Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-03
A WAR INCIDENT.
FIRST INVASION OF BRUNSWICK
COUNTY BY FEDERAL CAVALRY.
How seven Brave citizens Captured Thirty
ficked Federal Cavairymen-An Tn
knoysn Fish Epidemic.
icorrcs.,ondoOco of tho Richmond Dispatch

kNNltts tfondenco OF Nie hichnoO8 Ultfafch.i J
PKrrrsnURo, Va, May 2, 1890.
Tho subject 81 the lecture, or talk"
delivered before the A. T. Hi Camp OF
Confederate Veterans last night was THE
llrl Invasion OF Brunswick County and
ihe Remarkable Capture Of the raiders"
Ihc lecturer was Captain j. ". Jones. ser
ccant Of the city. and il is almost needless
a. say that the audience was a deeply in
forested one. Two Of the citizens engaged
g. this capture are at present ministers Of
fie Gospel. Captain White lives in Cali
iornia. The incident was only briefly
mentioned IN The papers at the time. and
iui statement 81 the affair has never
lc.a before published. As matter of in
forest 90 the readers of war history I send
ihc substance OF Mr. Joness account Of as
daring and brilliant a little episode as oc-
Cured during the war:
General kantz, IN command Of three
thousand cavalry. left General Grants
tgmy on the 10th Of june, 1864, for Blacks
rrl Whites. On the Southsidc railroad.
v .orc thcy mot General FitZ Lee on the
800 sEd 2lth and were ropulsed. EcUten-
ori Edward Z. Brooks. A. A. G. 90 General
uunt, LEFT General kautZ at DinwIddlc
courthouse with thirty-tWO picked men
w0.l armed and finely mounted. He had
rrior, % so 20 BurkeYllo Junction, or the
lii-h Bridge. add If possible, 90 burn this
bridge the destruction of which would
u,v" caused great loss TO the Confederacy
~ the cutting Of Of supplies from both sol
dltra ami citizens.
TIN PICKED COMMAND.
Lieutenant Brooks and his picked com
mAud passed The farm Of Mrs. Ann Mason,
where Captain George ID. White was stay
ing after having been severely wounded IN
the battle Of Getty burg Captain White
and his mother and grandmother were
sitting m Tire front porch when they heard
noise like the tramp of many horses. and
Captain " hic remark was, There como
our soldiers lie and ms mother went ont
go the roadway. only short distance from
rho house. IL was nearly DARK, and they
supposed the approaching troops 20 be
Confederate cavalry. They soon discover
cl their mistake. Us they saw the blue
rlats passing the gate. Captain Nhlte
WAS informed that he was prisoner.
and was ordered TO mount "a horse and
a. with his captos. These were the first
Federal soldiers ever IN Brunswick county,
md Captain Whites surprise was very
ar. a. when informed lv the officer IN COM
raud that "hs had heard of him. he
t0ld Lieutenant Brooks that be was badly
wounded and could not ride horseback,
hut would go in an ambulance. The Oihccr
insisted that ne should 90. hut fnnlly con-
tcn..d that Captain White should be
uaro'ed and should promise not 10 inform
fh. Confcderate~ Of the strength of bis
command OF the road b. should take.
Captain White told him this was lmpOsei-
i'.. es 10 was dark and ne could not count
i.e men. nor could he tell which road they
would take, a. theTclWcrc two roads within
Joss than a mile from the gate. and added:
" lOu must remember that General Grant
and General Lee have recently pub
l-hei general orders that no more
verbal paroles would be binding Lieu
lnut Brooks said he was aware Of
f-. ard then remarked that this
,.." must be an ,roeDt,or 10 those orders.
l. again tried 10 make Captain White get
IN O. horse behind ono of his soldiers, hut
Poe finally desisted ON discovering that
Captain White was 80 weak and sick.
Lieutenant Brooks had several citizens
a. prisoners whom he compelled to ride IN
tfont guides.
THE sryFN CITIZENS.
