The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-09-26
4 NARROW ESCAPE.
An Incident in the Career of
Stuarts FavOrite Scout.
"a. Mccle1lnn ii Philaaelphia Times.

A
| Mai. Mcclellan in Philadelphia Times.
1t was during one of those periods
when the line of the Rapidan river
divided the two armies that the fol-
lowing remarkable incident occurred:
A considerable part of the counties
of Fauquier and Culpeper, while not
actually occupied by the enemy.
was constantly subject to visits
from their calvary. and it was in
this district that Mosby and String
fellow were at that time operating.
StringfelIow and a number of Mos.
by's men had been Hospitality enter
tanned at a certain mansion by la
dies whose male relatives were all
in the Southern army. A late din
der had been provided after par
taking of which, all had departed ex-
cept Stringfellow aud one young
man whom he had persuaded to re-
main behind his party, and who
soon betook himself to the sofa in
the parlor for a nap. Time passed
rapidly and pleasantly in conyer-
sation with the ladies until about
sunset, when the sudden alarm was
given that company of the enemy
was approaching the house. String
fellows first thought was for his COM
rade, asleep in the parlor, and he
rushed to the room to awake him
but he found that he had already
received the alarm and had succeed
ed in reaching his horse in time for
flight. ssHa ass
Running to the front door he was
greeted with volIey of carbine
balls crashing through the panels.
for the enemy had seen his approach
through window and felt secure
of him. Escape being impossible in
this direction he turned to a window
at the back of the house, but on
raising this he was saluted by a
blue coat, who discharged his gun in
his face. Evidently the house was
surrounded, and tlere seemed to be
butthe faintest hope of escape. AS
a last resort he ran up stairs, hoping
to find some hiding-place, or perhaps
at some auspicious moment to be
able to jump from the back poareh
and escape into the garden. At
the head of the stairs be was met by
an old negro woman. the faithful
slave and nurse of the young ladies
of the house. She offered to secrete
him, and leading him to a window
which opened upon the back poarch
she showed him q board projecting
from the lower window-sill. be-
tween which and the roof of the
poarch it was barely possible for
him to squeeze his body. String
fellow lost no time in availing him
self of this position, for the enemy
had now gained entrance to the
house and were busily searching the
first floor.
Not finding him, they ascended to
the second story, where they were
met by the negro woman upon whose
faithfGlness Stringfellow's life now
depended. Nor did she fail him.
With ready wit she volunteered to
assist in the search. Every bed,
every closet, every chimney-place.
every nook which could by any
possibility afford any cohceaIment
was carefully examined, but all
without result. All the time did
.the faithful negro assure the search.
ers that Stringfellow was not in the
house. "She had seen him." so she
said, ''on the top of the back poarch,
and believed that he had jumped off
and run in to the garden. She wished
they could ketch him and kill him,
for he would keep a comm there
after her young misses, and she
kept atellin, them that he was a
bad man, and that he would get
them into trouble and now it has
all come true, and she wished they
ketch him and kill him and make an
end of it, Darkness had now
fallen, but still the search was pros
ecuted with lighted candles until the
officer. in command was fain to be
licge that the old woman had told
the truth, and that in some unac-
countable way Stringtellow had
made his escape from the house.
At one time this officer stood at the
window beneath which lay the OBJ
jectof his search, and so close to
him that Stringfellow feared thai
the beating of his heart would betray
his position. There he lay with pis.
tol in hand, ready at the moment
of discovery Co sell his life as dear
ly as possible. The candle. wa:
thrust out of the window that the
top of the poarch might be examin
ed. The shadow Of the board bare
/ ly covered his person. In another
\ instant the candle was withdraw
and Stringfellow was saved. Had
the sun been shining hts discovery
would have been inevitable.
Chagrined that an ascane ahonlG