The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-26
WAS 1T MAGNETISM
A Thrilling Story of tho Late Rebellion.

Sherman entered the Shenandoah Valley
some OF our foragers ransacked the house
occupied by Mrs. Vernon, others stole all
the poultry and live stock, and when the
third set came along there was tragedy.
| Dan was in the Confederate ranks up
he valley, and his wife and four chill
dren were left in bad situation. They
had no food in the house when hungry
| foragers demanded a meal, and not a live
| thing had been left on the farm. The
woman, despairing and desperate, made a
| fierce personal attack on the men who
had entered her house, and in the strug-
gle gun was discharged and the heavy
ounce ball killed two of her children as
they clung to her skirts The foragers
were no better than thieves in this instance
and had the official attempt to discover
their identity been successful they would
have received Just punishment. Acts that
should forever curse the perpetrators were
often committed by foragers unknown to
officials in authority, and this was one of
them.
The woman left the murdered children
on the floor and fled with the others up
the valley, and her footsteps had scarcely
grown cold when the avengcr of her
wrongs appeared and demanded blood for
| blood-and more. Dan Vernon was per-
mitted to leave the ranks to become de-
snoying angel. The children were buried
under cherry tree in the yard by our
men, but no hand wiped up the dark and
terrible blood stains on the farmhouse
| floor The husband and father, painting for
vengeance, crept into the deserted house
three nights after the burial, and dipping
his fingers into the undried blood, he
swore TO rest not but to kill and destroy
as long as life vas left him.
| do not know what Vernon was
when he left his home f. become a Con
| federate soldier, but do know that when
he returned to it as an avenger he had no
more mercy in his heart than tiger. We
heard from him at once; A scouting par
ty riding up the Valley lost its captain and
two men by successive shots from a Henry
rifle, and the man who fired them escaped
through the woods. That night vidette
was struck from his horse and his throat
cut Next day teamSter was killed. In
one weeks time Dan Vernon had killed
thirteen men.
He left no wounded behind him. When
he fired it was with dead aim, and the
| NlClIIll NCill NO"l WIN SSdA Wy ~
| from his lips.
A refugee who came in, gave us such
details OF Dan as we did not know, and
when it was known that he was bush
whacking our advance scouts were detail
ed to hunt him down.
They pursued in vain. Knowing every
acre of ground in the Valley, he not only
eluded pursuit, but many of the men pur-
| suing him never came back TO US. If their
bodies were found, bullet hole was proof
that Dan Vernon had added another vic
tim to his list.
In four weeks time he had scored thirty
four victims, and foraging and scouting
parties dreaded shat one man more than a
whole regiment of Early's army. lie
would murder picket at one point during
the night and next day bushwhack troop
ten miles away, and he moved with the
stealth of tiger No man ever gave an
alarm after knowing of his presence.
Well, what set out to tell was how we
captured Dan one fine day, and how sin
ually after him without success, while our
party found him without searching.
About fifty of us were thrown forward
one day from the picket post to a new po-
sition Just deserted by the enemy. Inclu-
ded in this new territory was Lighthouse,
supposed 10 be deserted, but when we came
to investigate we discovered a "Butternut"
curled up and asleep on rude bed in a
corner lie had gone to sleep within the
Confederate lines, and when he awoke the
blue-coats were about and beyond him.
q
to care, but it was the accepted opinion
that he was no more than a private sol
dier, and was detailed to guard him until
he could be sent back TO headquarters
The man betrayed no alarm when reused
from sleep AS far as we could see he
was unarned, and when the boys joked
him on his capture he coolly replied:
"Well, it amt nuthing to weep over,
was Citing purity tired of this thing,
anyhow"
had fair look at the mans face, and
found something there to puzzle and
startle me. One day had picked up in
camp the daguerreotype of man dressed
in citizens clothes. 1t seemed to be that
of farmer, but the face was one to be re-
membered. AS sat in the open door OF
| The ola mouse, CdTDlnc dCIosS my hllScsi
and looked into the face of our prisoner
it came to me all at once that it was his
face had seen in the picture. There was
a great change in some particulars, but
yet confidently inquired;
"Did you have your picture taken by
-, of Lynchburgi"
"Yes," he replied.
hANas tl,a caSe nj red 2"
at was"
Then the picture l had found in camp
must have been stolen from his house by
foragers and afterwards thrown away. The
man looked at me as if ready to answer
further questions, but l had none to put
Just then. was wondering at the curious
coincidence, when he sat up on his bed,
looked me square in the eye, and said:
81 am Dan Vernon, the bushwhacker,
and killed one of your men last night
before turning in here"
"Dan Vernon" repeated after him.
ayes. 1t is good joke on your com.
rades, who took me for a scrub soldier"
/ 7 uac co tol al, bv eI,rprise that | could