National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-05-09

In former article spoke Of the dis
bandment of Capt. j. w. Jackson's artil-
lery company and Of tho causes that
led to IL. After that some Of the
philosophical citizens Of the vii
iage of Fairfax Court House made
IN attempt to bring the company to-
gether again, and for that purpose
boarded some thirty or forty OF them ct
their own expense at tho hotel in the |
village, kept at that time by @. W. M.
Hubbell, q constable Of this city at this
time. As 1 was to be one Of the lieuten-
ants of this company to DO raised l did |
mos connect myself with any other or
ganiEation, though nearly all the men and |
youths capable Of bearing arms had |
Jumped into the arena and enlisted Hat |
footed, as it were. The project finally |
fell through, owing chiefly to the inert |
ness Of the man who was to take the |
place Of jackson, Capt. James Thrift, a |
soldier Of the Mexican war, and in the |
meantime was looking around to con-
slider what IL was best to do under the
stress Of the war fever then raging.
On tho morning OF the 9th Of May,
1861, l was sitting in my fathers Office in
the courthouse lot, consulting with him
as to whether IL would not be better at
once to enlist than to wait under the slim
prospect of joining the army as COM
missioned officer, when the station ear.
riage from Fairfax station (Orange and
Alexandria railroad) was seen coming
down the road at full run toward the
postoffice. We at once hastily made for l
that point, as did most of the inhabitants
Of the village, for Virginia had seeded,
think, the day before, and an advance
from Washington was fully expected. The
station driver, amid his excitement, man
aged to blurt out: 1.-THE Yankees have
taken Alexandria Capt. Balls company
Of cavalry has been captured Jim jack
son has been killed, after killing Col
Ellsworth, of the Pet Lambsv The Alex
andria companies have retreated up tho
railroad, burning the bridges behind
them p
THE HOME GUARD AROUSED.
Now, in all the counties Of the state
there had been organized prior to this
period companies of home guards, con-
sisting Of men too old or too young to
bear the hardships of campaign in the
field. In Fairfax county Alfred Moss,
clerk of tho county court, was captain Of
this guard. Fearing that the federals
would at once advance up the Loudoun
and Hampshire railroad, and perhaps
capture Loesburg, which would put them
dangerously on the flank of the force
then assembling at Manassas Junction,
Moss called for volunteers who could
mount themselves. and the writer and six
Others responded. Tho object was, if
possible, to get to the bridge over Diff
cult Run, and burn it before the federals
eould take possession of it. This bridge
oh ia tn,, "a
Leesburg, and once burnt IL would take
the federals some time to rebuild it in
their advance MP tho railroad. Well, we
mounted our horses and set out at steady
lope for the bridge all of us tolerably we'll
armed for that period. As we galloped
along and neared the bridge we imagined
that every gust of the breeze through the
pine-tree tops was the noise of tho ad-
vancing federal train, and l tell you we
were nervously apprehensivo that the
federals had passed us already. Capt.
Moss cautioned US not to fire at any blue
coats 1--WE were all in citizens dress) until
we were fred upon first. When we got
within half mile of the bridge the noise
of o train passing over the road was
plainly audible, and we thought the
game was up and were about to return
o Fairfax, but Capt. Moss was determined
10 SEQ what was going on anyhow. AS
we rode up to a house just above tho
bridge we were Informed that the noise
was caused by some section hands, who
had taken the last locomotive and num-
Der of passenger cars, which were on
the side tracks at Vienna station, to run
them out of tho way of the enemy.
THE BRIDGE TO BE BURNED.
We at once went to work to gather
materials to burn the bridge Gt was a
nd fVA as ahF Ia
long, and to place inhammable stuff at
each end at tho angles of the stringers.
These preparations had nearly been COM
pleted whom citizen informed Capt.
Moss that there were still on the side
tracks at Vienna some twenty empty
freight cars and as many gondola or flats,
and that they could be saved if once
started, as it was down grade all the
way from Vienna to some distance be-
yond the bridge. Capt. Moss determined
to try and save those cars, as he could
render the bridge sheet of flame at
moments notice, now that his propara-
tions for burning it had been completed.
Accordingly, ho detailed me, in COM
pany with Dallas Powell, to ride across
country to Vienna and get the railroad
laborers to aid us in getting OFF the cars
,'lf possible. Powell and l started at full
tilt, but we were much delayed by ladies
stopping us on the road and demanding
to DO told the news. However, we were
furnished with a one-horse wagon by
these fair sympathizers, And, besides
more lunches than We could have eaten
in a month, they dumped in also all sorts
of firearms, from the old six-foot rifle of
the last century to the old hint-lock
horse pistol of the Mexican war. You
see, they expected an immediate ad-
vance of the enemy, when they
thought Of course all these weapons,
antiquated as they were, would
be confiscated. When we arrived at
Vienna, leaving Powell to hold the horses
so as to be ready for hasty flight If
necessary, l approached the store of Mr..
Lydecker who was also postmaster and
h0telkeeper, and requested the twenty
five or thirty men who were lounging
about the portico of the hotel to assist me
in getting the cars oil, explaining at the
same time under whose authority | made
the demand. One and all seemed loath to
aid in the matter, although they treated
me politely, with one exception.
THE UNION SETTLEMENT LOYAL.
Now this settlement was principally
of northern men, as IL is to this day.
When asked assistance, one DIR. Lloyd,
we'll known as d rabid abolitionist, but
who had committed no overt act until
this day, stepped out Of the crowd aud
said
"At last retribution is about to seize
upon the Shareholders. We will not aid
in running OF property of use to the gov
ernment So, young man, If you know
what is good for you, you will go back
quietly the way you came"
replied that wanted no quarrel
with anybody, but ifany one interferod
with mo in getting Off those cars IL would
be worse for them.
DR.. Lloyd said: Just see, gentlemen,
the arrogance Of this Virginia spawn.
He assumes TO dictate to men old enough
to be his father"
After more elimination and recrimina-
ton. during which | had drawn my re-