The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-08-16
Gallant Joseph Wilson.


The soldier who acted as scout on
Saturday night and kept up com.
between General Latta
at the Union depot and General
Brinton in the round house was Mr.
Joseph q. Wilson, sergeant in the
Jefferson cavalry, and ono Of the
Eve men who stood by his colors
with the. captain. Abont midnight
when General Brintou found the
mob at the height of its fury, he de-
termined in some way to open COM
munication with headquarters at the
Union depot. The telegraph line
was cut, and 80 he had only re-
course TO the men, and only a Pitts
burger who knew the ground could
be chosen. In this dilemma he con.
suited with Captain Murphy, Of the
Jefferson cavalry, who recommend
ed Mr. Wilson as man who ans
wered to the description Of the
scout needed by General Brinton--
"a man Who would come back at all
hazards. MIR. Wilson was con. ut
cd, and expressed willingness to
do a soldiers duty. He was accord.
ingly arrayed in blouse and overalls
and taken from the round house
through the carpenter shop and in.
TO the lumber yard. Nobody but
the staff officers knew him or Of his
mission, and hence when he at
tempted to pass through the linn.
Der yard he was intercepted by the
outside sentry. Captain Murphy,
who was with him TO show him the
way out, tried to get tho soldier TO
pass him, and the result was that
both wero arrested and taken before
General Brinton, who quietly releas
ed them, but made no explanation
The scout. then started ont again
There was fence on the Liberty
street side Of this yard, and the fence
also partially closed up the yard on
the east side. The fence on the east
side stopped just where the car tracks
ran. On tho inner track, next the
lumber, was train OF freight cars.
and between the end OF tho fence
and this train there was small
space, through which man, by
passing sideways, could edge his
way out. A man passing through
the carpenter shop and into the
lumber yard was protected on one
side by the cars and on the other by
the lumber frome the observation Of
the mob, and this way Sergeant vii.
son passed out. Once outside the
fence he crawled under the cars for
some distance and finally came out
from underneath the cars and Joined
a small group Of the rioters, who
were talking about "roastin' them
Philadelphia fellers" BY little
loud talk he won their confidence
and escaped suspicion, and in
short time he got away. lie had no
trouble then in reaching tho Union
depot, where lie found General Lat
Ia, Secretary Quay, and a number
of others, none Of whom he know
He secured admission to them by
telling the guard, and showing his
uniform underneath bis blouse. His
story was verified when he produc
ed his dispntch to General Latta
II was written on a piece Of paper
torn from General Brinton's memo
randum book, and scribbled in lead
pencil. General Latta and his as
sociatcs, after reading the note,
questioned him further about the
situation of affairs, and then retired
to consult. In short time he was
given an answer, and made his way
back. In going back he was inter-
rupted bv several bands of workmen
around the srs- but as he a'ways
pretended to DO on the same errand
rs sthemselves--plunder-he easily
quieted their fears. He was COMPEL
cd to crawl some distance toward
the end of bis journey in getting
back, but got through.
He made two other trips. going
and coming in the same way but on
the last trip barely escaped detec-
tion several times. As he was 60
ing out on his third trip he enconn,
tered gang in firing freight cars.
They stopped and asked him, "Who
the hi are youi :"
Putting on a braggadocio front,
10 replied "And Id like to know
who you are. l belong to the
gang Then they asked him for
his partner.
"Oh," said he, she's gone down
Penn street to got some oil TO wet
the cars" The men wore engaged
in wetting the cars with oil them.
selves, 30 they readily took the
story in. Thoy told him il that was
the case they'd leave him TO wet
these few, and they'd go down and
so he escaped. A little further on
he was again halted by a murderous
gang, who were showing the cars
down, They didn't believe his story,
at first but proposed to search him.
He had the dispatch in his blouse
pocket, and knew IL would be death
II he was discovered. But, keeping
cool, he said: "All right, fellers. |
You can search me, but before you
do Id like to have chew of tobac-
co. I'm most starved for a chew"
Several Of the men felt for the nico-
tine but had none, So he said,