Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-11-07

learned that the South woa naa already
alaot; ;ea IN me chances of Lincoln's re-.
~ es, ana our opinion was constant.
y ASKED , about it. This was only fonr
N W. previous to election day in tha
Mofen. sauer rode at nv side m ~ tn ~
Tue tune; He was of good addra s %
1 ana evidently had been engaged ;n
better business before the var He
", was soclable enough to speak about
.auS acaualntances, inquisitive enonoh
to ask if l had sweetheart.s n ,a;at,ssa
n WIN me, and lmpudent enough when 1
produced locket containing fair
orunette's picture to ask il I was GOING
to marry her. 40 6oAAs
When captured, I had in nv Dos
session $1,7O0 in greenbacks IN The
pocket OF my coat which was closely
outtoned up. Sauer learned from one
OF the prisoners of the money I had
ana demanded it of me. I told him
h he WAS IA welcome to every dollar I had,
out that had given up all whom first
captured; Sauer then dropped the
subject. thinking perhaps that he could
ascertain for himself later on. At the
hrst opportunity, however, I convened
the money to the officer in ordinary
clothes, whom thought would proba-
bly, escape searching.
THE MEETING WITH MosBY.
Soon after entering Ashby's Gan. a
halt was made, and there we met John
5. Mosby. the recent United States
Consul to Hong Kong. He asked nv
name and command ; and when 1 stated
that belonged to the Michigan Cav
airy Brigade, he said that was Clusters
Brigade. My reply was that it had
been until recently, when General Gus
ter took command of the Third Cavalry
Division. He accused me of being
with Custer when he had hanged and
shot some of Mosby's men at Front
Royal, and when entered denial he
said that he had a little account to settle
with General Custer. Private Prouty.
of the Seventh Michigan Cavalry, in
formed me that Mosby had spoken to
him and said he intened to hang him.
The man seemed to be extremely de-
jected, and his recital was not alto
gether inspiriting to us. The poor
fellow, who was young, was one of the
number put to death two days later.
We were impressed that hanging
entertainment was in store for us.
While prisoners in barn at night,
again took possession of the money,
and hid it by cutting open the ends Of
my shirt-bands ut the back and slip
ping few rolls in. This I did with
my friends shirt, the officer in ordi-
nary clothes, and the whole amount
was hidden. recognized one of the
guerrillas as an old acquaintance in
Minnesota years before. He said his
property had been destroyed by Union
troops in Missouri, and that he had
joined Mosby in spirit of retaliation.
It was hard to realize, in talking with
this man, whom 1 had known, and
whose family I had known we'll, that
he could kill and had killed many OF
his fellow-beings needlessly. At night
we conversed with the guerrillas and
listened to their recitals of butchery of
Union soldiers, wanton cruelty and
heartlessness to prisoners and other
captives. They had already become
so hardened to such acts and scenes
that they found pleasure in boastful
narratives of them.
"Near Rectortown Mosby's minions
assembled, coming from all points of
the compass. They came quietly,
singly, and by twos and threes, making
at least 600. When all had assembled,
the prisoners, who by this time num-
bered twenty, were directed by the
guard to fall in, the officer in ordinary
clothes being excluded. We were told
that seven of our number would be
selected by lot to be hanged in retalia-
ton for men hanged and shot by Cen
eral Custer. Having had forebodings
Of this fate, this depressing announce
ment was not unexpected. It was
bravely received, although the stolid
faces along our little line of twenty
Union soldiers gradually turned pale
as full realization of the ordeal be-
fore us passed through each mind dur
ing the preparatory pause. To this
feeling was added the horror of the
ignominious death of being hung up to
q tree like a traitor or murderer by
these miserable highwaymen.
"By virtue of my rank I received the
very empty honor of being placed upon
the right of our little line. On my
left stood the only commissioned officer
of the party, First Lieutenant J. G.
uAsSn "
.u,naye !