The morning news., 1892-03-27
GARRISON OF TWO MEN
ausHwaACKIHG Ex PIE RIENCE
TOLD BY AN EX-CoNFEDERATE.

Incidents to Show How Many OF the
Confederates Took Upon themselves
Individually to Attack Companies OF
Union Infantry or CsTslry Durias
the Late War.
aFccon|ederate" fn Net0 York Adrsrtfser
Connected with the late war there were
many individual transactions which would
bsof interest to readers Of the present day
if narrated by those who took part in them.
THESE transactions were not reported at
headquarters and there is no record Of them
save in the memory of those who partici-
mated IN them. These Darrstions should not
necessarily beget unkind reoollections or ex-
cite feelings of animosity or hostility, and
will not in those who enacted an honorable
mart in that great strife.
Actuated by these motives propose in
this article to place on record for the irst
time my experience In some events which
transpired in the Piedmont region Of Vir-
Qinis in the fall Of 1862, at ThorouRhfare
Gap, promising my statement with the as.
sertIon what l have recorded is strictly
true, and that there are others, now living,
who can substantiate what may say.
bUsHwHACKERs AND BUsHwHAoKxRs.
Before proceeding further it is necessary
that should state that there were bush
whackers and bushwhackers. As matter
Of history, am sure those to whom the
serm Of bushwhacker might be- applied
throughout the whole confederacy were not
a very honorable class of soldiers and their
occupation and mode Of pursuing it were not
very commendable and would not bear
the light of exposure. but there were others
whose circumstances and necessities oom-
PEELED them TO engage in that mode Of war
fare. and the way in which they conducted
i5 leaves nothing for them to regret nor
gives them occasion to blush at its remem-
brance.
1t may not be generally known that in the
late war the south did not furnish the SOL
ders OF the cavalry with horses, but re-
1ured them to furnish their own, for which
the government paid them about Sl2 a
month. II soldier had his horse killed or
otherwise disabled he was compelled to sup
ply himself with another. Those whose
homes were IN the limits of the confederary
could readily accomplish this by drawing
upon stable resources at home, but to those
whose bones were without the lines of the
confederacy 10 was q duty not 80 easily ac-
comnllshed. He had either to buy, steal or
capture it.
THE HAMPTON LEGION.
had joined the army from Maryland. l
bad served the tirst year of the war In
the cavalry of the Hampton Legion, aud as
a Marylander was net subject TO conScrip-
ton aud was therefore discharged from the
army. Owing to G physical inflrmity |
could not serve in the infantry, therefore
resolved to join the cavalry.
To purchase horse ! was unable, to steal
one had hardly dared; but horse had to
lave and concluded the shortest way out
Of the difficulty was to draft upon Mr.. Lin
c)ln for one through one of his WELL
mounted cayalrymen. In accomplishing
this result, gained the experience which |
am about to relate.
STATIONED AT FAUQUIER.
Lees army had returned from the An
eetam campaign and was at fredericksburg
facing the union army under Burnside
There we're no troops OF either army sta
toned in Fauquier, that region of country
being protected by scouting parties sent out
from the garrison Of Washington. | con-
cluded that this presented the best field for
operations of my army of one Therefore,
betook myself there at once.
As soon as l arrived there was joined by
a relative, who is still alive, and as l have
no right to make use of his name, | shall
designate by the letter f. Early in the war
+. had manifested his Spartan and dare
devil courage, together with most unerring
marksmanship. A year before Geu. EwelI
had presented him with a Sharpe rifle for
his courage and skill displayed in attacking,
unaided and alone, train of cars loaded
with troops, upon the Alexandria and
Manassas railroad. Thoroughfare Gap,
which was owned at that time by my uncle
and being upon the turnpike from Alexan-
dria to Warrenton, we deemed the best
point Tor our operations, as it would be the
route taken by all scouting parties passing
through that county.
THoRoUGHFARE GAP.
Thoroughfare Gap was so often described
IN the newspapers as TO be quite familiar to
she readers OF the war period. But to the
younger generation am sure q few words
Of description will not be amiss. 1t is a
gap in the Bull Run Mountain, ten miles
from Warrenton, which is the county seat
Of Fauquier. and eleven miles from the bat
tie field of the second battle OF Manassas.
through itpasses the turnpike leading from
alexandria to Warrenton. 1t is a deep,
narrow defile in the mountains, with Sugar
Loaf mountain on the right aud Biscuit
mountain on the left as you advance to
Warrenten from Alexandria. Biscuit
mountain is Immediately overlooking the
pike
In order to supply the deficiency in num-
osrswe built fort with the loose rock lying
~ HoiOueAJ dFOuuO. n. was armed with
MS truSty rifle and with Belgian musket,
nshed up from a stream of water, where it
nad been thrown by some soldier of Popes
rstreatinR army.
AN IMPRovIsED FORT.
This fort, which was still standing few
years since. was built about breast high
with what may be termed two embrasures
ana portfolio below. Through this port
aole was pointed a Springfield musket,
nhlch had also been fished out of q stream.
me musket was aimed to command with a
'aklng fire the nearest section OF the turn
pEe, about fifty yards distant. 1t wss
"aded with eight fingers of powder and
Menty~seven pistol bullets. 1t was fired by
& lanyard attached to the trigger, with a
& .age rock placed at the butt of the stock,
"prevent its kicking entirely OFF the noun
dn' Though we had what might be
'snl ~tned one or two minor engagements, l
1i limit myself TO the history of one,
tao N
carly one frosty morning in October, 1862,
81 y! uncle came into our room and aroused
n, n, aId myself with the exclamation, "Get
S " boys, the gap is full of yankees"
MI. liiectlng that the gap was a quarter
haS ~s Instant you may be cure be did not
coW! @,e % speak but once. Hurrying on our
sroulng and graspirg cur arms we soon dis
10 pteaFed IL the mountain, and proceeded
T;.t ee Tort. We found Col. Percy Wyndom
ma". Two regiments of cavalry and two
wers VS. OF artillery at the gap. The men
osI vle aHmounted and strolling about In the
Ssra, ry, ,uiavlug ordered breakfast TO be pre-