The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-09-03
MURDERED ON PICKET.
How the Rebels Crcpt Up aud KILLED Ist y. Y
Mounted Iinrwau

Mounted Rinsman.
EDIToR NATToSAL TRIBUNE: ] was much
pleased on reading in yOpr issue Of April . the
article entitled a Severe Lesson Taught Rebel
Eushwhackors" as / can vOuch for It's truth
fitness in all its details. The jacket and sab,r
that tie boys Of the 18th Pa. Cav. found be-
lyugcd 10 Hugh HeatheriugtOh. "a member Of
my company A, lst y. Y. Med Rifles. On the
night Of june lG, 1863, | was Sergeant Of the
outer picket at Suffolk, Va, and Hugh Heath
criugtOn was one Of the picket, and had just
returned from New York the day before where
be had been on furl0uEh 10 see his widowed
mother; be was her only son aud only sup
port Daring the day he had been relating 10
me what pleasant time he had while iu New
York, aud what a s0rrowlul parting he had
with his dear mother; how he had tried 10 con-
sole her by telling her that the war would soon
be over, when he would return 10 part no more.
Poor fellow, how little did he think that be
would SO soon return a murdered man. AZ II
O'Clock that night took Henncssy aud Heath
criugton and placed them on the outside post,
with a caution not 20 speak louder than n wills.
per, and 10 keep their horses as quiet as pos
sible aud also 10 keep sharp lookout, as the
IeJs were stealing up and shooting our piclcts
every night llcathcriugtOn replied that he
hoUcd they would come that night rs lac would
like % get shot at them. Those were tie last
words / ever heard him utter. ] had Just got
/ back TO INC llChti-ti1llDn, which was au old
log house about 100 yards IN from the road aud
with prCseutimcnt IA my mind that something
was going % happen, ] lay down on the floor OF
the Old log house, but not 10 sleep. / had not
lain there more than five minutes when heard
a y0lov. ] jumped up and hurried the men
into their saddles, aud we gailopcd down the
lane TO the road When we reached the road a
horse came Palloping past ! yelled Halt"
/ but there was no halt, as he was riderless. At
/ the same instant another horse came flying in,
aud / again cried Halt" ID was 20 dark !
could not see whether there was a man on him
/ OF not until llenucssy, for it was he spoke.
/ could hear a stream Of blood pouring out Of his
/ horses breast. lie said that he was not
wounded but be thought HcathcrugtOn was
! killed as he had seen him fill from his horse.
4 ] sent him in 30 Headquarters 10 report, know
! ing that his horse could not live long the way
I he was bleeding. We found Ieathcring,on in
tho road with two balls through his forehead
/ The rebs had stripped him Of his jacket, saber,
aud carbinc, and new pair Of cavalry boots
that he had paid $50 for in New York also his
watch aud pockctbook. ] was relieved next
morning, aud shortly after arriving in camp
| was delighted 10 hear that our friends, the It'll
! Pa. Cav, lad avenged his murder aud recovered
his Jacket aud sabcr Our company had Heath.
cringtons body embalmcd and sent home by
| express One Of our men accompanied the
body aud broke the sad intelligence 10 his be-
reavcd motheE-THOMAs Ransom, Orderly,
Sergeant, Troop 4, LIST ". Y. Md Rifles, It'll
n. Y. Cav, Pluckemin, n. j.