Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-02-20

this corps should join Mcclellan
by way Of the plank road to Rich
mond, via Fredericksburg, q dis
lance Of less than forty miles, or about
two days march. 1t was thought,best
that. while Mcclellan was going by
way of the Peninsula, it would be safer
for Mcdowell to approach t his way, so
asuot to uncover the city Of Washing
ion, as it placed this body of 40, 900 fine
troops between Richmond and the
latter
Ihe result every one knows. When
Gen Lee found that he could cope
with Mcclellan successfully without
Jaelson'e corps, the latter was dis
patched TO the Shenandoah Valley so
as TO threaten the national capital from
that direction. This had the effect to
retain Mcdowell, and the junction Of
this corps with the Army OF the Peto
mac was not consummated.
At this time the force at Aqua
Creek consisted of the Ninety-tifth and
One Hundred and Second New York
Volunteers, with q detachment of
Pennsylvania cavalry, while the main
body OF the corps lay at Brooks Sta
ton, Falmouth and the city of Fred
ericksburg itself. To the right Of
Brooks Station was the little town Of
Stafford Court House, which was out
side of our lines, and further to the
left was more neutral territory. This
ground was frequently gone over by
scouting parties from both armies, and
1t was almost q daily occurrence that
prisoners were taken by both sides
during these raids. 1t was on one of
these that Major DeLacy and a party
OF his Confederate friends were cap
tured while enjoying the hospitality
OF secession planter. The captures
We're about even, and it was no UNI
common occurrence for an officer or
small party of Union soldiers, who
might stray mile or so beyond our
lines in search of adventure or pig
OF chicken, to be gobbled up and sent
10 Richmond These strolling Con-
1ederates were known at that time as
Suernllas, as many of them were I'M
attached to any regular organization
ana acted Independently. It was con-
sldered at this time q great feat to
bring into our lines couple of ragged
and acknowledging guerliilas.
Many of those scouting parties acted
Without orders, and it was a common
'llng fora sergeant or under noncom.,
who wished to distinguish himself, to
organize party and steal by the
guards and scour the country for cir
cut OF several miles. If they caught
a1reb" it was all right, but if they
ulaht they often found themselves in
the guard house. The writer, then a
raFtain, finding camp life irksome, or
gained a mounted party of ten, and
starting out in the direction of Stafford
soon discovered evidences Of guerrillas,
not pushed on until there was dis
Yahre OF fifteen miles between our lines
ana Libby prison. Upon rounding q
.lfn IN the road and coming upon an
open space near the upper kappahan-
hock, body of about fifty rough-look-
ing horsemen were deserted in the dis
aAce. The discovery appeared to be
MUTUAL, and as fighting was out of the
Question the only recourse was to run,
ana lively run it was. At first we
canned, but our horses becoming tired,
'iie clatter of their horses hoofs sound
60! , nearer and nearer, and our lines zen
nliles away. Fortunately, in the midst
u u a thick wood through which the
road ran, trail was discovered cover
w with underbrush thick enough to
conceal small regiment. 1t took but
a. seconds time to decide what to do.
40 Keep the main road was sure cap