, 1865-08-11

WI. s. KELLEY.
a MIDsIGnT ADVENTURE.
Colonel Dahlgxen'S Body.
story Of its Secrex Jnterm-nt, Discov.
cry and E1humat1on.
[From the Richmond Rapuhl1c, Au2ust51
The month Of March 1861, Is memorable
ia'ds that, up to that time. had mcnaced the
| Confederate cap;tal-a rad which was the
Immediate precursor OF Gen. Grants famous
| campaign from the Wilde. ne:s 10 Jancs river.
| The history Of this rad Ia tco familiar to tue
mirds Of al OF our readers to make necessary
with our space. II Is known that Col. Dahl
gren, after the attack on Richmond on Tues.
day, the 1st Ct March, did not succeed IN
| forming junction With Gen. Fitzpatrick, md
white pushing through King and Qneen
commits 3, toward Gloucester Point, was kill:
on the night Of Wednesday, March .. ueas
Wa]Aerton. It Is also known that his body
was brought to Rcnmo1d, but what disposi.
/ ticn vas made Of 1t by the Confederate au.
thorities was kept MT ste1y at the time, aud
the facts. even to this day, hare never been
published. We purpose to give theca to tic
public for the first time, vou:hIng for their
tn'trc authenticity. When intelligence WAS
Of Colonel Dsblgren, messengers, were
dispstchtd to bring his body to tie
city for Identification. It reached the city on
Monday. March T., by tie York River K1il-
road. and laid during that day At the depot.
| where 1t was examined by Ia re numb.r OF
| petscLs. His death had been caused By q
gun shot wound In the head. The little fin
ger Of one hsEd had been cut of on the field
where he fell by come one aRx:ons to stcure,
with tht l6ast trouble, valuable diamond
ring. That night the body WIS carried to
GIN. Elzey's office, In Bslsta's block, and the
next day. having been placed in common
p:1e coffin, # the kind then used for the
| in a box, was transferred to Oakwood came
te1y. mile east Of tie city The hea-se
used on this decision was fout-mule street
wagon, and the attendants consisted OF q
Confederate officer Of inferior rank and two
soldiers. Arriving at OakTood, which was
The burial place Of all soldiers Who died at
Chambo:azo, HoW1rd's Grove, and other hes
pl!als in the eastern portion OF the city and
sutuI bE, the negro graVe-diggers and other
attendants about the cemetery, were d1iyen
OFT AID ordertd to abssnt themselves untl
notiftd that they might return. One Of the
negroes. now living in the city, having his
curiosity excited, secsete1 hsm=elf In the
woods near By, determined to see what Was
to be done. The two sa1de1s Dug grave
placed the bog in 1t, aad coyered 1t up. They
then shouted to cal! the attendants Of the
cemetery, and getting into tins Wagon re-
turned 70 the city. The. ouly circumstance
In The pre- d:n.s thas sttrck the negro as
unusual was tho EystE1J observed ana tie
circumstance Of the boz, no corpse ever
having been Brought thrre heore except
In pine coffin; but there having tcen
great detl Of talk as to what WIS to be
done with the body of Co'cnel D,bigren lie
1T o1cs DECIDED that this ceu,a be no
otter tkSp the co:pse of that officer. H.,
h~Teyer, kept his opinion to himself at the
time. The question. Hha1 hsd been done
with the body Of Dah)g1en? vas tho subject
Of Inquiry ard ccnyersa tior for many days in
Richmond, to be revived from tine to time
upto the Gay of evacuation and there were
many ste Ties on the suoject-that Il had been
burnt, sunk In the river, &c, A city paper of
that day announced, with solemn and Know
ing air, that 1t weu d never be fou1d until the
trump Of doom should sound. 4 numoer Of
Gn.on men Of the city. believing 1t possible
that 1t might be recovered, were anxious to
tscure and preserve 1t for the family Of the
9eceastd. Prominent amang them WIS i1r.
f. ". E. Lohman. q grocer doing business
near the new market. Mr. Lohman at once
began his inquiries aud INVESTIGATIONS |
IN the then state Of popular feeling, 1t WAS !
Necessary to conduct with great clu!lon, ,-d.- |
1e1miLed, at whatever cost and risk, to ascer-
ta}n its fate. After nearly months PATENT |
tnd uniting inquiry, he, with the assistance ]
Of Dir. Martin Meredith lirscomb, whose /
business 1t Vas to attend to The interment Of |
all the Union pstsoncrswho died at this post,
made the acquaintance Of The negro giaye.
digger whom ne have mentioned as baing tie
sole spectator OF the burial Of Col. Dahlgren.
They found him at 04kwood, putsu ng his
regular business When Il ct approached on
the subject, the negro WAS very much alarm
ed, and protested he would have
nothing to do With the mat:er. But
whom lie knew we'll, that be might rely np-
n Lehman, and that ro harm should befall
him, Ee consented, on 1ir. Lohnau's giving |
him hundred dollar note, to point cut the
gave. This be did by walking nea. and
casting stone upon 1t, while Lehman and
adraid to employ any OTHER method lest be
might excite. the suspicion Of the superin-
leldent Of the cemetery or soma Of the at.
.enoants. The grave lay among thousands
IT teose Of Confederate soldiers. subss-
luenuy, after great deal of persuasion, aud
ne p omlse Of liberal rewa'd. the negro
~ ED to meet Mr.. Lohmau at the cemetery
n the nigh. Ct the 9th Of April, at ten o.
lock, Lud exhume the body. The appointed
light having arrived, Mr. L 1hman, his brother
chn a. Lohman, and Mr.. Lipsccmb, stuted
Or tho cemetery, In cart dra wn by mule.
~ u o'Eas Has daEA ana slofmys and well
ut.ed to conceal their movements. The
.arty left the city at nine O'Clock, and 1eached
heir destination 0bout ten, nnd there found,
7a1ting tor them, Tho gra7e.di9Scr, and two |
sststauts. The negroes being assured that
II Was l19ht. began their Wytk Of exhuma-
.cn, the three white men remaining With the !.
art outside the inclosure Of the cemetery.
be heavens were hung In their deepes.
lack no obj:ct ten feet distant could be !
lstlUEu shed, ard no sounds broke upon the
'nel'ness OF the place save the bowling Of
Re winds and the chopotng Of the resursec-
ons.'s spade. Ouce lhe mule. snut1'og the
ainted mir Of tic city Of the dead, attempted
} break away, but was quickly quieted by
III hand.
In twenty minutes from the time tbs ne
rces began Their work they app: cached this
ut, bearing b6tWeen them the cyf1In, which,
eng, badly made. fell to pieces as they ,
y ,hat on tRs gfSaandh Il vs. then dis
| any Ferceptib1e degree. Sir. Lehman !
ItIsned himself Ct tie Identity Of the !
'rEse bS pasalrg hts hand over 1t. The
ills fpget, torn Off to secure the jewel it
IRE, AID the lfg lost in battle, were miss
81, 800, anti.placing the body In
tbs Cart, the party started on their re-
I'm. The body was wrapped Ia u blanket, | (
ID Mr.: Lohman came to The city In search
ctfln, which he obtained By tac aid
AIR. L,pscomb. On his way Into the c
ty from Rowletts, Iohmsn notified =
lnssr Of persons Of Union sentiments,
ncEE whom were several LADIES', where the =
:dy had been placed. and they hurried cut
See It. Several Of tceae Parsons had seen
DC mel Dahlgren, Whi1o ho was exposed At
e York River Railroad depot, and iulmedi=
ely 1ecogn1zed the body a. bis. The me-
lie collin having been procured, and the
Fdy p1aced In it., the two Lohmans, at z
'cn n the 1th, act ont wilh it, conctal.d j.
waRcn loaded With young fruit trees,
: tho farm Of Robert Orricks, 3 Union man,
ing In Heuric3. two miles from Hungary .
alton. At four O'Clock that eTe1sng they J
0ched orIicks', and buried the body uader
apple tee, In field, avoiding
IT, WSish sht @ 'sfs lad to dseave ~
The rest Of this story may BE- told In few
,Eds. 0rFIcks. soEe months after the sec
burial Of Col. Dahlgren, succeeded In ~
ttfng through the Confederate lices. and I,
king an interview with Commodore Dbl
eD, informed him what had been done to =,
:nEe the body Of his sor. The corpse Of the Il.
dler laid IN this, Its second grave, until the
acuatior OF Richmond, when m order h4y-
, been sent for It By the War Department.
was again dJsfnterred by the Two Lob.
ms, and sent to Washington. +,
It has BEEN our object to lift tl,e veil Of d
'stery from an obscure a1l Interesting
INT. In doing 50, We have confined our. -
yes to facts stItct1y relative to the secret !
e Of Col. Dah1gten's b.d9 from the time of | i
arrival IN Richmond, which, until after
e capture Of The city, remained, to all ex-
pit the few individuals named BY us In the
u sc -four narrative, one oFthe most im- =
netrable mysteries of the War. Many Con- y
IaYafa Nffipjn]A Enpw fhof he hr1.- Anl | /