and Yad-
Lln counties-the light man in the right place.
we then went to DIN College in Iredell county.
hsre the eight men who left Davidson College
aray41 all night and said that two of their com
2auy were behind There procured the services
Il very excellent man, G. W. Howell. Night
-aaao on, yet we rode great ways and put up at
Ri John Dalton's, whom l found to be a gentle
man Next morning separated, Reynolds and
Potts going up into Yadkin county; Howell and
going into Davie, where [ expected Hickell to
meet them After riding about nine miles we
struck the trail, where they had fed the day be-
fore, at Hartman Critz in Davie county. There
procured the services of two excellent men, Hartman
Critz and Patrick Cain. Reynolds and Potts
struck the trail about the same time in Yadkin
county by my friends knowing the by-ways we
cut off some distance, and all came together at
Yadkinvlle. Then We had running race to
Yadkln river. Crossing the river into Surry
county, Capt. Lowell, 18th N. G. Regiment, and
G. g. Cundif fell in with US. Here they were
inquiring for Mr. Taylor, Tithng Agent, whose
post was about fourteen miles Distant and now
night came on. We rode on, and when 10 about
quarter of the house dismounted and another
man going round to The stables, found my gray
mare tied behind the barn and the bay horse to a
trough; the person with me then went back to the
crowd. Just at this time some one snapped
pistol several times and at last fred, whether at
the crowd we do not know. Capt. Lowell with
the crowd, except myself, (havng remained with
my horses atthe barn,) surrounded the house aud
went in and inquired of the men if there were any
horses in their possession which did not belong to
them. There was but two answered they had
none. l then went in and identified Gardner
among the crowd lying around the fire, and told
him to get up. He denied his name was Gardner,
and one of his comrades asserted his name was
James Leasy. He then got up. The other man
did not know, but Hartman Crits, with whom, he
had fed, knew him and told him to get up, threaten
ing the others if they attempted to resist. This
Maryland. They both confessed to the crime:
that the tale of losing the pistol in Charlotte was
all gammon-that they left the College and made