Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-30
AS TOLD BY CAPT. COWDREY.
Interesting Narrative of His Capture of
Capt. Richard u. Wiuder.

| ham Cowdrey, copy OF which was sent to
! Adjt. Gen. Peck to be kept in the archives
in the adjutant generals office in the State
House at Montpelier. Capt Cowdrey re-
sdos in Bradford, VT, aud is n confirmed
invalid, mado so by exposure and suffering
during the war. He enlisted in 1861 in the
Bradford company, LIST regiment, three
months and afterward in 1862 as a private
in Co. e. 0th regiment for three years. He
left Vermont as 1st sergeant and returned
home after almost four years service as cap
tain of his company. He was on picket
with Capt. Leaven worth and Lieut.. Joel c.
Baker OF Co. X, 9th VT, the night before
the capture of Richmond, Va, and shared
with them the high honor of leading the
| first infantry troops into the confederate
| capital upon the morning Of its surrender.
| Capt Cowdrey was one of the best soldiers
and bravost officers of his regiment and his
conn AIDES will be glad to hear from him in
this interesting manner.
CAPT. CowDREY's PAPER.
A detachment OF the 9th Vt. regt, con
sisting of Cos a, b, C and D, was stationed
at Drummondtown on the eastern shore OF
| Virginia, l think, in August, 1865. Capt.
| Patrick Hobon of Co. b was in command.
| lie was originally corporal in Co. G, the
| MIDI ebury company. While at Drum
mordtown, the captain read in New York
| paper, the Herald, | think, that tine rebel
| captain, Richard b. Wnder, who had been
an officer at Andorsonville, was wanted by
tho officers at Washington. Whether he
had any knowledge that the rebel captain
was on he eastern shore do not know, but
he al once teiegraphed to Fort Monroe for
| instructions, aud he was directed to arrest
| him il to be found on the eastern shore
| guard him securely. and report to Fortress
! Monroe Capt Hobon thea sent for the
writer and | at once went to his quarters
| He then told me what instructions he had
received, and directed me to take as many
men as | thought needed and attempt tho
capture The captain could neither give
me description of the man to be captured,
nor any placs whore he was likely to be
! found lie instructed the quartermaster to
| furnish horses TO mount myself and men. |
| decided to take but one man with me, Lieut..
! George {. Chamberlin, I'd lieutenant of my
company. | thought if | took more men
| Ninder might mistrust something and keep
out Of the way. We started out into the
country with no very definite purpose as to
| direction trusting to such information as l
might pick up. We rode back and forth
for some time without getting any clue until
we came across some negroes who knew the
man, they said, and told mo in what drec-
tiou to 70.
After a while l encountered soma other
colored men who told mo that Winder was
stopping with e doctor and where the doc
| tors residence was. We soon found the
house, and inquired for our mau. The col
orcd servants told us that he had been there
that morning, but that he had ridden off in
a carriage with the doctor, but they did not
know where he had gone. We felt that we
| were pretty near our game, and started Off
with new zeal and with our eyes open.
| The whole eastern shore is very level, not
] to say fat, bnd we could see great dis.
lance in all directions where there were not
woods. Before we had gone great ways |
saw at a distance Of u mile AMI half from
us carriage driven at rapid pace along
a road at right angles to the one were
riding upon. ! at oEce suspected that the
carriage contained the person we were look
ing for, and | said to Lieut.. Chamberin:
There is our man. Come on, ~ and put
| ting spurs to my horse ! started on the run
leaving my companion behind. Ny horse
was powerful one and of good speed, and
my lieutenant was no. much accustomed to
horseback riding SO he was soon far in the
real. quickly overlook the carriage and
riding rapidly past it, | wheeled around
|
| them to halt. | had no weapon with me,
as had started out in such haste, but the
driver OF the carriage Immediately pulled
up. | then cried out, Orchard B. Winder,
| want you. Get out Of that carriage"
spoke as if | knew him, although did not
know whether lie was in the carriage or
not, and IL there, | certainly did not know
which was Winder. But whether from con-
scious guilt or the sight of union soldier
know not, ono of tho occupants Of the car
riag, Immediately leaped to the ground,
apparently somewhat surprised at once
ordered him back into the carriage, and
told his companion who held the reins to
drive back to headquarters. 1t proved to
be the doctor who was driving This was
about o O'Clock in the evening and our
camp was at best 10 miles away. Lieut..
Chamborlin, who had his pistol with him.
came up about this time. Neither Winder
nor the doctor seemed TO have any weapons,
nor did Winder show any signs OF fear,
although he could not have known any
more than | did the cause of his arrest.
The two prisoners drove in the direction in
dictated without hesitation or objection
When We had arrived there, Capt. Hobou,
following out his instructions, | suppose,
handcufed Winder and put him in Jail He
at once reported the capture to Fort Monroe
by telegraph, and was informed that a boat
would be at the wharf or landing at Drum
mondtown at 6 O'Clock the next morning to
take Winder TO the fort. The doctor was
allowed to depart unmoested.
The next morning l took Wnder in a
covered wagon to the steamboat landing,
which was six miles from camp. | rode on
horseback by the side of the wagon, and
five men rode inside with the prisoner. The
steamer was lying at the wharf when we
arrived and / took him on board at once
and delivered him over TO the officer who
had sent for him. The captain of the boat
was In such haste to depart on account of
the tide going out, that he left several mon
who had been sent out to meet our party and
hurry us up, as the landing could only be
approached by craft OF the size of the
steamer at high tide.
| afterwards saw Winder at Fortress
| Monroe. when ho told me that he had been
released on bail; that he had been fortunate
enough TO find some friends in Washington
who were willing to become his bondsmen.
He said that the government wanted to use
him as a witness in the trial of Writ who
had been in command at Andersouville