Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-11-10
a Relic of the War.

many thrilling adventures both during
the war and as revenue agent since.
Colonel Chapman was lieutenant
colonel in Mosby's command, and while
with that band of brave men had many
narrow escapes. Five horses were
killed under him during the war; a
bursting shell splintered his ankle; q
bullet cut his spur off close to his heel !;
a rifle bullet shattered his elbow, and i
bullet shaved the back of his head.
Yet Colonel Chapman does not consider
that any one of these was his narrowest
escape. He tells the story of his eX-
ceedingly close shave as follows:
"When the war opened was a stu
dent at the University OF Virginia. In
the first part Of the session OF 90 two
companies of infantry were formed at
the University and one of them was
called the Southern Guard. The OIL
GERS, commissioned and non-commis-
stoned, were graduates and students OF
the college Ned Huston was captain
of the Southern Guard; George Ross,
now chiefsurgeon Of the Richmond and
Danyille. was first lieutenant; and the
second lieutenant was Will Pegram, the
famous young artillery officer who was
killed in the closing battle of the war.
Our company with several others
were among the first to march to Har-
per's Ferry at the call of Governor
Letcher.
''After we had been there a week we
were ordered away, but to where we
did not know; our impression was that
we were going to Fortress Monroe.
When Gondonsville was reached, how
ever, we were sent back to college. We
then appealed to the Governor, who
said we were composed of too much
good material TO go to the front IN u
body, and advised us to go home and
assist in organizing the companies.
II went back to Luray and was soon
second lieutenant in ali artillery com
pany of which VIM. H. Crisp, father of
the present speaker, was first lieuten-
ant John X. Booton was captain. Our
company was ordered from Luray the
DIST of July, 1861, the very day the bat
tie of Bull Run was fought. We went
to Manchester, not knowing that john
ston was left there to reinforce Beaure-
gard at Manassas.
''And at Winchester is where | had
the narrowest escape of my life, an e1-
perience which | would undergo again
Tor nothing in the world.
ave were at Winchester about five
weeks, until we could equip our bate
~, having only two iron six Founders.
We used as n barracks large store
house in the town, and when Lieuten-
ant Crisp, who was an excellent swords
man, was not putting the officers
through the sword exercises, we used
10 take the cannons out, pulling them
ourselves. and practice on some cleared
ground several hundred yards away.
After the practice the men of each can
non would race back to the quarters,
pulling their guns.
Zone day we were racing, as was our
custom, and the men under my COM
mand were moving their cannon
rapidly, and were outstripping the 9th
ers easily.
II had grip on the tongue Of the
wagon, assisting to guide the cannon,
when the front wheels struck rock
and the tongue tripped me oft my feet
and | fell directly in front of the wheels.
A moment later the heavy gun carriage
had passed over me and | was again at
nv place and we won the race.
.'But the time seemed great deal
longer to me.
''When I was thrown in front Of the
wheels / drew my knees up to my chin.
intending to use my back as pivot and
turn out of the way, but was too late.
With heavy thud one of the great
front wheels struck my hip,wounded my
body, and passed over my shins, which
protected my stomach. However,
knew that the worst was to come; the
cannon had not passed over me yet. As
the hind wheels struck me braced my
self and strained with my then seem
ingly puny strength to keep the weight
of the cannon If my stomach, and
succeeded in ST. doing. 1t appeared to
me, however, as if it took the last wheel
Is minutes to pass over me.
''All of my comrades stood with open
mouths and uplifted hands on seeing
me fall to an apparently certain death.
When [ rose to my feet, and running
around the gun resumed my place at
the tongue, they still gazed at me; but
when | spoke they took up the race
again and we won. The only thing |
suffered from was o pair of badly
bruised shins, which were ali right in a
few weeks"
Col. Chapman has had many close
shaves with the moonshiners, and any
number of times he has been fired at
from ambush.
"In 1883 Colonel Chapman and Deputy
Marshal Young were destroying still in
north Alabama when they were attacked by
the owners One of their horses was shot first
and Colonel Chapman left the deputy marshal
to destroy the still and faced the men who
had wounded the horse. but they disappeared
in the thick growth. Colonel Chapman then
attempted TO get to their rear, when one of
the men stepped out in full view, acting as a
dccoy. and began to parley with the revenue
agent. A moment later Colonel Chapman
was shot by man who was in hiding The
ball struck Colonel Chapman in the left wrist
paralyZing his arm below the elbow. The
| two men then ran, Colonel Chapman firing at
| them. but with Ito effect.
Andrew fleTCc. WIZ Has hulcu ocNcldl iHcH
and who is regarded as = dangerous MN, is
the one supposed to have shot Colonel Chap
| man.
Colonel Chapman had another narrow es-
cape in Rabun county good many years ago.
lie was crossing the Gunelokee creek, when
number of moonshiners fired from an aubus-
cade on the opposite side. Colonel Chapman
aud couple of his deputies charged on the
moonshiners and scattered them without any
| injury on either side.
All in all, Colonel Chapman's life has been