The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-03-09
IN [BOr the Highland News.
Capturing a Rebel Lieutenant.
A "Reminiscences of the Rebellion.


The incidents which shall attempt to
relate are true, and free from any embel-
iishment of fiction. am not Imaginative,
hence, the materials for the rough sketches
I may draw are not taken from the realms
of fancy, but from the store-hOuse Of mem
Ory. 1 shall transeribe the events in the
natural order of their occurrence, and leave
the accessories to the Imagination of the
reader.
was a Federal soldier in the Great Re-
/ belliOn-a private in the ranks OF the Sd
Cavalry Regiment from Indiana. We re-
sponded to the first great call for troops in
August, 1861. 1t may not be relative to
my story to describe how the regiment
embarked, men and horses, at North Mad
isOn, bidding long farewell to weeping
! friends on shore, and proceeded up the
Ohio, stopping at many of the river towns
/ for sons and fathers to bid adieu to home
and friends; nor how, when we were
obliged to lay by all night in heavy fog,
/ just below the historical Blennerhassett's
Island, and spite of the threats of the
guards armed only with wooden sabres,
we made furious charge off the boat and
up the bank to a thrifty corn-feld on vir-
] ginia's soil, and returned laden with plump,
milky roasting ears, and added the sur
reptitiOus luxury to our regular bill of
fare of beans, pork and hinty "hard-tack. !"
Arriving at Wheeling, the low stage of
water obliged us to evacuate the over
crowded boats, and mount our horses with
out either saddles or brides, except such
as we could extemporize out of ropes,
blankets and empty forage sacks, and thus
march by easy stages, overland, to Pitts
burg. I can never forget the hearty recep-
ton, and the many ovations we received
from the loyal Pennsylvanians of the va
vious towns through which we passed on
our route. These are tne bright spots
among the darker memories of the war,
and are as vivid as if they occurred no
longer ago than yesterday, and served as
pleasant offsets to the dark scowls and
threatening looks that greeted us as we
rode slowly and wesrily through Balti-
more, expecting, Uuarmed as we we're, to
be attacked before we could reach the
depot, as the First Massachusetts had been
but few days before our arrival, the un-
pleasant reminders of which were visible
to us in the bullet-scarred face Of a build
ing near the depot, and the shattered win
dows of a car standing near by on side
track. But we were unmolested, and ar
rived safely at the nations Capital, which
brings US closely on to the subject matter
Of this narrative.
After receiving our horse equipments
and arms, dragOon pistols and real swords,
with polished blades and bright steel scab-
barls, We began to appear more martial
and warlike, demanding to be led at once
into battle, but were, for the present,
obliged to be content with drilling in the
hot sun or mounting guard in the rain, to
make us more efficient soldiers.
Pending the more complete organization
OF the Union armies, the regiment was or
dered into camp of instruction, on the
north bank of the Potomac, in Maryland,
where we were temporarily attached to the
command of Brig. Gen. Sickles. The
General, noticing the regiment at a review
one day, and being struck with the num-
Der Of good horses, (every mans horse be-
ing his own private property and the in
telIigence and physique of the men, re-
quested the Colonel to detail two mounted
men from each of the six companies coE1-
posing the regiment, with one lieutenant,
and have them report at his headquarters
for escort and orderly duty, among which
detail the writer had the honor to be num-
bered. We reported accordingly, and soon
exchanged our somewhat seedy State uni
forms, for the regulation dress - high
cooked hat and feather spurs and all.
We now began to enjoy the romance of
war, while the smoke and din of battle
was to US afsr of, as yet. Our duty con-
sisted mostly in following the General at q
break-neck gallOp, through the heat and
clouds of binding dust, to parades, re-
views and inspections, and attending him
on mere social visits. We galloped be-
hind him one evening six miles, to BIa-
densburg, and remained mounted, while
he drank social glass of whisky with Gen.
Hooker, then Immediately mounted and
returned. When not on duty our only
business was to cook and eat, keeping our
horses always saddled, our arms bright,
and our boots blacked.
After a few days of this monotonous life,
we began to yearn for real action and a
closer contact with the Rebellion. At last,
one warm evening in October, we were
elated by an order from our Lieutenant,
Mofatt, to hold ourselves in readiness to
march on a scouting expedition down the
river and as IL WIS thought to be attended