Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-03-04
John Melrose's Nerve.
The story Of - Michigan sCSss.
\ PRISONER WHO WOULD NOT STAY CAP
TURED.

PRISONER WHO WOULD NOT STAY CAP
TvRED.
Nv hat constitutes nerve" asked the "
}. World the other day OF its readers, On.
man will answer tina, it is presence of mind.
another that II is pluck. another tina, il i.
being cool and collected in an emergency
1t is none Of these IL i something back of
all of them, and something which a man
never had unless il was born in him In
stances Of presence OF mind were met with
every day IN the army. An officer out in
charge of ioragers. ON reconnaissance,
would be suddenly attacked. Presence of
mind aided him TO form his men for defense.
lie had that presence of mind even though
his face was white as -four and his chin shak-
ing. brave men were common enough in
the ranks. Call for men TO face certain
death and hundred privates would step ou,
at once. yet. test their nerve, and they had
none
Among two or three cases in mind that of
John Melrose, trooper in the Sixth Michi-
gan Cavalry, is recalled. lie was an under
sized, quiet-spoken man. and he had that
wonderful nerve which not three other men
in the whole brigade possessed. While act
| ing ~ scout in the Shenandoah Valley he
was one day eating dinner at a farmhouse
when in walked seven Confederate soldiers
The, knew him for a Union scout. and he
knew them for Confederaies. A brave man
would have made rush or had fight, Mel
rose simply looked up as they filed in smiled
over his fix. and called out:
Say. old woman. put on more dinner
here, and we'll have square meal together -
You are my prisoner said the sergeant
of the squad as he advanced.
"les, know it, but I'll pay for dinner
for YOU and your men just the same, Si,
right down and make yourselves at home"
His nerve upset the soldiers, and after a
moment they took seats at the table, form
ing a complete. circle around the board. As
soon they began to eat he began to think
of escape. Ii was summer and the window
behind him and ten feet away was open. If
he stood up all eyes would be fixed on him.
and any excuse to leave the room was not TO
be thought of
The meal was about half finished and cap
tors and captive were chatting away when
Melrose suddenly flung himself backward,
upset his chair and bounded through the
window. The soldiers ran out and fired and
| pursued him, but he made good his escape
| In the Luray Valley, just before the affair
known as Woodstock races, Melrose and
his companion fell out of the ranks to for
age. After securing supply of meat they
| pushed on after the column and were riding
at gallop when FIVE bushwhackers, well
| mounted. came out Of the cross-road about
twenty rods ahead of them.
I'VE are dead men" said the scouts com
panion as they came to halt.
Looking back they saw four more BUSH
whackers climbing the fence to take position
on the highway. Melrose calmly viewed
| their situation and finally said
1--WE will charge them, Fall in behind
me and there will be less danger Draw
your sabre and strike hard"
The other dared not try it, though he was
a brave man. He therefore kept his place
as the scout dashed forward. Merose rode
| straight at the men with drawn sabre and
the volley they fired went over him. He
struck the line, sabred man as he passed
and soon rejoined the column. His COM
| panion was never heard Of again, probably
being murdered in cold blood
| In 1864 Melrose and three other foragers
were captured in the Shenandoah Valley,
taken to small encampment and the four
| placed in log house under guard until their
cases could be disposed of. They talked the
situation over and the brayest of them could
see no hope of escape. Melrose quietly lis
tened to their discouraging remarks and as
quietly replied that he would be inside of the
Union lines before midnight. There was a
circle of sentinels around the building, which
had no door. The sentinels paced within six
feet Of the building, and the one in front
could see the prisoners through the doorway.
Melrose said that If all would rush together
the sentinels would be confused and either
hold their fire or fire wild. The three me-:
had participated in more than twenty battles
and were known as brave fellows, but here
they wanted nerve and nerve was what they
hadn't got.
"Very we'll; will go alone !" was the
quiet announcement, and as night came on
Melrose was ready. Standing in the door
way he asked the sentinel what time it was.
"You git back thar, or I'll shoot ~ was
the prompt reply.
"Yes; I'm going right back" said the
scout, and he dashed upon the man, hit him
stunning blow and made for the woods.
He had to run across an open field in full