The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-29
A STORY or THE WAR.
Sixty. Nine rederals in Sight Of Their Army
Captured BY Seven Oonfederates.
ltcuthern Historical saolety papera.l


During The retreat Of the Confederate army
from Kentucky tBragg's lnvason,, IN the fall
of 1se2. Col. UaBil W. Dukes regiment Ut
Morgar's cavalry was left by order III Gen.
Kirby Smith, al Falmouth to guard the
roads and watch the approach 81 the Federals,
clnnaM. Ohio, Into the State the .Uovlnaton
aud Georgetown turnpike belng their centre
line OF march When they had reached a
point about one mile from Walton. Boone
county, and canned i9r the night, Duke leit
reaeheil the turnpike.. about edui.dlstant
from Walton and the Federal encampment,
just as day broke. The advance vidette
here reported q Federal picket post u ten
men y eight These were captured BY z
and Ia their rear. Duke then ordered Sergeant
WIN Hays, Of Uovln9ton, H., to select elk
men from the fatnous 'advaDce guard and
proceed down the pike, find the enemy and
sea Ash Wf ss4 u oynsHsa as! XXI 1gsea
lonradt and Charles bartlett, q dovinston.
KY, and Rt olee commenced the dangerous
inlssion. Each nial, felt the responsibility
worst. The turnpike here was remarkably
crooked. and on one side was sheltered by
q thick growth of small trees, vines and
weeds. Reaching d point about q quarter pf
Ing an abrupt turn III the road our little squad
found themselves plump Into q picket stand
Of sixty. nine inEaDtryinen. In moment
every man Of both parties had his gun cooked
and leveled. The seven Oonfeierates were oil
lead 81 Morgan and Duke, faced many forms
Of danger, but never before were the odds go
great against them az now. and their fnette
was TO be put to the highest test. With the
eye Of . soldier each one realized the perilo,s
at once, Ia ringing tone. demanded an Inn
mediate surrendsr, saying that a regiment
" John MOfgans cavalry was near ut
hand Ut was one quarter Of = mile dlstant),
and that n . shot was fired not Federal
ant-seened bewildered 10 think that seven
men should ride boldly into slxty.nine Of his
men and make such demand, and especially
when not more than 900 yards away the GU
tire Federal army was drawn up &c II ready
Tho bright October sun, then just rising over
the eastern hills. But the manner In which
the demand was made the bearing 81 each III
the Confedoratas- each ready to kill his
man" at the word fire together with the mag
them. The officer IL once surrendered lii
sword TO Jones happened to be imine-
diately In his front with his gun drawn on
him and Hays at once placed the prisoners
In position and ordered q double. quick back
~ eNG IB&lINGHt AH BAl6 LARIyu WeskAA y ESUs
eral infantry regiment was rapidly advancing
To the rescue OF their picket comrades but y
turn In the road hid them from view, and
they did not follow farther. The slght was y
novel one. even for war times--seyen Oonfed-
crates driving sixty mine armed Federals be-
fore them az prisoners. Duke, with COM
pRny, was soon met, coming to ascertain
the situation of the little squad. He was
profuse In his compliments 20 his men for
their achievement. The Federals were Mlchi-
ganders, and the Lieutenant's name was
Clarke. In his history Of Morgan and HIS
Men," Duke briefly refers to the affair, but
does not give the names Of the participants.
He uses this language: This exploit was,
perhaps, never paralleled during the war"
The facts were reported to Gen. Morgan, and
all Of the seven men--privates at that time
were coon afterward commissioned rs officers
for "Hallantry." These gallant troopers de-
serve to have their names enrolled In the fu-
ture history OF the mighty struggle.
j.. I'll. CARTER.
Late Captain In Mor9an's Command.