Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-05


it yet. I was Captain on the staff of
tenth Army Corps. On the morning
of the 10Th of October. 1864, we We're
reused up before daylight by the heavy
firing over on the left. Something was
evidently wrong, and we had our horses
saddled at once. We occupied, with
Sheridan's staff, the stone-house the
Elite House," have heard it since
called-in rear of our First Division.
I was dispatched over to the pike" to
see what the trouble was and report.
I did not reach the pike Immediately;
there was great deal between me and
it to prevent; and as for "reporting"-I
never saw the Nineteenth Corps again
till the next spring.
The morning was foggy, and it was
impossible to see a man at that houl,
more than few rods off but 1 could
see the flashes of the muskets of some
Of the regiments of our corps, and 7
met fugitives from the Eighth in large
numbers going to the rear. A great
noise of shooting, and yell that was
never made by any but Southern sol
diers, was heard from the left, and I
saw enough, besides what these fugi-
tives told me. to be sure that there was
an attack and panic in the Eighth
Corps It would have been we'll for
me if had been satisfied with what I
had thus far discovered, and had gone
back to headquarters with the report.
I should certainly have found head
quarters in the saddle" and they We're
never so near me again that morning.
But wanted to do my whole duty. I
was anxious to see the whole trouble
with my own eyes, that 1 might make
faithful report, and on I went.
To avoid the streams Of fugitives, I
bore well Off to the left, intending to
reach the pike rather below the line of
their hasty retreat. I had not ridden
half way to the pike when I came slap
on four soldiers. The meeting was SO
sudden, in the obscurity of the fog, that
they seemed to rise out of the ground.
At glance I saw that they wore gray,
and that each of them had musket.
[ can see now that if I had acted
with the greatest promptness l nighl
have wheeled and galloped back I'M
injured before fine aim could have
been taken at me; and then, again, ]
might have been knocked dead off my
horse trying it. Twas not quick enough
to take the risk. 1 pulled up, and
their muskets quickly covered me.
They saluted me as "Yank," order.
ing me to dismount, promising to "let
daylight through" me if did not, and
conveying their wishes to me in Other
explicit language. They had the con
troversy all their own way, and
yielded without trying to argue the
question. got down. and was taker
to the pike, and up it toward Fishers
Hill, to place where many Union
prisoners had already been collected
The number was swelled to twelve
hundred by night, and we We're started
up the valley on the long way to Rich
mond before Sheridans cavalry couli
overtake us.
That (said another comrade) reminds
me Of what happened i'll plain sight O
our picket line. off on the left, nea,
Hatchers Run, before that battle haG
been fought.
Our Major was in command of that
part OF the line. lie mad come out
from the reserve with sergeant, and
took the notion to go beyond the line
and see what he could see. It would
not have been wise thing for horse
man to do. They We're afoot, and il
was positively foolish. But they went
full of big head, to tell the truth.
The country was clear in front, there
being nothing but some scattering tim
Der to break the view for perhaps three
hundred yards. [ was one of the
pickets, and I watched the Major anG
Sergeant as they strolled along out tt
the front, probably suspecting no dan
ger. We had seen nothing for hours
that looked like an enemy; but the re
suit showed that hostile scouts may lie
quite close up to picket line, even il
daylight, and their presence never be
suspected.
7