The National tribune., 1886-04-08
THE FIRST SKIRMISH.
How Some Loyal Boys Eept the JOhnnies from
Capturing the Boat.

Capturing the Boat.
To THE EDITOR: think can give you the
history of the very first skirmish on the Poto-
mac, which l don't think has ever been in print
before. Very shortly after the firing on Fort
Sumter, aud quite q while before Patterson's
army reached the border, the rebels had sew
eral military organizations on their northern
border in Virginia one of which was raised
principally in and around Martinsburg, WA
and they had been sent to guard the river tO
keep the Yankees out and the negroes in. They
were stationed between Faulkwell's Ferry and
McCoys Ferry, and had been there for several
days Finally they called to the old ferryman
at McCoy's Ferry on the Maryland shore to
bring them the ferryboat and skif to the Nir-
ginia side. This he refused to do and then they
told him they would come over after them. This
put the old gent on his mettle, aud he came to
Clearspring, several miles away from the ferry,
and told some of the boys what had passed, and
also of his fears that they would put their
threats into execution. We on the Maryland
shore did not want the boats out of our hands,
and Is or 20 of us boys concluded that we would
go out and give them stand of, anyhow. We
got there after dark and took up quarters in the
ferry house, which stood on a bank ID or 20 feet
above the river and about 10 feet from the edge
next to the river, was picket fence, surround
ing the house and yard. The ferryboat and two
slliilS were tied 30 yards up the river from the
house, and on the far side of stream running
into the river.
The boats were in plain sight from the
picket fence, aud until about a. IN. we kept a
pretty close watch over them. After that time
many of the boys were sound asleep on the floor
OF the kitchen in the house, and only at inter-
walls did anyone go out to see if the boats were
there. We had an odd character with us Chap
man by name), who had been with Gen. Ere
mont's exploring expedition in 1Si6'47, and he
had fallen asleep at my feet, and had on a good
snore, with mouth wide open, when was tempt
ed to let a handful of cracker crumbs pass
gently into that yawning chaSm. Soon we
heard considerable of & racket in that kitchen,
and the writer thought cool air would suit his
health, and he got ont as quickly as he
could and did not venture in again until he
heard the same old blast again, and was hardly
in before he heard an unusual noise and ran
out to the fence, where he could see the river
and to his very great surprise saw the boats
floating down the river nearly past the house,
manned by q crew Of five Johnnies. Soon the
sleeping would-be soldiers were aroused, and
there was quite scramble in the darkness for
our old Harper's Ferry fiint-locks, shotguns,
squirrel rides and Chapmans saber and we
madea valiant charge for the fence on the bank,
shouting, Bring back the boats Surrenderi"
etc. Well, strange to say, they did nothing of
the kind. But the first thing we knew was,
whiz! whiz! as they opened on US with their
carbines and revolvers. We gave them the best
we had with the arms in our hands, but most of
our guns were short range, and to get at them
better we jumped down the bank Just on the
edge of the river and opened quite a fusillade
on them, and soon had the pleasure of seeing
them leap from the boats into the river and
strike for the Virginia shore. The moon had
not yet set, and we began TO use the old squir-
rel rifles on them, as we could see head here
and there above the water; but they soon got
in the shade made by the trees on the Virginia
shore, and We could not see them any longer,
and shortly after we heard them breaking for
the rear. Then the boys began to yell, Come
on with those Sharps riheS!" 1--WE had none,
of courSe,) and it seemed to US that from the
way things sounded in Dixie some one was
making good time. BY this time the boats had
flOated a considerable distance past us, and we
ran down on the Maryland shore got skitf,
and went and caught them, and got for all our
trouble one cavalryman's belt and few car
tridges Thus ended the very first skrmish, l
believe, of the whole war.
We started for home, but the news had gone
before US, as many had heard the firing and the
whole neIghborhood was aroused when we got to
town. We were met with cheers from some and
jeeTs from others. Some Of those great Constitu-
tiOn-loving citizens of My Maryland" talked
of having US arrested, as they claimed, under
the riot act. And let me say to you here that
that was pretty long day to some of the boys,
as things got pretty warm before night, and
we were not sure of our status under the law
at that time.
Almost every man who was in that little
band went into the army, and quite number
gave their lives for their country, and | have
learned that three of our opponents did like
wise for what they considered was their duty.
The writer has met two of them since the war,
and had a good laugh with them over that
nights adventure