The National tribune., 1893-04-27

What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
serg't knight Tells How They Went About
Getting Information.
fcontin,,ed from last ,ceel:

Continued from last tceet)
IN nv last article ] spoke of endesvorine
! TO get John " Van Lew to become a
scout. following him several miles on the
road TO the White House aud using every
means to accomplish this end, but failing sig
nallv. When we parted he said TO me: " will
tell ven something that may be of value to
Won If Won can ever get into communication
with nv mot her or sister. they are IN position
where they might furnish you with valuable
in formation. Their names are both Elizabeth
n. Van Lew" / walked with him several
miles, aud urged him to stay with US, for patriot
ism If nothing else, but did not succeed.
At some point during this campaign. after
leaving Spottsylvania Courthouse colored
man named johnson came into our lines. lie
was a preacher, and belonged 10 MAJ Ihos.
Boswell. of Hanover County, Va, the father of
the present Mai boswell, of the same County.
When he came to rs he had running mare
that would have been white had she not been
covered with small red spots. | think the
name Of the mare was Nina. According to
.Iahnsons account she had never lost a race.
johnson said he was preacher. He certainly
knew more of the country aud madc q better
guide than any colored man that ever saw
while with Headquarters OF the Army OF the
Potomac.
Milton G. Cline was my immediate predeces-
sor as Chief cf Scouts at the Army of the
the 81 Ind Car. The mare was purchased
from Johnson by Sergt Cline for $500. 1t soon
became noisei around Headquarters that Nina
was celebrated racer, aud it was decided that
it was hardly the right thing for an enlisted
man TO have SO valuable piece OF horseresh !;
so that GEN NJ r. Patrick, Provost Marshall
General. made johnson give Cline his money
back. and the mare fell into the hands of Col.
ingalls, Chief Quariermasier of the Army. /
never knew positively, but my private opinion
has always been that johnson was $500 out on
that transaction.
The Summer after the close Of the war | was
introduced to Mai. Thomas boswell one day IN
Richmond Va. After short conversation with
him asked if he had ever owned a negro
preacher who ran away from him in 1864, TAX
ing with him a running mare called Nina. He
expressed much surprise that | should know of
them, aud said he would like to know what
had become of the mare; the preacher, of course
was beyond his reach: still he spoke kindly of
him. but said he was a much better groom than
an expoundcr of the gospel ] told him where
his mare was. and heard through grand
daughter of his that he recovered her. During
this campaign at some point. / think, ut the
North Anna River, Arson B. Carney rejoined
us after an absence of three months. Carney
was one of the eight Heada uarters Scouts who
went on the Fitzpatrick and Dahgren raid,
and Was riding by his side when the volley was
fired that ended Dahlgrens life One of the
balls struck Carney and passed through his
body. He was supposed TO be dead aud left
lying on the ground, and came 10 his senses
after a while and managed to get stray horse
and made his escape. A cousin of his. Phil
Carney. was captured at this time, taken TO
Richmond. successfully played sick, was put
into the SbOckoe Hospital, where be and
young cavBlryman, who WAS one of the Ta1dlng
party. mauaged 10 secure Confederate uniforms,
IL H.
rounds through the hospital. Phil stuck a pen
ochiBd his ear picked up one of the hospital
books. aud he ana his friend walked a short
distance behind the doctors. When they came
10 the guard at the door the Young cavalryman
asked Phil how many Yankees there were in
the hospital, TO which he made some kind of
rcply that satisfied the guard, ami they walked
uut. They both reached our lines and re-
Joined their commands.
An account of my trip To York town with
dispatches which was published a few weeks
ago. shows that from near old HanOyertown to
Cold Harb0r | was absent from the army; just
how many days l can't say. Soon after the
day the charge was made upon the enemy's
works where IL has been said we lost 10000
men Ia 10 minutes number Of our so-called
guides were sent away TO Washington. Most Of
them have never heard from since. Three OF
four have met since the war closed.
When The army left Cold Harbor VIC marched
to the James River where pontOon bridge
had been laid across that river below Wilcox's
LaH.ling The first time ! ever saw the berries
OF The mulberry tree was here. There were
several very large and tall trees that must
have been at least 100 years old. I. among
several others. climbed one of the trees and ate
a good many of berries. They were longer and
about the size OF large blackberries and much
sWepfer
When Headquarters crossed the river quite
a force had preceded us. The bridge was pro-
tecied by several monitors both above and
below. When we struck the south shore a
battery of Regular artillery Was in a field on
tine right side Of the road. Standing Oh a
hSrrel was enc Of the soldiers belonging to the
battery. so close TO the road that everyone who
crossed the bridge could not help seeing him.
with board suspended across his breast OH
which vas painted "Thies" II Was the worst
form Of punishment l ever saw in the army.
As sooH as we crossed the river a number of
rs went ahead 10 sec what the country was
lige. Not ore Of us bad ever been on that side
OF the river before We soon came to a burn
ing builGing. Why il had been set on fire
never knew ! took the first road we came to
leading south from the road the troops were on,
who were their way to Petersburg. under
command Of Gen. Warren. About half mile
through the woods j came to clearing
Jumped my horse over the fence and soon dis
drummer-boy had preceded me. They evil
IDENTIFY had not arrived many minutes ahead of
me. log house. iuhabiiated by large fam
mily, who were grouped in and around the
doorway. with fright. horror. and despair de-
pieted ou their faces were looking at the antics
Of the drummer, who was evidently deter
mined 10 make attack on d row of bechives
but a short distance in front Of the house. He
advanced CALAMITY, closely followed by the in
fsuiryinen. I had hardly time 10 take in the
situation before the drummer made a rush and
upset a straw hive. and immediately dropped
upon his knees and began tearing out the comb
while his support began frantic dance and the
family made rush TO get inside as the bees
sailed out for revenge. staid net upon the
order OF my going but went That scene has
always been ole Of the most prominent of the
nauy very comieal ones ! saw during the war
] would like TO know who the drummer boy
was.
About p. III. we came out on the high
ground 10 the east and in full view of Peters
burg. No Confederate troops were 10 be seen
aud the outer line of works captured by Gen
kautz a day or two before were standing there
unnamed. The troops in the advance wer,
halted aud biyouaclIed for the night. 1t c0nIG
not have been over Two and half miles from
the heart of the city. little before daFl
Cline and RODE down the Prince George Court
house road, through the works that had beer
captured by kautZ. very nearly 10 the top o
the h:li. Some gasWoTks were just TO the RICH
o! U.s. few shots. not over a duzen altogether
were fired At MS. Cline said TO me if we had
hundred men we could 20 ia and DO what W
pisaspd. Nv belief was that we could, but mex
morning il was too LATE