The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-08-12

ii IgBS Hishmea 4 IKepablie- -siyss "A ae
count Of the finding Of the body Of
Col Dahlgsen, Yho fell in that greatest
Of al the-Oni0n raids Of the war. At
ter the attack on Richmond on the Isl
OF March Col. Dahigren failed TO make
a junction with Fitzpatrick. and was
killed on the night of the I'd, This
event Vas % astounding to the people
and the rebel army ct Richmond, that
every precautiOn was taken IN the hu-
rial Of the gallant Colonel, dbst the
place thereof might never be known.
I z he body, vas taken to the city on The
th, and that night il Was carried 10
CEN Elzey's Fofhce, in7 Belvins block,
ana the next day, having been placed
IN acomm0n pine coffin, was trsnsfe
to illkAood tCenletery, mile east 81
the city. The bearse used on tins oeca.
sion was four mule street wagon. and
attendant7 oonsisted of 8 Confederate
Othcer Gf inferior rank and t80 soldiers
Arriving at 0alIWoOd, which was the
burial place ofall the soldiers who died
at Chamborazo, HoEsrd's Grove aud
other hospitals in the eastern portion
Of the city and suburbs, the negro grave
digeers and other attendants were driv-
en- off and ordered to absent themselves
until notified that they might return.
One Of the negroes, now living in the
city, having his curiosity excited, secret
ed himself Ia the woods near by, deter-
mined TO see what was 20 be done. The
frvo rnirifnrr =rf,r q u-c ~ v,fa-,1 H.
box IN It, and covered 1t up. They then
shouted 70 recall the attendAnts Of the
cemeteryi and getting into the wagon
returned 70 the city. The only oircum-
stance in the proceedings that struck
the negro was the mystery observed
and the circumstance of the box, no
corpse ever having been brought there
before except in q pine coffin but
there having been q great deal OF talk
as to what was TO be done with the
body ofAColg Dahlsren, he ct once deci-
ded that this could be no other than
the corpse Of that officer. He, hOWev-
er, kept his opinion 70 himself at the
time. The question, what had been
done with the body of Dahlgren wss
the subject Of INQUIRY and eenyersation
for many days in Richmond, 10 be re-
vived from time TO time up 10 the day
of evacuation. And there were many 1
stories on the subjeet--that il had been
burnt, sunk IN the river, &c. A city
paper Of that day announced, with q
knowing air, that it would never be
found until the trump of doom should
so9ndI 9F wfbAIIognAa
solved TO find this negro and obtain the |
secret Having found him, the negro |
refused 70 tell, but on payment Of 500 /
and the promise that he would not be /
exposed he vent with Mr. Lehman /
near the cemetery, threw stone on
the grave so as not TO excite the suspi- !
cion Of the superintendent Of the bury /
ing ground /
The hour OF midnight was fixed for |
exhuming the body. he grave lay I
among thousands of those Of Confed /
crate soldiers. Subsequently, after
great deal of persuasion, ana the pro
mise Of a liberal reward, the negro
agreed 10 insetMf Isohhnan atthe Gem
etery on the night of the 9th Of April
1t ten b 'elock, md exhume the body /
The aopointed night having arrived, /
Mr.. Lehman, his brother, John A. Lob
man, and Mt. Lipscomb, started for the
cemetery, in a cart drawn by Q mule
The night was dark and stormy, and
we'll suited TO conceal their movements
The epartYleft the city at 80 clock, and
reached their destination about 10, and
there found waiting for them, the grave
digger and two assistsnis The negroes
being assured that all was right, began
their work of exhuInation, the three 1
white men remaining With the cart out
side the enclosure Of the cehetery. /
The heavens were. hung with their
deepest black 3 no object ten feet dis. |
tant could be distinguished, and no |
sounds broke upon tie loneliness Of |
the place save the bowling of the Winds /
and the chopping Of the lTesufrection- |
1878 spade Once the mule, sRufing I
the tainted air of the city of the dead, /
attempted to break away, bat was \
quickly quieted by firm hand.
In twenty minutes from the time /
the. negroes begun their work, they l
approached the cart, bearing between /
them the coffin, which being badly |
made, fell to pieces as they rested il on !
the ground. Itwas then discovered that
the body had not decomposed in any per
-eepdble degrea. MF. Lohman satisfied |
hifnself Of the identity Of the corpseiby |
passing his hand over it The little /
finzer, torn of to secure the jewel il /
bore, and the leg, lost in battle, we're |
missing He paid the negro with /
whom ne had contracted $500, and
placing the bodyin the cart, the party /
started on their return The body was /
wrapped in blanket, and Mr.. Lohn1an
came to the city in search Of eotnu, !
which he obtained by the aid Of Mr.. /
Lipscomb. On his way into the city /
from Rogletts, Lohman notified num- /
her OF persons Of Union sentiments, |
among whom we're several ladies, where |
the body had been placed, and they |
hurried out 70 sec il Several of these !
persons had seen Colonel Dshlgren |
while he was exposed at the York Riv-
er Railroad depot, and immediately
recognized the body ss his The me-
tallic coffin having been procured, and |
he body placed in it, the two Lobmans,
At noon on the Ith, set out 6ith il, con-
cealed in wagon loaded with young
fruit trees, for the farm Of Robert or
riczs, q Union man, living in Henrioo,
two miles from Hungary station. AT
four o'clock that eyenlng they reached
0rricks aud buried the body under an
apple tree, ia q field, avoiding the
graveyard for fear Of exciting inquiry,
which might lead to discoVeTy.
The body lay IN its secoad resting
place until the fsll Of Richmond, when
the Lohmans again exhumed and trans
ported it TO Washington