The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-16
TOlDlN THE CLOAK ROOM
Congressman Cummings Hears
Some New and Novel Stories
Of the War.
Col.Herbert and His Brave Yankee
Prisoner at Banks
lsS Ford.
Tbs Sad Fate of y Devoted Slave Who
Would Follow His Master to
the Field.

S~AN L
the Field.
Especial Correspondence of The INDEPENDENT
WASHINGTON, March 4.-Col. Hilary A
Herbert, of Alabama, AM a New York mem
Der of congress were seated in a cloak room
of the house not long ago,s smoking fragrant
H~avanas. Colonel Herbert was in The Con
federate army, and the New York repre-
sentative was sergeant-major of a New der
sey regiment, The fight at Fredericksburg
after the capture of the Heights iii May
1862, was the subject Of conversation. The
talk drew out many a Renaissance. Col
Herbert was under Gen. Wilcox near Banks
ford when the Heights we're taken. The ser
geant-major crossed the river on pontoons
u mile or more below Fredericksburg and
was in the assaulting column on Sunday,
May 8. The Heights were carried by the
old Sixth corps. Sedgwick made an effort
to effect a junction with Hooker at Chan
occurred ON the same evening. Wilcox
swung SO far to the right that he fianked
Sedgwick's left, came down the hill and re-
C8DtuTeu ETeQSIlChSDuEks lodNlAS SllSIS
john upon the Heights.
On Monday evening the c~onfederates were
reinforced from Lees army and made a
charge upon the union lines. They were
repulsed. After dark, however, Sedgwick
drew back. He occupied the intrench-
ments at Banks Ford vacated by Wilcox.
A pontoon bridge had been built across the
Rappahanuock late in the evening, and the
Sixth corps recrossed the river before day.
light.
For weeks afterward the pickets con-
fronted each other with tho Rappahannock
between them. There was very little firing,
and the utmost good feeling existed. The
serve on the union side of the river. A
confederate officer of the day appeared
early in the morning on the opposite bank.
His rank and duty was indicated by his
sash. The instant the officer in charge
of the union pickets saw him, he shouted;
"Turn out the guard, officer of the day."
arms to the Confederate officer, who &C
knowledged the compliment with a CRATE
full salute.
There was so much good fellowship
among the pickets that it excited comment
among the division and brigade officers.
Orders were finally issued on both sides to
prevent the interchange of commodities.
Col. Herbert's pickets were stationed at
Scott's dam, half a mile above Banks
Ford. One day. after the orders were is
sued, the colonel was riding along the line
he saw a stalwart Yankee wading
across the river. The Yankee was within
thirty feet of the confederate shore when
the colonel halted. He was about to re-
trace his steps when the colonel shouted,
Halt, come ashore"
The Yankee held a newspaper and said
that he had come across to trade coffee,
sugar and newspapers with the confederate
pickets upon the distinct understanding
that he would be allowed to return.
$50 I thought the colonel shouted.
t'You deserve no consideration. You know
ashore, sir, you are a prisoner"
The Yankee demurred. Thereupon the
colonel drew his revolver, pointed it at him
and said, "Obey orders. Come ashore in
stantly.'
The Yankee waded ashore. and stood
upon the bank in his wet clothes. He was
a strong, stalwart fellow, and had a manly
bearing. Marching up to his captor he
saluted him. thumped his breast and said
in a firm voice: Colonel, shoot me, but
don't take me prisoner. | prefer death to
capture. l am a new recruit. l have been
in the army only two weeks. l came from
Michigan. / would rather suffer death than
have my friends learn of nv capture under
the present circumstances"
The appeal touched the colonel's heart.
He regarded the soldier tixedly for a mo-
ment or more and then said: Return to
your lines. But understand that hereafter
n man that crosses the river will be de-
tanned as a prisoner.
The soldier thanked him and waded back
to the union pickets."
Upon arriving at General Wilcox's head
quarters Colonel Herbert said: j., General,
/ have broker our orders. have allowed
a prisoner to return to his lines" He tn on
told the story of his adventure with the
Yankee picket. swell, colonel" replied
General Wilcox, after due reflection, "if l
had been in your place l should have done
precisely as you did,"
And that was the end of it.
Col. Herbert said that not long after
wards he was riding along the picket lines,
when he heard a Yankee shout from the
other side of the river: ''Ho! johnny have
you any good horses over there?"
YES; heaps OF them," was the reply.
well, send one over and I'll beat YOU
running" the Yankee shouted.
Not much" was the answer. "You al
ways beat us running. You have had more
experience than we've had"
week or so afterwards the colonel was
again riding along the picket line. He saw
in the river a little boat, a foot or more
but bore a tiny mast from which a little
Confederate flag fioated. 1t came across
the river slowly and reached the exact
point occupied BY a Confederate picket,
"What is that?' the colonel asked as the
picket lifted the boat from the water. The
soldier somewhat hesitatingly passed it tc
the colonel. Upon the flag was the wore
"Dixie.' Within the boat was a little
package of sugar and coffee, with a note,
saying: "Please exchange tobacco fol
these"
Nobody seemed to know anything about
the boat. The Confederate picket was
dumb. But the colonel readily understood
where it came from. Some of his soldiers
wore from Mobile, and were experienced
naval architects. 1t was a rebel craft de-
signed to run the blockade. 1t had done SC
successfully for many DAYS, and its cargoes
OF sugar and coffee were highly appreciated.
The lines of the little craft were so beauti-
full that the colonel carried it to his tent
and placed it among his camp eauipape,
He intended to keep it as a souvenir, but
when he awoke next morning it was gone,
Whether it re-entered the service or not is
not Known.
Gen: Hooker, of Mississippi, appeared in
the cloak room. The general has but one
ARM. Something was said about the fidelity
OF the blacks to their masters. He told d
touching story about a faithful black ser
want upon his plantation near Jackson.
Before he went to assist in the defense oil
Vicksburg, he called the slave one morn,ne
and told him to take the horses on the place
to a plantation a hundred miles below
where they would be safe from capture,
h attachment of the servant was SC
strong that, with tears in his ewes, ht
begged to be allowed to 90 with his master
He vent to Vicksburg with him. TIL gen.
1-nBN Aarak x.n- ,,A., H. -,