Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-29
WAS 1T MAGNETISM.

1t has been asserted that Dan Vernon
was the boldest most cruel bushwhaeker
in Virginia during the war. When Sher-
man 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 the
valley, and his wife and four children
were left in bad situation. They had
no food in the house when hungry for
ayers demanded meal, and not living
thing had been left ON the farm. The
woman, despairing and desperate, made
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 chung 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, un-
known to the officers in authority, and
this was one of them.
HC HOIud1 l6lL liIe
children on the floor and fed with the
others up the valley, and her footsteps
had scarcely grew cold when the avenger
OF her wrongs appeared and demanded
blood for blood-and more. Dan Yer
non was permitted to leave the ranks to
become destroying 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 ia
Their, painting for vengeance, crept into
the deserted house three nights after the
burial, and dipping his fingers into the
undrled blood, he swore to rest not, but
to kill and destroy as long as life was in
him.
do not know what Dan Vernon was
when he left his home to become
Confederate soldier, but l do know
that when he returned to it as an avenger
he had no more mercy in his heart than
a tiger. We heard from him at once. A
scouting party riding up the valley lost
its captain and two men by successive
shots from 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 a dead aim,
cry 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 de-
tailed to hunt him down. They pursued
him in vain. Knowing every acre of
ground in the valley, he not only eluded
pursuit, but many of the men pursuing
him never came back to us. If their
bodies were found, a 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 forag-
ing and scouting parties dreadde that one
man more than a whole regiment of
Early's army. He would murder picket
at one point during the night, and the
next day bushwhack troop ten miles
away, and he moved with the stealth of
tiger. No man ever gave the alarm after
knowing his presence.
Well, what I set out to tell was how we
captured Dan one fine day, and how singu-
larly he escaped. Parties were continu-
ally hunting him without success, while
our party one day found him without
searching. About fifty of us were thrown
forward one day from the picket post to
new position just deserted by the enemy.
Included in this new territory was a log
house, supposed to be deserted, but when
we came to investigate We discovered
"Butternut," curled up and asleep on
rude bed in the corner. He had gone to
sleep within the Confederate lines, and
when he awoke the blue-coats were about
and beyond him. as.f s
F Who the prisoner was no one seemed
to care, but it was the accepted opinion
that he was no more than private sol
dier, and I was detailed to guard him
until he could be sent back to headquar-
tiers. The man betrayed no alarm when
reused from sleep. As far as we could
see, he was unarmed, and when the boys
joked him on his capture he coolly re-
piled: .aigts8 b.a $50 a
i ,"Well, it amt nuthin' to weep over. I
was Citing purity tired of this thing, any
how, 7. .....
/ had fair look at the mans face, and
I found something there to puzzle and
'startle me- One day I had picked up in
the camp the daguerreotype Of a man
dressed in citizens clothes. Itseemed to
be that of a farmer; but the face was one
to be remembered. As sat in the open
door of the old house, carbine across my
knees, and looked into the face of our
prisoner, it came to me all at once that
was his face I had seen in the picture.
There was q great change in some par
ticular; but yeti confidently inquired:
did you have your picture taken by
, of Linchburgg"
MYaa y h. rnYliad