South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-02-22

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I were IA The hone.a dur;nv 49, ~
some Ate their di6se,s 49, = 80
/, came fine I vas eoalsSI vnis.. .nsH-;s-
| About one honr Mr. 49, I, M en-.
we'll to nv friend ~ - ,thn 49,.
| ade between the ne ~. hut e. 4 A..
fSronf route ffom wffcS I IA ~
La, and arrived 6lft skere ~ ~
were: who kSl con,ee6aroSl 4l,af 4 -
cSb>(eod eel "a not rofurn - ~
uj8bHni.k ran : Rroater r;s1r fhnn i
| thouaha i Uas - the tImc1 for IN M
iuR on the blue nfl6rnS n AZ. g AK
Il / had been cxp(uroS bv etl,es, q
| their camp I wodl3 have he..- hn.s,
- tpH sndithesus loould hav. heee
no veprieve for il. !. The NEXT dav ~
started. 10 20 to our co,nmnnd whsck
we heard had fought fhe bntfIs -
Fredericksbufrhnd was then a win .
ter quarters U6low Fredericksbnr,
near Guinea Station. ON the RichmomS
|s Potomac RAILROAD. AZ va were
passing through tho woods aud cxms
in aight Of . road that led out fr0y6
Springfield about three miles tror,
there. hid tie boys 70 halt ana +
would % d6We M r.ad nd - r
the way was clear before wa c,osead
I passed ON to tho road and there was
q high bank on one side. but IA I did
not sec any one I iumped down the
bank and there came face TO face with
John Kerns, who was walking ALONG
close to tho bank, aud coming from
the Yankee camp. | knew in a mo
ment l was caught, Tor I knew him
to be one of those med i.csome Union
men who took the trouble to roport
to the enc ny every thing he knew = !.
bout the rebels, and have every ono
arrested that he could; and l knew if
l let him pass he would have squad
Of the enemy after us in two hours .
!! als NE had been threatened several
''lnes ior having the boys arrested
anu reporting the citizens, and ] made
sure ne knew me Tor no had known
INC rom ooyhood up. and | was just
reVoIving IN my mind whether to kill
nim right there or call the other boys &
.ake n'm IN the woods and kill him,
wnen q sentence ne spoke saved his
me. ne SAID have yon been out
uunuhSs IL struck me In moment
tn"' Ihy naving a Que overcoat on,
ne mistook me Tor Yankee from
camp out hunting, and | would keep
up the decepuon until ! got rid of him;
SO replied y cs, but find game
scarce. l AJAX him If he had been to
camp. lie said he had; he had la
Ken some butter and eggs TO sell and
got a good price from the boys. ]
asked hlm what the boys were doing
ana u any OF them was out on scont.
lie said no, they were all laying a.
round dong nothing. l then wanted
70 know II there were any srebeli'
aoout, That he knew OF.
'Oh, no. ears he: ethey are afraid
to come in here now, except some.
who have run off from the army and
are at home and | can tell Won where
they all live if you want to arres.
them.s I told him mo; we didnot want
to bother them if they would STAY at
homo and not bush whack us.sI then
asked him The time OF day. and
told him / must hurry on to camp and
be there in time for roll call. and then
left him and as soon as he got out Of
sight l whistled for the boys. They
had heard me talking TO some one
and when / told them who i. was and
what had transpired, they said we
ought to have killed him; but / did
not want to hurt him if it could be
avoided. But be was q very med
dlesone fellow and did great deal
OF mischicfin the neighborhood, with.
out doing any good for himself. He
bad two thumbs OH one hand and was
called double-thumbed John Kerps.
and was killed before the war was o.
yer, by some rebel for reporting. We
then proceeded on our way, and when
We reached Lost River, about one
day. march from Springfield, we met
Licutenant Monioe Blue, belonging to
Gen. lmboden's cavalrv brigade 9th