The National tribune., 1894-01-04

While many Of his more conservative
listeners evinced disposition to ridicul
the prisoner for indulging in what they re
garded as an acute attack of spasmodi
heroics, the riffraff, the ragtag, and the
BoBTAIL OF THE REGIMENT,
awed into silence at the mans sublim'
audacity, retired to their quarters, while
cheer after cheer was given by the inmates
of the guardhouse in admiration OF his
pluck.
Having been critically examined at the
Colonels quarters, be was sent to the guard
house. where for several days his reticence
threw a wet blanket over every effort made
by the inmates of that institution to "draw
him OUT But by gradual approaches we
succeeded in gaining his confidence, and
finally elected from him the following state
ment:
"My name is James Oden. am men,
ber OF Confederate General }. T.. b. Stuarts
staff. with the rank of Major AT the be-
ginning of the war | was engaged IN the
mercantile business, which my wife still car
ries on. in the little town of A die, some IL
miles south of your present camp. AT the
JllUG OF iDN CdpbutC bl .N'fhA bhNh u FN0 NAA
furlough. ] had but recently left my family,
and. in company with friend, was going to
visit a neighbor, when my horse was run
down and / was captured by your cavalry"
The details of his capture, as given by
those who took part in it, were substantially
rs follows:
A detachment of our cavalry tthe 1st
Mich was ordered out on a scouting expe-
diIior About three or four miles from our
camp. aLd while ascending one OF those
steep hills for which Virginia is noted, two
horsemen were noticed on its summit riding
leisurciy along unconscious of their danger
IN the rear until they were apprlsed OF the
fact by the yells of our impulsiVe troopers,
who, unable to restrain the enthusiasm incl
dent to the prospective capture of brace OF
rebels, spurred their horses from the ranks
and started in hot pursuit.
An exhiiarating race of more than mile
ensued, when the iugitives, feeling them
selves hard pressed by our fresh horses and
their reckless riders, attempted to escape
through long gate leading into lane,
which, mounted on pivot, was easily swung
open by the foremost rider, who quickly
passed through. The other, however, was
less fortunate, for in his attempt to follow
his companion the gate automatically closed
and caught his horse by the shoulders, thus
rendering futile any further attempt on his
part to escape.
The first to seek an interview with him
was the noted " Johnny the Scout" reck-
less, daredevil native Virginian, who had
espoused our cause, and who, after an eX-
charge of pistol-shots, was promptly tum-
bled out of his saddle, mOrtally wounded,
and died in few minutes.
l. l. ~. L
a stalwaTt Sergeant, who met with the same
fate. A plucky private dashed at him and,
after brief duel, was made to bite the dust
by another well-aimed shot from the pistol
Of the horseman.
There, then, were three of our best men
lying dead within radius of very few feet,
al victims of the mans
WONDERFUL NERVE.
The last shot was discharged from Oden's
pistol, when our entire force appeared on
the scene of action, and the undaunted was
taken prisoner and brought back to our
camp, where the exciting news incident to
his capture had preceded him.
Some three or four weeks after the fore
going events had happened, an order was
read on dress-parade to the effect that all
Confederate prisoners detained in our COM
IddGU udhG CiRObtcA Tue SDtGiHcB
date-be transferred to the Old Capitol
Prison, at Washington. Of course, this in
oluded our honoIed guest, 0den for such
we had long since regarded him, having
shared with him our limited rations of hard
tack, coffee, tobacco, etc, exchanged mutual
Regrets because Of the fearful strife which
had made enemies of fathers, mothers,
brothers and sisters literally segering the
domestic Ties of many Once-hsppy families
throughout our distracted country. We
had extended to our friend all the sympathy
and all the little courtesies in our power
consistent with the ever-rigid and oftimes
arbitrary rules of war.
Having been returned to our company
with orders TO report 10 our Captain for
duty, which we-Barnum and myself-im-
mediately did, the Captain-who, by the
way, was zone of the boys gave us some
good advice, which he himself was never
known 10 follow, and when about to dis
miss Us unlocked his desk, took a yellow
paper, which be handed TO me with these re-
marks:
Serg't Wheeler, when you were sent to
the guardhouse, at the instance of Lieut..
-, ii was soon afterward ascertained by
the Colonel that the Lieutenant had greatly
exaggerated, in his statement Of
YOUR oFFEHsK,
the facts in the case
Through the instrumentslity Of the latter
you were reduced from the position of a
duty Sergeant TO that of high private in
the rear rank. / was, a few days ago, COM
pairing notes with the Colonel, and we
mutually came to the conclusion that, in
view of the fact that you are an expert rob-
Der of hen-rOOsfs, and that as an expert gen
eral forsger you have no superiors, we have
deemed You worthy of q better fate than
you have thus far been the recipient of
Your sublime patience in paSs;vely submit
ting 10 the disgrace attending your forced
exile IL the guardhouse, proves 10 us that
you not only p0ssess an exalted nature but
that your anatomy contains all the elements
OF good soldier; and-and-and -
With an air of mock tragedian he handed
me the yellow parchment, which / still have
in my possession, and with affected gravity
dismissed me with the injunction, "Go, sin
no mere" On examining the paper in ques-
tlon i found that it was a Qnartermas;er-
Sergeants commission, aud that during my
confinement in the guardhouse had ben
promoted 10 that position. For some reason.
which ! have forgotten, Oden was not sent
TO Washington for several weeks. In The
meantime, Barnum and instituted a series
OF foraglng xpediiions-the two friends
constituting the entire force-for the benefit
Of our guess" each trying to excel the other
N the quality Of the delIcacies we brought
him.