Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-01
WARTIME APPLE JACK
The Fiery Kind That Was Found
Throughout the Old Dominion.
COURTING IN THE ENEMY'S LAND.
Some of the Susceptible and Soldier
Welded Virginia Girls.
INCIDENTS DURING 1864 AND 1856;

| the Baltimore american. In our company
Jacob Henderson married girl at Beverly,
W. Va, and viii c. Amos married one in
London county, Virginia On the night of
December II, 1864, when encamped near
Winchester, Va, a German boy named
Henry, member of the First Battalion of
our regiment-the Fourteenth Pennsylva-
MIA Cavalry-came into our company and
inquired for Captain Duff, the Commander,
who was minister before the war. Henry
wanted to get married. He was raw re-
cruit and knew but little English. He had
been detailed 70 guard house occupied by
| a family which rented a small farm, and
while doing guard duty had fallen in love
with the farmers only daughter, a girl
about 49, He said the girl had promised to
marry him. He did not see Captain Duff,
as there was some excitement in the COM
pany that evening over the loss of some of
our company, who were waylaid by Mosby's
command
Early in the morning of that day Captain
Miles, commander of Company 1, was
ordered to take charge of scouting expedi-
ton, and move toward Ashby's Gap. A
few men from each company of the regiment
we're detailed for the occasion. Near Mill
wood, six miles from Berryville, Va,
Mosby's men, who were hid in the woods,
pounced upon Captain Miles and his men.
They killed u, wounded 10 and took all
prisoners. Curt Pontious, of our company,
who made his escape to tell the story, came
into camp riding horse of one of Mosby's
men. Pontious was covered with blood He
chad large saber cut on his head. After
Pontious had surrendered, giving up his
weapons and horse, somehow he managed to
knock the guard out of his saddle, jump on
the guards horse and make his escape.
Captain Miles was among the killed. He
was handsome man, and as brave as lion.
His remains were sent home to his father,
Judge Miles, Of Erie, Pa.
The next day Henry was ordered to re-
port to his command and get ready for a
march. He had to postpone his marriage
until New Years Day.
LAND OF CORN AND APPLE JACK.
On the morning of the 10Th the whole
cavalry corps, commanded by General Tor
bert, started towards Gordonsville. Va The
corps was made up of four divisions. Most
of this cavalry was from the Army of the
Potomac. 1t was sent to the valley
few months before On our march We
passed through Chester Gap, and on the
night of the Goth we encamped in Rap
pahannock county, Va. As we had no
wagon train, We depended on the country
for feed. Each regiment marched by
twos; some regiments did not keep closed
up. As there were fully Is, 900 men in this
corps-more cavalry than 1 ever saw before
marching in one column-it took from early
morning until the middle of the afternoon
for the lire to pass by US. Six from our
to wait nearly all day before our company
in, he of hp
While we were waiting noticed lot of
men who were drunk. This country was
land of corn and apple jack. L did not
notice drunken officer in the whole corps.
The drunken men were all privates. Many
of them were tied to their horses. They ap-
peared to be in good humor, and those
who were not too drunk to sing sang their
fayorite song:
"We'H all drink stone blind,
Johnnie, fill up the bowl"
Mosby's men followed after the rear
guard. In one way Mosby's command was
a help to our army. 1t kept our men from
Struggling That night we encamped near
Madison Court House.
WANTED TO BE FREE
'swhere in thunder did you come from?
What do you want? Can't you keep your
big feet out of my frying PAM" said a SOL
dier that night, as he lay on the ground
wrapped up in blanket to an old colored
man who came through the woods to our
camp, stumbling over saddles, haYersacks
and frying pans.
The old colored man said: sT wants to
see de boss OBJ de Linkum sojers. 1 wants to
git free
"Free?" said the soldier. ''Why, man,
you are already free"
The old colored man said: Else free, is T?
Is my wife, Lizer, my chin and gran'chil'n
free?''
'eYes," said the soldier, "you are all free,
for on the first day of January, 1868, Abra- |
ham Lincoln with quill pen broke the fet- |
ters which held 100000 slaves"
Early the next morning, the 22d, we left |
Madison Court House. The day was clear |
and cold, and stiff breeze was in our faces. |
Our regiment was one of the advance regi- |
ments. We galloped our horses through |
the fields and skirmished with the enemy |
for 20 miles AtLibertv Mills, on the Rap |
pahannock river, the enemy took a stand, |
and skirmished with our division for over |
an hour. Our division withdrew and en- |
camped behind hill. Firing ceased on our |
side of the river, but the enemy kept throw |
ing shells over our camp, and now and then |
a spent bullet would drop among us. We |
knew that the enemy had not men enough |
easy. General Torbert sent a division to J
cross the river some miles above Liberty A
Mills. 1t was to move down on the south
side of the river, close to where we had tho |
skirmish. Across the river stood large |
brick farm house. Some of the soldiers |
went there for flour, but found it deserted. |
After we went into camp Henry and some |
other bows also went for -four.
Soldiers often had orders read to them not |
to take anything from house. Once SOL |
der who belonged to our brigade was |
drummed out of the service for stealing sill |
verware Another, who stole a book, was |
made to eat part of it. A boy in our com
pany took beehive and carried it in front |
of him on his horse for ten miles The next |
morning the boys had plenty of honey and a |
few bee stings. The boys called taking |
things confscating.
RUNNING A RISK FOR HIS GIRL.
When Henry went to this house for -four.
which we were allowed to take, as we had /
no wagon train, and our rations had given
out, his ewes rested on a red quilt which he
thought would make nice present for his
sweetheart He put the quilt under his arm,
his horse and started back to his
company. He knew that it would not do to
let any of the officers see him with the quilt.
He thought he would 60 around hill and
reach his company without being noticed.
and then he could wrap it up in his rubber
blanket. But in going around the hill the
enemy's sharpshooters got sight of the red
quilt and sent a shower of bullets after him
He was little too far away TO be hit; hut as
this was his first fight, he was scared half to
DEATH but he held on to the quilt 4
Just at twilight that evening We heard
musketrv. It was the division which Gem
eral Torbert had sent up the river some 4