The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-05-08
ILL., BELLEVUE La, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1879 .1 as e.
WAS 1T MAGNETISMg

WAS 1T MAGNETISM?
1t was asserted that Dan Vernon was
the bOldest and most cruel bushwhacker
in Virginia during the war. When
Sherman entered the Shenandoah VAL
ley 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 we're left in q bad situa-
ton. They had no food in the house
when hungry foragers demanded a meal,
and not live thing had been lefton the
farm. The woman, despairing and des-
perate, made a fierce personal attack
on the men who had entered her house,
and in the struggle q gun was discharg-
ed and the heavy ounce, ball killed two
of her children as they clung to Her
skirts. The foragers were no better
than thieyesin 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 officials in authority, and this
was one of them. i5l'iSsl3 ,+65''t' ~
The woman left the murdered chill.
dren on the floor and fed with others
up the valley. and her footsteps had
scarcely grown cold when the ayenger
Of her wrongs appeared and demanded
blood for blood more. Dan Yer
non was permitted to leave the ranks to
become a destroying angel. The chill
dren were buried under cherry-tree iii
the yard by our men, but no hand
wiped up the dark and terrible blood
stains on the farmhouse floor. The
husband and father, ipaqtipg for ven-
geance, crept into the deserted house
three nights after the burial, and dip
ping his fingers into the undried blood,
he Swore to rest not, but to kill and de-
stroy as long as life was left him. ''fo
II do not know what Dan vernon was
when he left his home to become Con
federate soldier, but / do know that
when he returned tolitl as an iavenger 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 a Henry fIf1e, and the man
who fired them escaped through the
woods. That night d aVidette was struck
fromahis horse and his throat cut. Next
day Q. steamster was 0killed. In one
weeks. time Dan Vernon had killed
In la4f - n ~ ~
hind him. When he fired it was, with q
dead aim, and the victim went down
with scarcely a cry from his lips. IL.
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 we're found, a bullet hole was
proof that Dan Vernon had added an
other victim to his list. In four weeks
time he had scored "a victims, and for
aging and scouting parties dreaded that
one man more than q whole regiment
of Early's army. He would murder a
picket at one point during the night,
and the next day bushwhack troop 10
miles away, and he moved with the
stealth of atiger. No man ever gave
an alarm after knowing OF. his presence.
Well, what L set out to tell was how
we captured Dan one fine day, and how
singularly he escaped, Parties were
continually hunting him without sue
cess, while our party one day found him
without searching. About so Of us were
thrown forward one day from the pick
ct post to a new position just deserted
by the enemy. Included in this new
territory was log-house, supposed to
be deserted, but when we came to in.
vestigate we discovered !" Butternut .
curled up and asleep on a rude bed in 8
corner. He had gone to sleep within
the Confederate lines, and when he
awoke the blue-coats were about and
beyond him.. .3o{faG litis T1sta@'
Who the prisoner was no one seemed
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 headquar
ters. Tho man betrayed no alarm wher
reused, from sleep. AS far, as we coulG
see he was unarmed, and when the boy
joked him on his capture he coolly re
piled: . "a {, J,
"Well, it amt nuthing to weep over
I was Citing purity tired of this thing
anyhow" 3 f..s5f
/ had a fair look at the mans face
and found something there to puzzl'
and startle me. One day had picket
up in camp the daguerreotype Of mai
dressed in citizens clothes II seemet
i to be that of farmer, but the face wa
one to be remembered. As I sat in tn
open door of the old house, carbin
across my knees, and looked into th
face of our prisoner, it came to me a