Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-06-09

exclusion, for the moment, of the sol
der instinct of mental alertness.
Suddenly he spoke. "Call an or
derly," he said.
When the soldier came forward, he
thus addressed him
"Orderly, go to the church and pre-
sent General BIS compliments to
the three gentlemen dressed in Con-
federate uniform, and say that he
would be glad to see them for mo-
ment.
Without a moments hesitation, the
three came forward, accompanied by
the orderly. After the salute, which
was gracefully acknowledged by thegen'
eral and his entire staff, the general,
addressing them as soldiers" said
81 requested your presence, gentle
men, because suppose you cannot
possibly be aware that you are several
miles within our lines, which have been
very recently moved forward. L do
not know how you propose to get back
to your command, but this do know,
that any way you may choose will be
attend with much risk and perhaps cap
ture as prisoners of war. After what
has transpired to-dav, I feel anxious
that You should get back without being
subjected to the danger and annoy
ance of arrest and probably indefinite
detention" Then, tearing n leaf from
his pocket portfolio, he wrote;
Give the bearers safe escort beyond the
Federal lines. Signed B,
Maior-General Commanding.
This he repeated three times; only,
when he wrote the boys passport, he
said: Confederate boy soldier" He
bowed gracefully as he handed each
one his passport. AS he handed the
boy his, he said: "My son, You are
Young to be a soldier; hope you may
live through this terrible conflict to
be blessing and comfort to your
mother" The boys heart was touched,
for as he turned away, unbidden tears
were in his eyes.
The general continued: "Gentle-
men, please present our thanks oyour
worthy pastor for his sermon to-day.
So, saying, Forward double quick !"
and almost before the three Confeder-
ates had rejoined their friends in the
church, the Federals were out of sight
in the distance.
When five or six minutes had elapsed
in discussing the event Of the day, and
before the congregation had dispersed
to their respective homes, they were
startled by the appearance ola horse
man in their midst, riding a noble
steed, black as a ravens wing, except
where his glowing hide was hecked
with foam.
The rider, who, at the head OF his
command, sat like a centaur, as he
drew rein in front of the church, was
recognized at once by all the congre-
CATION as the famous commander of the
"Black Horse Cavalry" When in
formed of the character of their
distinguished visitors, the part they
had taken, n the services of the day,
and the generous manner in which the
Confederate soldiers had been treated,
he made no comment, but merely re-
marked: "We knew they were here,
and rode hard to capture them, and
should have done so, but for the time
consumed in skirmish with their
picket line. "
"After what has happened. con-
tinued the famous chief of the ''Black
Horse, 81 am glad that we did not
arrive in time. Even now we might
cut them off before reaching Middle
town; but let it pass We will return
to our headquarters empty-handed, as
we came"
The Confederate horsemen dis
appeared as suddenly as they had
come, leaving the congregation stand
ing in that old church-yard dazed
and uncertain whether it had not all
been Sunday mornings waking
dream, the baseless fabric of some
distorted vision. Blue and Gray.