South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-02-29


Gross the road leading from Spring.
field to Romney, and they would cut
as OF and capture us; that / thought
we had better wait until they got their
hay, and capture them on their re.
torn; we could thea burn the wagons,
and have the night to 60 out in, and
they could not trail as after night.
But we finally concluded 10 adopt
Eds plan as our actions OF the
day before would be found oct before
night and our plans foiled. Il was a
cold, icy morning, with light snow
on the ground. We did not have
long to wait; We soon heard the wa
CONS coming rattling over the frozen
ground, and prepared for them; there
were pine bushes Ola each side OF tho
road. l was in the front squad and
was to halt the train. Oar object was
to capture; we did not want TO kill
any one or fire gun if we could help
1t; our plan was good ard would
have succeeded well If the wagons
had been close Up, but they were
scattered along the road for a quar-.
ter of a mile. There were three cav
alrymen IN advance, anu when they
got up to our post we ran out and
halted them. One surrendered on the
spot, but the other two wheeled and
dashed into the pines and made their
escape. Some Of the boys fired at
them but did no harm. / grabbed
the bride OF the morse belonging to
the one who surrendered on the spot,
dismounted and disarmed him. aud
was about to mount When Ed. Mont.
gomery came running up and want.
ed to ride back to the rear to see what
was going on. AS soon as We halted
the advance, the rear squad ran ont
aud captured one cavalryman, but
there were three wagons that did not
get into the trap. The wagoncrs and
all who were with them jumped ont
and ran at the first fire, and lot the
horses go, so we had to run to the wa
CONS in order to keep the horses from
running off. There were five wae-
ons and four guards; we got two of
the guards and twelve horses, the bal
ance escaped. As one man was rum
ming across the road Lieutenant Blue
shot at and hit him in the arm; he
then ran to where he was, tracking
him By the blood, and found him in
the pines, took his pistol and let him
go. We were nov in q critical con-
dition; we were in the rear of their
camp ani had to make considerable
circuit to get out. We had to cross
the river aud the main road leading
from Springfield to Romney, dis
lance of nine miles, and then an open
country for two miles before we reach
ed the mountains, and we knew they
would soon have the news and be in
hot pursuit, So we mounted; there
were twelve of US and twelve horses,
but only two saddles; the two prison
ers we took on behind. We laid whip
and went rs hard as we could 90 O.
YER hill and hollow, through woods
and fields, and never Stacked up un-
til we lad crossed the river and the
road lea ling to Romney. When we
reached the foot Of the mountain we
halted to fix the saddle blankets and
arrange the harness, for we had
brought them along. told the boys
we had better get up the mountain
81 de before we halted, for fear Of be-
ing surprised, bat they thought we
were safe from pursuit. We were
sally mistaken, for in q few moments
the head Of the pursuing column came
dashing over the hill not one hund-
red yards of.
Part OF our men were dismounted.
bat we SION ga! Hoped off as fast as
we could go, the enemy yelling and
firing at US as rapidly as possible. We
soon came TO fence running along
at the foot of the mountain and nine
of US rode up to it when Will Daily
threw off IL few rails and we passed
through and up the steep mountain
side. Lieutenant Blue, Montgomery
and MCGraw went to another place
to get through and just as they had
gotten over the fence, as Montgomery
oe'NAAR'Sa w AhOHit- ITO ottudiG luiH-
ed. BY this time the Yankees we're
on them, and captured all three hor-
se5 and McGraw; Lieut.. Blue aud
Montgomery run and hid in the lau-
rels and escaped. At the first onset
We released the prisoners and told
them to take care OF themselves. The
nine OF Us that were together went up
the mountain through the brush az
fast as we could go, the bullets rat.
Ting around us and The Yankees in
hot pursuit. We neatly ali lost orr
hats aud Will Daily bad his eye pat
ont by brush We had no calcula-
ton for fight after we captured the
wagons; we knew our only chance
was in flight but if we had posted our
solves at the foot of the mountain we
could have ambushed them and re.
pulsed them; but we did not want to
hurt any one nor get hurt ourselves
1t we could avoid it. We hail made
"A good caDture and ,vaufal - es,f a.