Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-12-03


encamped near Smokers Gap, in
the Valley Of the Blue Ridge.
This occurred early in October,
1862, and Miss Ruffin soon became
accustomed 10 the hardships of war
and army life. She marched and
fought along with her comrades and
acquired the reputation of good
soldier. She served all through the
winter of 1S62-'63, took part in the
battles Of Fredericksburg and Chan
cellorsyilie without receiving q
wound, and was finally.made q pris-
oner 1t the battle Of Gettysburg.
She vas one Of . detachment sent
to Fort McHenry, Baltimore, and
while there made the acquaintance
of Frederick Hastings, the son of
an honored Maryland family living
near Prince Frederick, but who had
enlisted in the Twenty-Seventh
Virginia Regiment, q part of Stone
wallis Jackson's original brigade,
and who had, like herself, been cap
tured on the field of Gettysburg.
Hastings had relatives and friends
in Baltimore, and he proposed to
his young companion that they
should attempt to escape to them.
Miss Ruffin consented, and on the
night Of August 20, 1868, they
dropped from the barrack windows,
slipped by the guard in the dark
ness, stole d boat from one of the
adjacent wharves at Locust Point,
and before dawn were in the city.
Ere the sun had risen they had ap-
piled for admission to the house ef
q Mr.. Blakely, a relative of Hast
ings, living on st. Paul street and
were warmly greeted.
Before escaping from Fort Nc
Henry, Hastings had given Miss
Ruffin, who had enlisted under the
name of Charles Evans, a ring,
which was to play an important
part in their future career. It was
q plain, old-fashioned circlet of
gold, with a small emerald set deep
in it.
The two refugees remained in the
Blakely house all that day and a
part Of the next. About noon of
the next day Miss Ruffin incautious-
ly exposed herself at one of the rear
windows overlooking the yard. The
family residingnext door were named
Huntingdon and were ardent Un-
ionists. A young son caught a
glimpse of Miss Buffin, who was still
in gray uniform, and promptly in
formed his father, who soon report
ed to Col. Fish, the provost mar
shal, that q rebel soldier was con-
cealed in the Blakeley residence.
Col. Fish sent O guard to the
place, and Miss Ruffin was re. ar
rested and taken back to Fort Nc
Henry. It did not occur to the
commanding officer to search the
house, and consequently Hast
ings escaped recapaure. He short
ly afterward made his way into Cam
ada, thence to Nassau, in the Ba-
hamas, and by blockade runner
back to the South by way Of Charles
ton. He rejoined his old regiment,
fought until he was wounded at the
battle of Hatcher's Run, in the
closing days of the war, and return
ed to his Maryland home at the
downfall Of the Confederacy.
Meanwhile Miss Ruffin had been
seized with sickness upon being
placed again in Fort McHenry, and
was taken to the post hospital,
where her sex was discovered and
her romantic story revealed. She
was at once released upon her con-
yalescence and became an inmate Of
the Blakely residence. But she was
too proud and self-reliant to remain
a dependent upon friends, and soon
secured an independent support as
school teacher in private school.
Three years after the conclusion
Of the war Miss Rufiin was paying
q visit to Washington, and was at
the theatre one night. Seated next
to her was q gentleman whose face
seemed strangely familiar to her,
but she could not identify him.
That was no wonder, for Hastings
had grown a beard and aged ten
years in his features siuce she had
known him in the Confederate ser
vice. She noticed that he freouent-