The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-03-06
A Story of the War.
BY AN EX-REBEL.

Never, till life and nlclnoIy perish,
will stries of the war of the Union
cease be told, with the 'circum-
stances which gives them an interest
not to e found in history. Here is a
good oe:
Afte Sheridan's troops had carried
out aorder to burn ten square miles
of the 1anandoah Valley there was a
more liter turn to the war waged in
that lollity. Many of the confederate
farmerwho had been neutral, or had
tried t'be, now became guerrillas and
bushwlckers and lost no opportunity
of killig federal.
Afte that burning Mosby had no
difficult in securing all the men he
could andle, other guerrilla bands
sprangnto life in various valleys and
scruple at nothing which would Grip
pie thenemy. I know that scores of
federabrisoners, who would otherwise
have len treated as prisoners, were
shot d0n as soon as captured on ac-
count { that burning.
Amog those who turned bushwhack-
ers wasan old man named Humphrey,
livlEgabout two miles from Strasburg.
He ws 62 years old, quite lame in one
leg firm hip disease, and up to the
burnig was looked upon as a kind
heartd, good-natured and forgiving old
man. The federals burned the houses
and brns of his two sons, further down
the valley, and one day two or three
drunkn soldiers came to his house and
demaned dinner. He refused to give
them nything. One of them drew a
revolvr to shoot him down, but the
weapo was accidentally discharged and
Mrs. humphrey was mortally wounded.
Aftc her death and burial old Hum
phrey disappeared and was next heard
of in he mountains. He lived in a
cave ad became bushwhacker. That
term hardly strong enough. He be-
came man-hunter. While a confeder-
ate insentiment he had little to do with
them, securing his arms from his federal
victim, and his few provisions from the
farm-buses. In his old age the man
becam an avenglng spirit. There was
something appalling in his tireless VII vim;
about cmp5 laSd AID 3 plcSetposi and march
ing columns, and took desperate chances
to CRAFTY his Unsuitable thirst for blood.
If he cane across three foragers together
two wold certainly bite the dust and
he void not hesitate to attack even
where he number was five.
In ne year old Humphrey killed
thirty-ix federals. I make the state.
ment n the authority of people who
saw tn tally. The old man preserved
a relic from each body-knife, ring.
watch:hain or button-and there was
no chnce to miss the number.
Oneday in making scout near Cross
Keys, 1 was discovered by a scouting
of tenfederals, and ran into the noun.
tains. The pursuit did not end here.
Some 2f them dismounted and hung tc
my tnil for another hour. 1t was in
avoiding these men that l accidentally
stumbled upon old Humphreys hiding
place. 1t was a veritable cave, warm
and dry, and well hidden, and 1 had
entered it before I knew it was occupied.
The od man was not at home, but had
scarcely detected signs that the place
had an inhabitant when voice called
from the gloom at the rear end:
For Gods sake, who is it-Yank Of
Reb?'
'Reb, l guess. Who are you?'
'Then there is no hope!' he groaned
I struck a match and advanced to
wards him. On a rude bench was ;
dish of fat with a rag in it for a wick
and as soon as had lighted this coulc
see everything in the cave. On th'
hard stone floor lay prisoner tied hane
and foot. He was federal, a seconC
and belonged either to th'
Twenty-ffth New York or the Twenty
fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry. Having
afterwards lost my notebook I am no
sure of the regiment.
The cave contained a bench or two
a pile of straw and two or three quilt
for bed, and lot of trophies in tn
way of guns and sabers.
'Who are your I asked of the mai
as l bent over him.
Lieut.. Johnson of Sherman's Caval
ry,' he answered.
'How came you here?
4 was riding with dispatch last even
ing when l was bushwacked and mad
prisoner. I have bullet in the lei
shoulder
'Who brought you here2'
'An old man, who acts as if he wei
crazy
1t was the first prisoner old Hun
phrey ever took, and l greatly wonder
ed over it. His policy was to kill, an
how came he to spare this mans life
'Who are your suddenly asked til
prisoner,
'One of Gen. Early's scouts.
Then I have no hope. You ma
have the heart, however, to hand me
drink of water. I am burning up wit
fever.
There was gourd on the bench an
the purest, coolest water ran down tt
rock at the door. l raised the man
head and he imbibed more than pin
His hands were tied together at tt
wrists and the cord had sunk deep in'
the flesh. l severed the bands wit
my knife and rubbed his hands uni
the circulation of blood was restored.
God bless you for that! I have su
fered death twice over!' he said, sort
breaking down like woman.
His wound had not been dressed.
propped him up, cut away his coat ar
shirt, and washed off the blood ar
dressed the wound as well as possib