The Portland daily press., 1891-08-28
THE BOY MESSENGER.
How Loyal Woman Saved a Union
Army.
REASON Brace in PhIladelnhia TImes !

Just after zen. Is. L. Kelley received
orders from Halleck to concentrate his T..
900 men on the north side of the Potomac
within striking distance, to the westward,
of Lees retreat from Gettysburg, it was
hoped that Meade might be able to follow IN
the repulse by an attack, and Kelley had
orders to advance with his veterans and at.
tack Lees flank when he heard the first gun
OF Meade's action with the retreating Con.
federates. For three days his force lay on
Its arms along the crest of South Mountain,
anxiously awaiting the signal. 1t was known
that Meade and Lee had been iu close
quarters four or five days, ana the thunders
OF battle were expected any moment. KEEL
ley's veterans were wrought up to the fight
ing pitch. and were literally spelling to get
at the "Johnnies. This was especially SC
of Mulligan's famous Irish brigade
On the Morning Of July IA Gen. Kelley
senta scouting troop from the RlDggold
| Cavalry, which returned three hours later
with information that during the night Lee
had crossed the Potomac Kelley immediate.
ly marched. without orders. to Willlamsport,
where the crossing was made, hoping to
catch belated brigade or two, but he only
got few stragglers and some abandoned
property. An order reached him here from
Gen. Halleck to proceed to Cherry Run,
seven miles above, cross the river, and
harass the enemy's right flank. This order
came near losing the whole OF Kelley's force
to Lee, for Ewell's corps. after crossing, had
gone ten or twelve miles up before striking
back into the country, and Kelley's crossing
at Cherry Run placed him not on the enemy's
right wing, but between two of the retreat
ing columns.
Kelley marched up Black Greek seven
miles. In the night of July 1916, and went
into camp In gap of North Mountain, with
Headquarters in the pretty little village of
Hedgesville. Lees troops was struck with
terror when they found out that the Yankees
were in force at Hedgesviile. They thought
that 1t was Meade's army In hot pursuit
which had thus caught them saddle-bagged
across NORTH Mountain, But there was Joy
in the rebel camp when the report came that
| 1t was only Keley's little army, instead OF
Meade's host of 100. 600, and plan was i'm.
medlately made to capture 1t. A council OF
war was held on the night of the 10th at the
| residence of Charles James Faulkner, Min.
| lister to France under Buchanan, which was
temporarily Gen. Lees Headquarters The
Faulkner homestead is known as Boydville,
and is near Martinsburg.
1t was arranged that Gen. Jubal Early
should take large force and move swiftly
through Bakers Gap, about eighteen miles
above Hedgesville. and thence down Back
Greek to within reach of Kelley's rear, to be
ready to attack at daylight on the 18th, while
Gen. Ewel was to engage Kelley simultane-
ously in front. The plan was well laid, and
ttxy
certain to result In his destruction had he
not been saved by an almost miraculous cir
cumstance.
The council of war was attended by a
negro man servant, belonging to DR.. E. Boyd
Pendleton, who had been loaned to the
Faulkner household on account of his talent
as c0mpounder of mint juleps. to wait on
the distinguished officers. While serving
juleps, cigars and other concomitaats OF
Southern hospitality the darby kept his ears
was going on. When the council was)-over
he went home and told his mistress, Mrs. DR..
Pendleton, what he had heard. This lady
was strongly loyal, and at great personal
sacrifice she had held out alone and fearless
~ against all her people In maintaining her
to crush Kelley she resolved to apprise him
of his peril, and she sent her faithful black
man with the message, but EwelPs pickets
would not let him pass, and he came back to
his mistress. Then, with woman's ready
tact, Mrs. PendIeton decided to send her
son, Nathaniel, ten years old, to warn Gen.
Kelley.
She gave the lad a small basket and told
him to say to the guards that he was going
out to pick blackberries. The pickets patted
him on the head and let him through, telling
him to look out for snakes and Yankees and
not to forget to come home. 1t was but half
| a mile to the Federal line, and there little
Nat told the officer in charge that he wanted
to see Gen. Kelley, but no amount of quizzing
| could draw from him what his errand was.
| Finally the officer took the boy on his horse
| and carried him to headquarters. The Gener-
| al was alone. When the picket officer retired,
| the bright little fellow told Kelley that be
was going to be killed. The General was
ling information, and he asked the lad how
he knew 1t. The boy replied archly that he
knew IL because his mamma had said so.
Then, with returning elf-possessiop, he re-
membered more Of his message, and ne told
the General sententiously that all the
Yankees were going to be killed, too!
The Generals serprise gave way to amuse-
meDt. He thought he had found a funny
case In the youngster. He took the prattling
child on his knee and coddled him after the
manner or a fond parent. Presently he asked
sportively when the awful things were going
to happen. The little fellow quickly an
swered that the Yankees were to be killed
the next morning at daybreak.
The lads tory was now taking shape and
the General, being a man of shrewdness and
sible meaning. The thought flashed across
bis mind, he told me- Can there be plot to
destroy me that the child and his mother
know about? Can this be a warning? Thor
oughly aroused and little alarmed. he now
proceeded to draw more information from
the boy about the direful event. With kind
ly and playful manner he set the youth al
ease, and then came the whole story, chat
tered out innocently and brightly and with
out restrain.
Gen. Kelley now saw the Importance of the
boys errand and without moments delay
ne despatched squadron Of calvary under
Capt. Hart, gallant and trusted officer, to
scout the Back Creek country as far up as
Bakers Gap. This was at in the afternoon
between and the calvary came back at a
st0rming gait with a report that Early's
| troops In great force had gone into camp al
| Tomahawk Spring. short distance above
| at o'clock.
| The warning was thus fully confirmed and
Cen Kelley concluded the best thing to do
was to break camp and get away as soon as
possible. He ordered bis men to gather as
many fence rails and dry limbs as they could
| and make line OF fires, whichShould satisfy
the enemy that he was lying in bivouac
calmly unconscious of his impending fate
withdraw down Back Creek to the Potomac,
and the retreat was executed in perfect
military order. The artillery moved first
| the infantry next, ana the cavalry guarded
| the rear. At midnight the little army was
| all at the river and the first streak Of dawr
| broke upon the last man ready to wade
| to the Maryland shore.
With the precision sof an action in The
drama large force OF Confederate cavalry
came dashing down the creek, with mighty
laundering of hoOfs and the wild blare Of
many bugles, just In time to find its game
beyond reach and drawn up In line Of
battle on the other shore. ready to receive
early callers But the cavalry had no mind
to make such q call. With loud yells and :
few stray shots 1t headed back up the creek
on slow trot
Thus smart Virginia woman foied three
great II not the greatest, Confederate lead
ers in one Of the best pieces Of strategy the
history of the war affords.
Gen. Kelley did not forget his little savior
He had carefully noted his name, and as the
| years passed by, after peace was restored,
| he watched the youngsters growth until he
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