The National tribune., 1893-05-25
FIGHTING THEM OVER,
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
serg't Knight Tells How They Went About
Getting Information.


The place intended to visit was called the
upper Harrison house and could not be seen
from the river on account of the trees Below
this. about mile was another Harrison house,
in full view from the river bank. 1t was a mile
above the Harrison's Landing 10 which McClel-
Ian changed his base in 1862. When saw the
upper Harrison house l recognized it as the
place where Bob McNair. cOmrade of Co. II,
I'd y. j.. and had found the Sth III. Cav. IN
1862, when we were so nearly taken in by rebel
cavalry the morning after Malvern Hill.
Now / went straight TO the house and
knocked i found three negro men there
Emanuel. Ben, and Joe. ! got some infOrma-
tion from them, and engaged one of them to
lead me TO Moodey's house the next night The
man Joe met Carney and me the next night
and took rs into hidden negro path, but did
not find Moodey's for u.s. So We failed again.
But had found out two things from these
negroes One was that Hill was more of a
Union sympathizer than rebel, and the other
was that man named William Henry Tall
man, who lived near Hexalls Landing, had
about so mounted men acting as couriers and
scouts. Tallman personally spent the greater
part of the day time on Eppss Island, at the
turn in the river where it bends at City Point
at nearly a right angle. He watched the ar
rival of troops, supplies, etc, sending OF his
men as courers when necessary.
Two nights later made my way to Hills
house about an hour before midnight Just
before crossing the road man came down the
road, stopped and talked a while with the
picket at Hills gate, and then both went off up
the road. / went around to the back of Hills
house and raped at tue door. He was much
surprised to me, and particularly in the
very new and bright uniform / had on, which
shone in the moonlight. ] asked him the road
to Richmond. He wanted to know how came
there and why the picket did not stop me, and
told him what had Just seen.
well" he said, the road you left when you
came into the lane will take you to Richmond"
Then be declared / would never get there
with that new suit of Clothes as it would be
taken from me. ] told him l had $500 with
me- and he said that would soon be relieved
Of that
1 pretended to be much disturbed, and then
said ! could 20 back before daylight, and no
one would know / had been away.
Where did you come from, anyway" he
asked.
From Bermuda Hundred" I replied.
added that ] had crossed the river in boat
/ had found not locked.
See herel" he exclaimed; you go back
go back by all means" He was evidently in
earnest
"Mr. HILL" said I, al am not one of the
kind that desert"
"How did you know my name?" he de-
manded.
told him l had heard much Of him from
negroes, and my conclusion was that he was
not much of a rebel. He admitted ne was not,
but didnot dare say so around there.
Then | got down to business / told Hill
/ wanted him to go into Richmond for me the
next day. He declared he could not; that he
had no excuse for going.
Cant you kill shoat and take it to mar
ketY / will pay you S25 for it,
At that he consented He promised to do
what requested, which was that he should be
aIv he igbf oil hat 10 b.1
seen and heard in Richmond on the following
day. ] wanted him to find out from what
States the different regiments he saw were
and their numbers. ] also asked him to 90 to
a market gardener, Engishman like him.
self who lived below Rockets, on the left
hand side of the York River Railroad and
who. believed, was Union man, and TO find
out If it was So
The next morning told Sharpe what had
done.
As was frequently the case. the gunboat
Morris had forwarded batch of refugees who
told the same story that had already tired Of
Myers brought US through" Myers was the
man wanted now, and Col. Sharpe had told me
to tell him when / met him to stop bringing
people out Of Richmond, as they were bound
TO tell how they were got away from rebedom
and at length the rebel authorities would hear
of il, and Myerss goose would be cooked
/ saw Hill the next night, but he had accom-
a copy of each of the Richmond papers. This
was good. for had been trying now for over
a week 10 get communications with Richmond /
Hill agreed to 90 TO Richmond again in a few
days.
The day following, four of US started early
IN the morning or horseback, crossed the ppo- |
mRttox and James Rivers and reached Gen.
Hancock's Headquarters in good time. car
ried message TO Gen. Hancock from COL |
Sharpe, requesting him 70 turn over to me
a military map that he had written Sharpe
had been found on the dead body Of Gen.
Chsmbless.
The General told me that he had sent the
map away 10 City Point 10 be photographed
] explained how we had hunted so long for
MOodey's house, and thought the map might
help u, and he gave me note TO Gen. Gregg,
commanding the cavalry On the extreme right
Of the line. who, he thought, might have some
refugees or prisoners from whom might get ex-
act information about the location of Moodey's
house.
So we went to Gen. Gregg He did not have
anyone with him who could do anything for
Us. But he recommended me to the Ladd
Brothers, Quakers, who, he said, kept store
on the river road at the foot Of Malvern Hill;
be had met them when he was there in 1862,
and they had seemed very loyal men.
he was much surprised when i acquainted
him with the fact that the Ladds were now in
the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, put
there for shooting the pilots on our gunboats
when they had come up the river the Spring
before. They were the last men in the world,
the General said, that be would have suspected.
Have you any troops on Malvern Hill?"
] then asked.
YES; Maj. McCsbe is there with the 18th
Pa. Cav"
So decided TO go to Mai. McCabe When
we rode up McCabe recognized US, and wanted
20 know our errand. / told him. and also that
we believed Moodey's place was within four
miles Of Malvern Hill, and also that we were
going to hunt for it once more.
:" How far do you think you will get into
those woods over there before you will have
your heads shot Off"
why, Major, are they as thick as thatf"
You four men would not get a hundred
yards into the woods before you would all 20
up. Let me tell you what TO do. Write TO
Gen. Gregg asking him to let me 20 with you,
and will take the regiment and we will 90
through them like dose of salts. will send
an Orderly with the note"
We all thought this good idea, and rested
easy.
McCabe had been on a couple of expeditions
with us the previous May just before Spottsyl-
vsnia, and rather enjoyed our kind Of trips
Six p. 70. came presently, and so did note
from Gen. Gregg, that said:
Maj. McCabe will proceed to Deep Bottom
Immediately"
ITO be continued)