The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-22
STRICTLY IN UNDRsss.
Corporal Rudolrh's Appearance Befor

Corporal Rudoiph's Appearance Before
General Mcclellan with Message.
William X. Rudolph, engineer at the
Spring Garden waterworks, was a corpor-
al in the Eighth Pennsylvania cavalry
and Is past commander Of Post 50. He
was Colonel keenans orderly In the ia.
nous charge at Charlottesville and fell
desperately wounded by the same volley
that killed his colonel Essentially mod
est, budolph's recollection Of an interview
with Mcclellan was told In the plainest
way, without decoration of any kind, yet
be is probably the only living soldier who
ever appeared before his commanding gen
pral without any clothing whatever and
bearing an official dispatch In his mouth.
The night of the battle of Malvern Hill,
June |. tsO2, was very dark and rainy
one. The command to which Rudolph be-
longed went into camp near White Oak
swamp Late I'm the night he was aroused
from sleep and ordered to report at once
to Captain Keenan,.
corporal, " said he, 81 am off on i'm
portant duty, and | want you and Privates
Marks, Johson and Cox to go with me.
Leave your horses and arms, except your
pistols. in charge of the orderly sergeant. "
In a few minutes all were ready for the
start. Captain Keenan, told the men that
they were about to take great chances,
and there was considerable doubt whether
they would return alive. He had dis
patch for General Mcclellan which must
be delivered as soon as possible on board
the gunboat Galena, lying in the James
river just below Turkey bend. He said;
awe have the advantage of knowing the
country and just where the guBboat lies,
but since we picketed there this morning
the Confederate lines have closed in, and
we must go through them in order to de-
liver the dispatch" Then, after urging
the utmost caution, he led the way into
the woods.
After tramping about IA miles they
came upon the piCkets, but so quietly that
their presence was not discovered. Max
ing circuit, they passed around the pick
cts as well ms the reserve, who were seen
standing about a fire. Reaching the brink
of the river, they found themselves direct
" opposite the gunboat, whose lights were
discernible about 200 yards away. As it
was too far to call. and there were no
means of signaling, Rudolph volunteered
toswim ont to the vessel He stripped off
his clothing took the dispatch in his teeth
and waded out about 80 yards before the
water became deep enough to swim. Be
fore he swan 10 yards he was challenged
and almost Immediately fired upon. He
held up the dispatch and shouted, "a
friendN The picket boat of the Galena
came at once alongside, and he was pulled
in He showed the dispatch, and the boat
men rowed over to the gunboat, where he
delivered the dispatch to General McClel-
Ian in person.
81 told him, " said Rudolph, "where oui
captain was and how he had got down tC
the river. He thanked me warmly ant
told me to give his compliments to the
captain, and then inquired If we could gel
back the same way we came and take al
answer to the dispatch. l replied thought
we could. He then went away to writ
the answer, and while he was gone one o
the officers gave me dram to take off thu
night chill. In less than five minutes thu
general returned to the deck and gave M
dispatch and note for the captain, say
ing, BE as careful as you possibly can
for wouldn't have that dispatch fall int
the hands of the enemy for all the world.
81 was rOwed to within 20 yards of tn
shore and soon found my companions
The cap ain almost Rugged me when W
met and he found out that everything wa
all right. We returned by the same rout
TO our camp, which we reached within
three hours from the time we left 1t
Here the captain mounted his horse an
galloped away to deliver the dispatch-t
whom l never knew. "-Philadelphia Rec
ord.