South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-03-07
Four Years In the stonewall
Brigade.
BY JOHN 0. cAsrRn.

0r1o10o.
DY JOHN o. cAst1R.
Private O.. 4. ssl Va. ishssy, ssossvall
BtigAas. lss Diviuiss "a. Osrps. Assy q
Nsrth~s virgisis
[oos7IsUkD.1
They were 90 surs OF killing q that
they never sttempted to pull down the
fence and r,de q down, which they
could have done before We reached
the woods.
Now the way know this to be true
was, they had McGrav prisoner at the
time, and he Wa sitting on . horse
and witnessed It and heard what they
said. Mc0rsw wns sent to Camp
{ hxse. Ohio, to prison, aud saw him
after he wss exOhknged, and haknan.
how many there were and that they
emptied their arms firing at us; he
said he expected to zee us drop every
minute; expected it. too, for the
bullets ratified around as on every
side, aud when We reached the woods
they were pattering the trees; a. we
ran across the field Lieutenant Blue
threw down his carbine but / held on
to my rifle. The woods were very
open and we kept on running as long
as we had breath to run. but we bud
TO stop. and were walking along when
all ut once, bang, bang. bang came
from the rear-they were still after
w. We started of on the run "A
quick as If we had not run any that
day. then aimed to throw down
my Enfield rifle behind o log. but as
threw il the hook in the gun strap
caught in my overcoat and it dragged
along. Says l, old fellow, it you
don't want to leave me will hold on
to you and we will both die together
So 1 picked il up and went on. AT
last we reached some thick UNDER
brush and lay down perfectly exhacs.
ted. We heard no more Of the enc
my just then, but con Guided they were
surrounding the piece of woods we
were in and would have Us anyhow.
So we concluded we had better try
and get across the road, and then we
would be in woods that they could
not surround. We were sneaking
along as cautiously as we could and
bad nearly got TO the road when we
heard horses fee: We dropped to the
ground, the command rode BY not one
hundred yards from as, and appeared
to have given rs up and were ON thoir
way to camp. There wore eighty of
them when they first came on as, but
had afterwards divided. We lay there
until after dark, two OF the worst de-
moralized lads that ever shouldered O
gun. l was very near being captur-
ed three times that day, and don't
know how many times came near
being killed; was afraid of my own
shadow; to hear brush crack would
brighten me. Oh, | was terribly used
up; if had seen another Yankee /
would have run all night. After dark
we concluded We would slip back to
Thompson's and sec If the horse was
still there, but were afraid the Yankee
had left part of their force there on
the lookoutfor US. We finally started,
and after going some distance we
heard some one talking, but it was
some people going to church; we
then ventlred on and when we arriv-
ed at Thompson's we found the horse
still thore. Some OF tho blacks had
seen Liutenant Blue throw down bis
carbine, and had gone out and found
it. We saddled the horse and lett,
and concluded to 60 to Union mans
house near there and stay all night,
that IT they searched Tor Us they would
hardly search his house; and then he
was an honest Union man, Union
man from principle, not Union man
Tor development a. some were. lie
said we should stay all night, but it
they came TO search for US he would
have to tell them we were there, but
he would manage that we should have
chance to escape first. We knew
we could trust him, aud we slept, oh,
how sweet. II was one of the most
eventful days OF my life, and always
called it Running the Gauntlet
The next morning we started on to
Lost River to meet the balance of our
party at the place we had appointed !;
bet when we got there we found none
bnt Will Daily who was suffering
from the loss of his eye; they had all
gotten out safe, aud concluded that
we had been captured, aud had gone
on to Gen. Imboden's camp in Au-
gusta county. 1t was therefore ar
ranged that should GO to camp with
Lieutenant Blue and he would make
sale of our captures, and divide it e.
qually, when | should return with my
share aud Daily's, anil theu Miller,
Daily and myself would go to our own
command in Eastern Virginia.
We parted then; going with
Lieutenant Blue aud Miller and Daily
remaining. | have never seen them
from fhaf lac N, fhio In N foo, .t....