Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-02
Graphic Story of the Mysterious Cap
ture Of Five Confederate
Soldiers by
4 MANIAC OF THE MOUNTAINS.
The Strange Being Whose Mad Antics
Caused Reign of Terror in
Bragg's Army.
DRIVEN INSANE By A CRUEL WOUND.
Hs Made War Upon the Troops and Finally Net
Most Horrible Fate
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH

rcoREFsPoNpENcE OF THE DISPATCH
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, July 31.-"Speak
ing of thrilling incidents of the late wal
which have escaped the historians" saic
Captain George Anderson, of this city, II
the writer, did you ever hear the story o.
the Wild man of the Cumberland Noun
taip?' In four days that strange individual
succeeded in frightening and demoralizins
the officers and men of my company worse
than the scream of shot and shell or the
sight Of whole brigade Of Yankees had
ever done.
"When Bragg's army was falling back
through Tennessee, before the battle Of
Chicamauga, a stand was made at SteVeson
and Bridgeport, Ala. The two little towns
are situated at the foot OF the Cumberland
mountains, near the banks OF the Tennessee
river. The enemy were close behind us, SO
when our army went into temporary camp.
batteries we're placed in position and our
rear was we'll guarded by scouts and pickets
in order to prevent a surprise, and TO be pre-
pared for any sudden advance. Ny COM
pany was one of those detailed for picket
duty. We formed part of the outer line
of pickets some three or four miles IN the
rear OF the main army.
A STRUGGLE WITH THE WILD MAN.
az had only 90 men In my company at
that time. One-hall of them were on duty
at night the other half during the day. The
pickets were placed almost so yards apart,
as number of scouts were detailed to watch
the enemy in front of US. In placing my
men on the picket line 1 visited each post.
Near the center of the line man was sta
toned at the mouth Of a narrow, dark-look-
ing ravine, which led up somewhere into the
mountains. The post was under large oak
tree, and at night the spot was so dark
man could not be seen ten Ieet away. The
first night we we're on duty Andrew Mason,
one of the best and bravest men in my CON-
pany, was at the post under the big tree.
when the pickets were relieved the next
morning Mason was missing. His gun was
found on the ground at the post. and there
were signs OF a desperate struggle, but
Mason could not be found. His gun had
not been discharged, and 1 thought small
scouting party of the enemy had crept upon
him unawares and taken him prisoner.
ordered the scouts in front to keep close
watch for foraging or scouting parties of the
enemy, and when the pickets were changed
at sundown cautioned the man who took
the post under the big oak to keep a careful
lookout and not get captured.
A SECOND PICKET DISAPPEARS.
'That night some of the scouts came in
and reported that there was not a blue coat
within ten miles of us. The second morn
ing the picket under the oak was gone. His
gun was there and again there was evidence
of struggle, but outside of a circle of 20
feet we could discover DO foot prints and the
mans capture was q mystery.
1.-THE mysterious capture of two pickets
somewhat alarmed the men, but the man as
signed to the post on the third night did not
finch. He was a strapping young fellow
named Brown, as brave as lion, and when
1 cautioned him to be watchful he answered
with a laugh that it would take q whole
company to carry him off alive, Next
morning Brown was gone. He had been
captured and carried off in the same mys-
terious manner. By this time my men were
alarmed by these mysterious captures and 1
was almost convinced that the men had de-
serted. 1 determined to put man on the
post that night could trust, and make an
effort to solve the mystery.
STILL ANOTHER DISAPPEARS.
"when the hour for relieving the pickets
arrived, the day man on the post at the
ravine was missing and his gun found lying
cidedly sensational and l determined to
clear up the mystery that night. Calling
Sergeant Motion aside told him of nv be-
lief that the men were deserting and asked
him to take the post that night and clear up
the mystery of the affair if possible. He
readily consented, and l retired to my tent
confident that the sergeant would be found
at his post the next morning. Imagine my
surprise when a lieutenant came to my
tent the following morning and informed
me that Sergeant Motion was missing. 1
hurried out to the post and there found
the sergeant's gun and plenty of evidence
that he had not deserted.
Sergeant Motion was a powerful man
physically, and his struggle with his
captors must have been desperate one in
deed. The ground was torn and trampled
for space OF 80 feet, and there were blood
stains everyW here. l tried to trace the
men and their captain, but she ground every
where around was covered with loose stones,
and there were no footprints.
THE MEN TERRIFIED.
When the news of Sergeant Motions
capture spread through the company it
caused general alarm. The men swore the
place was haunted, and giant ghosts had
carrid away our pickets. Idon't be-
lieve man in my company
would have volunteered to go on that
post. I made up my mind would solve
the mystery that night if it cost me half my
company. During the day I detailed five
men for duty at the oak, and they were not
molested. When night came 1 placed
maa there, as usual, telling him would
Then taking ten picked men, men whose
courage could rely on, I stationed them at
short intervals 80 as to completely surround
the big oak tree where five OF my men had
been so mysteriously captured. My orders
were for everv man to remain perfectly
quiet until he heard a struggle under the
tree, then all rush to the relief OF the man
on the post. There was to be no shot fired
if it could be avoided. wanted TO capture
the mysterious enemy alive. l took posi-
tion inside my line of guards and about 30
feet from the tree.
The darkness was intense and the silence
oppressive. Not a sound broke the awful
stiffness until near midnight, when l
thought heard a faint noise among the
branches of the big tree. listened intently,
and soon heard plainly the rustling of the
branches as though some wild animal was
moving about in the tree.
IN THE WILD MANS GRASP.
ut was probably five minutes after first
heard the rustling among the branches OF
the tree when some object fell to the ground
with heavy thud. Instantly there was q
cry OF pain or terror from the sentinel uu-
der the tree, and L shouted to nv men to
rush forward. As we closed in we could
only see two forms struggling as if for life.
ordered my men to seize both, and as
quickly as possible I made light. NV
picket was in the grasp of giant. A man
clothed in rags, with long matted hair and