River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-29
WAS IT MAGNETISM.

quiries made.
WAS 1T MAGNETISM.
1t has been asserted that Dan Vernon
was the boldest most cruel bushwhacker
| 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 a 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 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 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.
The woman left the murdered
children on the floor and fled 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 a destroying angel The children
were buried under a cherry tree in the
ward by our men, but no hand wiped up
the dark and terrible blood stains on the
farmhouse floor. The husband and IA
ther painting for vengeance, crept into
the deserted house three nights after the
burial, and dipping his fingers into the
undrled blood, he swoTe 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 u
Confederate soldier, but | do know
that when he returned to it as an ayenger
he had no more mercy in his heart than
tiger We heard from him at once, A
scouting party riding up the valley lost
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 fred it was with a dead aim,
and the victim went down with scarcely
II 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, bullct-hOle was proof
that Dan Vernon had added another VIC
tim to his list In four weeks time he
| had scored thitty-four victims, and forag-
me and scouting parties dreadde that one
man more than whole regiment OF
Early army He would murder picket
at one point during the night and the
next dav 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 | set out to tell was how we
captured Dan one fine day, and how singu-
larlv 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 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 investigate we discovered a
"Butternut" curled up and asleep on a
rude bed in the corner. He had gone te
sleep within the Confederate lines, and
when he awoke the blua-coats were about
and beyond him,
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 | was detailed to guard him
until he could be sent back to headquar
tiers. The man BETRAYED no alarm wheT
reused from sleep. As far as we coulo
see. he was unarmed, and when the boys
ioked him on his capture he coolly re-
piled:
''Well, it amt nuthin to weep over.
was Citing purity tired of this thing, any
how.
had fair look at the mans face, anC
found something there to puzzle anc
startle me. One day ! had picked up IL
the camp the daguerreotype of a mar
dressed in citizens clothes. 1t seemed tt
be that Of farmer; but the face was on,
to tie remembered. As ! sat in the oper
door of the old house, carbine across my
knees, and looked into the face of on
prisoner, il came TO me all Mt once tina
! was his face ! had seen in the picture
There was great change in some par
ticuIar; but vet l confidently inquired;
Did YOU have your picture taken b.
--, Of Linchburgl"
YES, F." he replied.
WAS the case of red morocco
1T was"
Then the picture / found in camp mus
, have been stolen from his house by fora
gers and afterwards thrown away. TIL
man looked at me as if ready to answe
, further questions, but had none to pu
! lust then. | was wondering at the curl
/ Gus coincidence, when he sat upon hii
bed, looked me square in the face ant
said:
Il am Dan Vernon, the bushwhacker
| and killed one of your men last nigh
before turning in here.a
dan Vernon" repeated after him
! YES 1t is a good joke on your com
{ rades who took me for a scrub soldier.
"A | was 50 taken by surprise that coul'
I mot utter a word He was rs cool as ice
however, and he continued:
( III would give Sheridan great joy Il
. string me up or see me shot, but my tim
isn't come yet. | shall DO going prett
] soon
y Now that was pretty cool talk. eonsid
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