Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-08-22
An Evil Eye.

1t was asserted that Dan Vernon was
the boldest and most cruel buslwhacker
in Virginia during the war. When
Sheridan 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 there was
tragedy. Dan was in the confederate
ranks up the valley, and his wife and
children were left in bad situation.
They had no food in the house when
the hsngry foragers 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 struggle gun was dis
charged, 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 punishment.
The woman left the murdered CHI
dren on the floor, and fled with the
others up the valley, and her footsteps
had scarcely grown cold when the
avenger of her great wrongs appeared
and demanded blood for blood-and
more. Dan Vernon was permitted to
leave the ranks to become destroying
angel. The children were buried under
a cherry tree in the yard by our men,
but no hand wiped up the dark and ter
rible blood stains on the farm house
floor. The husband and father, pant.
ing for vengeance, crept into the de-
serted 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 was
left in him.
do not know what Dan Vernon did
when he left his home to become con-
federate soldier, but I do know that
when he returned to it as an avenger he
had no more mercy in him than tiger.
We heard from him at once. A.scout-
ing 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 a teamster was killed. In one
weeks time Dan Vernon had killed
thirteen men. He left no wounded be-
hind him. When he fired, it was with
dead aim, and the victim went down
with scarcely 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 pur-
sued 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.
II their bodies were found, bullet
hole was proof that Dan Vernon had
added another victim to his list. In
four weeks he had scored thirty-four
Victims. and foraging and scouting
parties dreaded that one man more than
awhole regiment of Early's army. He
would murder picket at one point DUR
ing the night, and the next day bush
whack 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
singularly he escaped. Parties were
continually hunting him without sue
cess, while one 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 territory was log house, supposed
to be deserted, but when we came to in
vestigate We discovered butternut
curled up and asleep on rude bed in
the corner. He had gone to sleep with
In the confederate lines, and when he
awoke the blue-coats were about and
beyond him.
Who the prisoner was no one seemed
to care, but it was the accepted OPT MON
that he was no more than private sol
dier. and was detailed to guard him
until he could be sent back to head
quarters. 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 replied:
Well, it amt nuthing to weep over.
was getting purity tired of this thing
anyhow"
l had fair look at the man face, and
/ found something there to puzzle me.
One day had picked up in camp the
daguerreotype Of man dressed in citi-
zen's clothes. 1t seemed to be that of
farmer, but the face was one to he re.
membered. AS cat in the open door