Early next morning six or seven citizens
arrived at Mrs. Masun's and aroused Cap
fIiu White 20 consult as what Wa best 90
TO- done. History should record and pre-
t,rve the names of these citizens. and they
nr. given here. Dr. T.. B. Jones now an
lp .r0pal minister, Mr.. r. 4. Jones NOW
20 PRESBYTERIAN minister, Mr.. Edwin
fraser. Colonel William Thomas Mason,
SIR. f. II. Epes. l.. Foster, and Mr.. Robert
Tucker. The two Mcssrs. Jones and Mr..
rascr were the ones who conceived the
'doa of capturing BrooEs's com
mand. Their consultation was brief.
They dOuuod uniforms 20 give them
She appearance of soldiers. and headed 10y
Captain White. dashed on in pursuit of the
Federal raiders. After going SIX or seven
miles they passed The spot whore the
enemy had eucamped for the night and
about sunrise came IN view of the Fedc-
Ynls at the house Of Mr.. James Elmore,
about "a quarter of mile from tho road.
They were IN TIE yrd feeding t1em
horses. high, fence on, either
side of the road and friendly trees
protected the little party of pursuers
from sight Captain White formed his
men abreast near Tho gate facing the house
whore they could bee seen, he put spurs 10
lis horse. took MS hat IN his hand and
dashed 40 full speed into the camp Of tho
a~touislcd enemy and called for Lieutenant
Brooks. There WAS great CONSERVATION
soldiers saddlmg and bridlng their horses
some getting their carbiues ready TO fight.
and some running 70 the house. soon
Lieutenant Brooks came ont and salutcd
Captain White 10y name. when ne was III
formed blythe latter that an immediate and
unconditional surrender was demanded.
GAM or BLUFF.
Lieutenant Brooks began to curse, and
nsked Captain White If be had not paroled
him the night before. Captain White sand
Yes. but that ne said that be would not re-.
gard a verbal parole.
Lieutenant Brooks declared that he
would not surrender, and his men all said
they would die with their officer. Captains
White told them they wore his prisoners,
and should surrender or be killed that he
had a regiment of cavalry IN the road.
Lieutenant Brookss men told him 90
heht it out: that the - war would
never end, and they were as willing 20 be
buried thore As anywhere else When
Captain White heard TINS he said that he
3olC he Gns gono man. and
imagined hi@ 3elt hanging from one Of the
trees in Mr. 'Elmore's yard. Seeing that
the men were determined, Captain White
faid that a. he considered himself as act
ing under flag of truce he would 20 back
90 his command and they could COM
mence hostilities. Lieutenant Brooks
consulted with his men and asked
what must be done. They determined
80 fight il out and not surren-
der until oyerpOwered. Captain White
told Lieutenant Brooks that MS command
did not take prisoners, aud that when they
charged upon them they must expect TO
be killed. and to fight until the end. Lieu
tenant Brooks asked what kind OF warfare
this was He was informed that II was in
stltuted for this special occasion; that his
men were surprised and eXasperated 20
think that hc tBrooks) had expected
TO 90 through the enemy's coun-
Try. where every man was armed.
with such q small force and commit depre-
dations and arrest citizens; that IL was a.
much as he could DO TO control them. as
they were impatient TO charge upon and
cut them o. pieces. Captain ". turned
lis horse as though about 20 return to his
regiment" telling Brooks that his men
would commence firing as soon as he
coached the gate.
sUREKNDERED TO SIX CITIZENS.
Lieutenant Brooks again asked his men
what should be done. They We're more
reasonable now and said they were willing
IT, leave the matter % him. Captain White
felt then that he would not be hung; he
told tho Federal soldiers that they were
bravo men and that no did not want TO
take brave mans life.
After some talk as to the conditions Of
surrender and the disposition 10 be made
ST the prisoners, Lieutenant BROOKS told
h.s men that he thought the best thing
they could do would be surrender, pro-
vided they should be taken 10 Blacks and
Whites mounted This was promised, they
leaving their arms. Brooks knew that
EAutz was az Blacks and Whites, but
thought Captain White was ignorant OF