The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-01-26
"REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST.
Elk President HAYES Stationed at
Cumberland During the War.


Fx-Presldent HAYES was well
known in this city during the war,
having been stationed here during
the winter of 1906. About seven
or eight Thousand Union troops
were ,ncamped on Rose Hill, about
one mile from the heart of the cItv
on the night of February 3lst, 1865,
when that memorable capture of
Generals Crook and Kelly took
place. and among the number in
camp was Gen. Rutherford B.
HAYES, who was buried Friday at
Fremont. o., and who was at that
time not quite so prominent as he
afterwards became in the military
aud political history of the country.
Major Harry Gllmor. of Balti-
moie,- at that time was stationed
near Moorfeld, W. Va. and among
his soldiers were John r. Fav and
Sprigg s. Lynn, of this city, and
Jesse Mcneil and G. Richie Hal
Ter, of Missouri. The former was
cradled in the mountain ridge
around Moorfeld, and was sou of
~6spt. Tohn Hanson Mcneil. who
was mortaIly wounded near Mt.
Jackson bridge, in the Valley of
Virginia, October 4, 1864. in a
charge on a company of the Twelfth
Pennsylvania Cavalry. Young
Jesse was ANXIOUS for promotion,
being then first lieutenant of the
company, and determined to cap
ture Generals Crook and Kelly,
not knowing that General HAYES
was also in camp. The confede~-
ates marched fifty miles. the COM
mand beng composed of sixty-five
Marylanders and Virginians, who
were virtually under the command
of Fay and Lynn. Among the
number selected to capture the two
generals was James Daily, who re-
sented the attentions of General
Crook to his sister, now Mrs. Crook,
who was raised in Oakland, which
was then in Alleganny, but now in
Garrett county. Gen. B. +. Kel-
ley was then at the old Barnum
House and General Crook was at
the Revere House. Lynn arrested
General Kelly about 2 a. M, Wash
ington's birthday, and Daily ar
rested General Crook. The raiders
captured eight of the finest horses,
among the number being General
Kelly's horse Phl'ippi, named af-
ter Phillppl, where General Kelly
fought the first battle of the war,
and was wounded. Shortly after
the departure of the Confederates
the alarm was given, and COM
pany of mountain men overlook the
fugitives near Romney, W. Va,
ana n sxirmish followed, but they
did not recapture the generals.
This event caused much excitement
throughout the country, and was
commented upon largely in every
direction. The captured officers
were sent to Richmond, and shortly
afterward exchanged. 1t was said
by some that the secret of their be-
ing captured was that they wereat.
tending to the ladies more than to
their military duties. General
Crook married Miss Mary Daily,
of Oakland. and General Kelly
married Miss Nora Bruce. daugh-
ter of Colonel Robert Bruce, of
Cumberland. The battle of Phil
ippi took place at 4 a. M, June 3,
1861, and General Kelly was
wounded by an ounce ball fired
from an old flintlock musket, with
which most of the Confederates
were armed during the early days
of the war. General Hayes, part
of the time, while in Cumberland.
boarded with Mrs. George Thurs
ton, who was an applicant for the
Cumberland postoffice during the
Hayes administration, which was
gwen to the late Colonel Henry j.
johnson.
The last important visit of Gen.
eral Hayes to Cumberland was
memorable one, it being the occa-
sion of the reunion of the old SOL
diers of the Army Of West Virginia,
which was the greatest event of it's
kind in the history of Cum berland,
and took place September 8, 1883.
Ex- President Hayes had been pre-
sent at the agricultural fair during
the fall of 1882, and FIVE thousand
people we're present. At the re-
union Generals Crook and Kelly
were also present, and these three
prominent men attracted q great
deal of attention.
The reunion lasted several days,
and Gen. Hayes made o speech
which referred particularly to Gen.
Crooks good work among the In
dams. Since that reunion in this
city Generals Crook, Kelly and
Hayes hsye all died, but the meet
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