Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-31

Baltimore Day.
The Intelligence Of the death OF Gen.
Thomas l.. Kane, in Philadelphia, yester
day. has caused a feeling of regret in
Baltimore among officers and soldiers en-
gagged on both sides in the late war be-
tween the States. A representative Of the
Dan who happens to know that Gen. Jas.
r. Herbert. Police Commissioner, was an
active participant in one OF the most In
terestlng episodes of the war which has
never appeared in print, called on the Gen.
eral this morning and asked him to repeat
the incidents of a most exciting ocea-
sion in which the late Gen. Kane figured
conspicuOusly. Gen. Herbert complied
and said: 'sThe death of Gen. Kane recalls
to my mind scenes and incidents of great
interest to many of our Maryland men.
| On the 9th of June, 1862. near Harrison
Col. [Sir Percy Wyndham, who had for
days been attacking Gen. Stonewall
Jackson's rear guard asked Gen. Jack
| son for two regiments of infantry, saying
| he would go back and cut off a por-
tiOn of Gen. Fremont's troops, who, with
Siegel, were following Jackson. His
| request was granted. Col. Bradley T..
Johnson, commanding the First Maryland
Regiment, promptly rendered his COM
mand. The Maryland regiment and a
| Virginia regiment, commanded, / think,
! by Col. Letcher, reported to Ashby, and
were marched parallel to the road back
toward HarrisOnburg through fields and
! woods. Two companies of Marylanders,
| commanded by Captains Herbert and
| Nicholas, were ordered by Col. Johnson
! to report to Ashby as skirmishers.
| There were about 100 men in the two
companies. Ashby's orders to his senior
| officer (Herbert) were to advance until
| he saw the enemy, then to halt and report
| to him. Capt. Herbert, after marching
| about two miles, discovered a Federal
regiment marching by the flank toward
| him. The skirmishers were halted. Gen.
Ashby was informed. The Union troops
Yania regiment. No member could join
who could not hit the BULBS eye at 200
| yards). Each man wore the buck
| tail in his hat and vest of
deer skin. They were laughing and
| talking, wondering where the d
rebels were, in blissful ignorance of their
close proximity. Ashby had given orders
that no man should fire until commanded
| by him. General (then Colonel) Kane,
the woods at the edge of which was Vir-
| ginia rail fence, lately and strongly built.
Ashby gave the order to Capt. Herbert to
! let one man fire. Why this was done can
only be accounted by his dislike to shoot
ing at men from ambush. The distance
| between the troops was not over fifty
yards at most.
Private McKenny, Of Capt. Herbert's
company, was ordered by his Captain to
shoot that Colonel. The gun missed him.
| Another man was ordered to ''shoot that
officer" and his gun again also missed
] him, when Herschel V. Wells exclaimed:
"Captain, my gun is in good order" He
was told to shoot the Colonel, fired, and
wounded Kane, who, wounded as he was,
with great presence of mind gave the or
| ders bringing his regiment into line, and
| commenced firing. Ashby, with only one
regiment up, ordered a charge, which was
attempted, but owing to the dreadful fire
| of Col. Kane's troops was not accomplish
| ed. Gen. Ashby was killed, Lieut.. Nicholas
| Snowden mortally wounded while leading
and cheering his men, when the remain
| der of the Maryland men, led by Col.
Bradley I. johnson in person, came up,
CALAMITY charged, routed the Bucktails,
capturing many prisoners, and their
brave colonel who was lying upon the
ground. Well do l recollect conversa-
that two gentlemen-Ashby and Kane
were actuated by the same chivalrous feel
ings. Kane said, after the night was
| over, to me: "My name is Kane. | am
| Colonel of the regiment just engaged. j
| saved the life to-day Of as gallant man
as there is in your army or ours" "Who
was thatT' said l. "Ashby," said he. II
saw him on his horse; one of my men
was about shooting him when / told
him not to Go so. He did not know then
that our noble Ashby was dead, neither
did l, and could not help feeling little
badly when l recollected giving orders
! three times to shoot at him. Well, few
years ago Gen. Kane called on me at my
place Of business and said, upon introduce
ing himself, "My name is Kane" | said
''WeIl, l knew a gentleman Of that name
that / once ordered three men to shoot,
and one of them did" II am that man., y
said he, ''and as you are busy now want
you to dine with me at Bar
NUNS to-day at A O'Clock. l did,
and we had a pleasant time. The
Maryland men were complimented by a
general order from Gen. Ewell, thanking
Col. johnson and his regiment for their
conduct and ordering them to bear buck
tail on their colOrs. Sir Percy Wyndham
when captured met his old companion,
| Mai. Bob Wheat, who had been with him
| in the Nicaragua war under Col. Walker.
Wheat said: "Hello, Percy, | knew we
would capture YOU"
l relate this because Gen. Kane has
many relatives in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Thomas Serpers, Tysons, and others-a
splendid gentleman and a brave soldier.
He was a Major General before the war
closed, and was also desperately wounded
| a second time at Gettysburg.