Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-21

the First Division of the Ninth army corps.
n was on what was known as the PEBBLES
farm. 10 the left of Petersburg. II fell TO
me 10 net as division officer OF the day
quite frequently. On September 30th we
had a very sharp engagement at Poplar
Spring church, adjacent TO the PEBBLES
farm. Late in the fight l had been or
dered TO take my regiment and deploy on
n swamp. MY brigade was TO skirmish
there to protect the left fank OF the army
While | was out 10 the left beyond the
swami a division of the Confederate army
crept In between the Fifth and Ninth corps
10 nv right. IL got in the rear OF our di-
vision and forced part OF u TO fall BACK
very rapidly, leaving me alone exposed
beyond the swamp. We had O hard time
TO get out. lost quite number IN Killed,
wounded, and prisoners. / shouted the
number Of my regiment repeatedly IN raj
living INV men and IN drawing them out OF
the swamp.
"All this Is preliminary to what hap
pened two or three days afterwards. 1t
was on the morning Of the Thursday or
Friday following President Lincoln's re-
election. was acting rs division officer
of the day. One of my duties was 70 ride
the entire length of our division line to
inspect il. was to report everything that
appeared upon the line OF an unusual
character 10 the general commanding: l
started upon the left of our line,
where Fort Fisher was afterward con-
structsd. As soon as i came up TO
the outer line, / saw . Confederate officer
opposite on the rebel line. He rode a
large iron-gray charger-a fine horse.
There was no firing at this time. AS i
rode MP on our side he gellantly saiuted,
no doubt recognizing my rank ana Guty,
which was apparently the same as his own.
We rode each upon his own line until we
came TO a square earthwork, on what was
called the Square Level road. In passing
through piece Of woods we lost sight of
each other. As we came out of the
woods the rebel officer rode upon the
earthwork and waved newspaper
toward me. 1 understood what IL meant
EXCHANGE NEWSPAPERS.
at was an invitation to exchange news
papers. General Hartranft. afterward
Governor of Pennsylvania, had joined me
and was sitting there upon his horse. lie
was corps officer Of the day. l said :
General, what do you say ? Shall ex-
WeT.' he replied. i have no doubt
there would be something very interesting
in that paper, The Confederate CONGRESS
has lust assembled and it will contain jeff.
Davis's message. I'll risk it. You may
make the exchange
81 had no newspaper with me, but Hart
ranft gave me several. and the officer on
the other side advanced into little hol-
low. Accompanied by my orderly, rode
forward to meet him. His orderly was
with him. We ranged alongside OF each
other. / noticed that his revolver was
pulled we'll down in front. So was
mine. We maintained perfect courtesy,
however. He saluted, and i did the
same. ,,.x,,-..
be said by way of introduction.
~ replied, Colonel Cutcheon, of the
Twentieth Michigan
"Ohl' he responded, the Twentieth
Michigan. heard the name the other
day in the little affair of the 30th of Sep
tember.'
I've exchanged few words. Then he
said. Il would like 10 exchange papers
81 replied that / would be glad to &C
commodate him.
"Ipulled ont the newspapers that Gen;
eral Hartranft had given me and passed
them over. He pulled outtwo newspapers
in return and turned them over to me
They were Richmond papers, the VIII
and Examiner, / think. They contained
the proceedings ct the opening OF the Con.
federate Congress, and the message Of
President Davis. / didn't open the papers
then, but simply jammed them into my
'asHe asked. whats the result of thu
electionp'
:" Lincoln is reelected answered.
You don't say so p he responded.
"Yes,' said !, he is reelected. He ha
carried every northern State except New
Jersey
"fDid not Mcclellan have the vote o
the army y he asked.
"In our part of the army said /, Lin
coin carried it by nearly four votes Il
one.'
/" Ny God = he calculated. is that so |?
''Yes.' said i, that is So
"'Well, them he replied, there is no
ter end
"No,' i said, there is nothing els
left
HE turned his horse and rode away.
did the same. / rode back To Genera
Hartrantt. AS l pulled the papers from
my pocket l saw written upon the margin
Of one Of them the words: