The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-21
Gfe GtteIEiQsnleG.
Once Nos. 70 and 81 Fouftsepth street.
a MYsrEILy or WEE nEDE1lIoN

A MYSTERY OF THE REBELLlOs
Astory OF the War On the borders of We
Virginia.
0ld Soldier b Neu lotk 7nibuHe.
1t was in virginiaduring the autumn {
1901, the inst year Of the war. l was
sergeant in an infantry company whic
had been selected on account Of its fghi
ing qualities toguard an important poir
on the line Of communications. Tn
South Branch, rising considerable dil
lance above Moorefeld, winds along mort
until itpasses Romney, and four miles be
yond that mountaln.locked natural strong
hold bends abruptly TO the east, on Its wa
to join the greater stream OF the Potomac
AT this bend the turnpike road connectin
Romney, where the Union force was dis
posed, with Green Springs Run, the depo
Of supplies on the Baltimore & Ohio rail
road, crossed the river by q suspension
bridge. The written order to our Captain
commanded him to hold this bridge IT
the last man, II necessary" And ther,
We remained until some weeks later, whel
the Confederates manUuvred our entir'
iorce back 70 Its base on the railroad.
The war had stripped this part Of Nir
ginia Of most of Its people. Hillside anC
valley seemed to belong again 10 the wilt
things Of nature. The scream Of an eagll
soaring in the gray sky would call out :
perfect din Of animal notes. Even tht
handful Of soldiers prowled about a
stealthily as the foxes themselves which
now. and again scampered out OF the laure
bushes. Graceful deer, with spreading
antlers, sometimes peered out from under
the forest growth. One afternoon beal
even made bold to invade a picketpost'i
cooking calnp-Ecttle, licking the fat from
the edge with great relish and contentedly
Looping of before thestartled soldiers coult
realize the character Of the visitor and liz
their bayonets to turn him into better
meat than mess pork.
One evening, Just at 0, as the second
relief was changing posts, the sharp crack
OF musket shot rang out, from down the
river apparently II was a dark night
and nothing could DO seen. AT the shan.
ties the poker.decks were cast aside and
there was hustle for moment, the rush
OF feet, the rattle OF leather straps as the
men put on their harness, curse or two
as some one failed to find his own musLst,
and then all was still again. Cartridges
were looked at, pieces clutched and bal
unced in halt.joCose manner, as if to say
the "Johnnies" would get more than they
came for, and all listened for the next
shot, or a yolley and the order TO "fall
IMP
We had captain and two lieutcnants.
But the fBt lieutenant, a crnsty, good
soldier, who was killed the next J ear at
Anlietam, was serving his turn on guard
that day. Just before dusk, we knew, he
had crossed the bridge with q corporal
and private 10 go 10 the left along the
river and up the rayines, to see that all
was in order at the posts for the night.
Ten Of the men also from the shSnties had
been missing since early in the afternoon,
aud it was supposed they had lodged the
posts in order 10 ford the river, and had
gone to a hut in one Of the rayines where
an old negro had been smuggling whisky
for some time and selling 1t clandestinely
TO our soldiers. The lieutenant had in
tended To visit the hut IN quest Of tho
strpg9lers.
Minutes passed, and though we sto9d
about ut the shanties with arms in hand
no sound came but the murmur OF the
river eddying along under the bridge, the
signing Of the trees, and the cough OF q
sentinel pacing his beat down the road in
front Of the guard.house. Suddenly there
was challenge across the river. "Haltl
Who comes there?n Quick footsteps up
the road brought q messenger, and the cap.
tain ordered mo to take squad to the
guard. house. Down the steep road my
fquad and went at the double.quick.
The moon was rising from behind the
mountains toward Winchester, throwing
herwhile light through the graceful wires
Of the bridye ard athwaTt the trembling
ripples Of the river. IaIranged my men
at the guard-house as l had been ordered,
and took my stand near the sentinel. A
little procession approached US from the
other side and as 1t neared tho centre,
whtre the curving cables seemed almost
to touch ton either flank, We could see 1t
was formed by eight men bearing another
wrapped in. a blanket on their shoulders,
and that it was led by the lieutenant OF
the guard. Behind, between two guards
with. fixed bayonets, reeled drunken
soldier. was called from my astonish-
ment by the sharp voice Of tue officer or
dering me TO give him men to relieve hiR
Of their burden. The eight men and their
burden, and the drunken one who fol-
lowed, were the ten straHglsrs TO the negro
hut.
The transfer was made and the process
sion continued up the road to the shan
ties. The intoxicated man fell to the
ground as he neared The guardhouse with
an attack OF mania ppta, He was q raw
boned, generally weil.behaved Pennsyl-
Sanian. We carried him in and laid him
on the hard bunk, made Of pine,baIk with
Il blanket spread on u. The excitement
OF finding the dead body Of Parr, who was
well liked in the company, had sobered
allof the stragglers but the Pennsylvania
and had made them cautious as to what
they said that could have any bearing or
PARIS ueath. Tho body had been stun
bleci on in the dark by the lieutenant
when on tile other side u tbe river neal
the outlet 70 the ravine, as he was return
ing from the negro hut with the mint
scspegraces he had met there. Before the
body had been carried far, it had been ex
an,ined in tho light Of plcket.tire and NJ
wound or trace OF violence could be found
What was the connection between thu
shot at 0 o'clock and Paris deathP Had
the enemy had anything to do with 1t
more than one shot would have beer
heard, for all the stfagglers were armed
and, drunk IS they may haYe been at TIT
time, or rather because they were drunk
there would haye been 9 lively fnsilade
But all agreed that there Tas but ON,
shot.
on the bpnk; and was held down by thret
orfour men. lie appeared 70 lave no in
terest in aught but the hobgohllns ant
creeping things that assailed him in hi
| fancy. But he had seml-ratioHal mo
nents, when be would situp and carr
on q, conversation with himself In nut
tered incoheFent tones not easy to under
stsnd. And whenever he spoke VI
| listened, DC IL for a revelation. Our onl!
FLIGHT in the hut was nom single candlt