Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-12-26

stricken. into the sawmill, and took
refuge on the upper floor. / knew that If
I gave them time to recover from the
shock of their surprise they could hold the
mill with their carbines against any force
until re-ehforcements reached them. Inc
promptness with which the opportunity
was seized is the reason that they were
lost and we were saved. They were
superior in numbers with the advantage
of being under cover. The last ones had
hardly got inside the mill before we were
upon them. / dismounted and rushed In
| after them. John De Butts. The enemy
were all above me. As l started up the
stems | ordered the men to set hire 10
the mill. I knew the order would be
heard overhead and increase the panic.
The mill was full of dry timber and
shavings, that would have burned them to
death in five minutes. As reached the
head of the stairway Iordered surrender
The all did so. They had the alternative
of doing this or being roasted alive. In
minute more the mill would have been In
flames. Against such an enemy they had
no weapon of defence, and in preference to
cremation chose to beprisoners. On going
out and re-mounting | observed four finely
commissioned horses standing in front OF
the house of Nat Hanna, Union man. l
knew that the horses must have riders,
and that from their equipments they must
be officers. / ordered some Of the men to
90 into the house and bring them out
They found table spread with milk,
| honey and all sorts OF nice dellca
cies for a lunch. But no soldiers could be
seen, and Mrs. Hanna WAS too good a
Union woman to betray them. Some OF
the men went up stairs, but by the dim
| light could see nothing on the floor. Am es
opened the door to the garnet; he peeped In
and called, but it was pitch dark and no
one answered. Ames thought it would do
no harm to fire a shot into the darkness.
1t had a magical effect There was stir
and crash, and instantly human being
was seen descending through the ceiling.
He fell on the floor among the men. The
flash OF the pistol in his face had caused
him to change his position, and in doing so
he had stepped on the lathing and caved
in. His descent had been easy and with
out injury to his person. He was thickly
covered with whitewaSh and mortar. Alter
he was brushed off we discovered that we
had a major.
His three companions in the dark hole
were a captain and two lieutenants, who
came out through the trap door, and
rather enjoyed the laugh We had on the
major. The major was rather dilatOry in
mounting. He knew that the relief was
due, and was in hope not only of rescue,
but of turning the tables and taking us
with him to his camp. But fate had de-
creed otherwise. He was admoniShed Of
the Importance of time to us, and that he
must 90 right on to Richmond, where he
had started to go the year before. AS soon
as possible John Underwood, with
a guard, went on in advance with the
prisoners. Just as we left the railroad
station the relief appeared in sight. re-
manned behind with dozen men as a rear
guard to keep them back until Underwood
had got far ahead. The relief party hung
on in sight of me for some distance, but
never attacked. After | crossed the
Horsepen, which almost swan our horses,
| started off at gallop, thinking the pur-
suit was over. This embroidered the pur-
suers and few came on and crossed over
after me. / saw that they were divided,
and | halted, wheeled and started back ut
them. They did not wait for me, but got
over the stream as fast as they could.
One fellow got good ducking | was
master of the situation. drew up on the
hill and invited them to come across, but
they declined. ] was not molested any
more that day.
When | overlook my command at Mid
dleburg, | found Dick Moran, after the
style of an ancient bard, in the streets re-
hearsing the events of the day to an adj
miring crowd. paroled the privates and
let them 90 home as ! could not then spare
guard to take them back to the COnied
crate lines, which were at Culpepper.
put the four officers on their parole,
to report at Culpepper to Fitz
Lee, and sent with them, simply
rs an escort, an Hungarian whom we
called Jake. On the way out they spent
one night at farmers house. Now, Jake
had been soldier under KOssuth, and hav
ing had some experience in Austrian per-
| lidy had no sort OF confidence in the mill
tary value of parole. When time came
for the officers to 20 to bed, Jake volun-
teered to take their boots down to the
| kitchen to he blacked. He had no fears of
their walking off barcfooted in the SNOW as
long rs he held on to their boots. Jake
told me with Chuckle of his stratagem on
his return. He never doubted that il kept
the prisoners from going away that night.