The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-22
THEY WENT TO THE BOTTOM.
a Tragic Episode of the Truce Before
Eredericksburc.

EredertCkSburg.
Amos Cummings, in his last weeks syndi-
cate article, printed story related in the
cloak-room of the House by Col Herbert, of
Alabama. 1t was to the effect that during the
time that the opposing lines were on the Rap
pahannock in 1862, and when the troops were
wont to exchange sugar and coffee for tobacco
and so on, young Yankee had come over
(although the traffic had been proclaimed
Illicit by both sides) and had been caught at
the point of the revolver by Col. Herbert.
After a pathetic tale he was allowed to go
back to his command, and the action of the
Colonel had been approved under the circum-
stances by Gen. Wilcox, in command of the
division
l will relate an incident which occurred
under my own eyes. The incidents which Mr..
Cummings relates happened during what is
known as the Charlottesville battle, or
Second fredericksburg battle. The same
conditions as to the feeling of the troops on
the opposite sides of the stream existed in
the December previous, when Burnside made
his attempt to force passage, or the first
battle
And now for the tale: Pickett's Division
was the exact centre of Lees line-between
the corps of Longstreet and jackson. And
the division, although subjected to severe
artillery fire, did not fire musket shot in the
whole battle Consequently when Burnside
retired across the river the division was
pushed forward to guard the river banks
The pickets on the opposite side became very
friendly. The firing of pickets on both sides
had been abandoned entirely, and ladies from
the headquarters of the Federal commanders
often rode on horseback along the bluffs of
the north side of the river, and were always
1la,,t z1,.to y
AS necessary to my story, it may be stated
that at the point where Burnside laid
his second pontoon bridge (about half mile
below the town) the river was about six hun
dred yards wide and deep and swift 1t has
been said that George Washington once threw
stone across the stream at this point, but
perhaps it will go down to history with the
other tales about the Father of His Country
and His Little Hatchet. At any rate, orders
had been issued by Gen. Pickett, our division
co commander, that to any man shooting down
on sight any one caught trading with the
Yankees would be granted furlough of two
weeks. This was very tempting, of course.
For example, l had never had a furlough, and
only incidentally heard from my people for
nearly two years. But on one side the boys
were hungry for coffee and on the other side
there was hunger for tobacco
One bright day for those December DAYS
were spring-like) happened to be sergeant of
the guard of picket line which extended up
duu uOWu Unc rlVer, ABOVE ana below the point
of crossing of the second pontoon bridge. The
Yankee pickets flirted a white flag and asked
if we would permit them to come over. AS
the officer of the day had just made his rounds,
[ stood in full view, and ''crossed my heart
and Bible" in pantomine that they should have
no trouble.
Presently two cavalrymen of the videttes
came down to the water's edge, and after ex-
hibiting their bundles entered sand scow at
the river side and pushed off toward us.
When they got to our side, after the chatting
and talk between us and the Interchange of
the coffee and tobacco, they started back.
noticed that the scow was leaking and
told the boys that they would have tight
squeeze to get back to the other shore. They
had on the full cavalryman's outft-overcoat,
boots, and so on. They padded out into the
river, and when they got in mid-stream it was
to be seen that they were in difficulties. All
the pickets on both sides crowded down to the
banks and yelled at them words of encourage
ment, of suggestion, ETC., but they padded
steadily until, as it seemed to us, they had got
within ten yards or SO of the opposite bank,
and when safety seemed to be assured the
scow sunk under them. They went down
like a shot to the bottom, weighted by their
heavy clothes and boots, almost within reach
of the hands waiting to greet them.
In all my war experience | never witnessed
an incident that affected me like this, or
which left more ineffaceable impression on
my brain. THOMAS j. MURRAY