Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-10-02
ga Anausing War Incidsnt.

ALr. Charles g. Rhodes, OF. the Bal
timore bar, contributes to the sun.
the following amusing Incident of the
late civil war.
After the lapse OF thirty years
since the close of hostilities it is al
most Impossible to recall or realize
the bitterness of feeling that existed
between the Union and secession fac-
tons. This feeling was so intense
that neighbor was often arrayed
against neighbor aud family against
family. Our family lived in the dis
puted territory of Maryland, near
the Virginia line, which was occupied
first by the army of one side and
then that of the other, Whenever
the federal army encamped in the
neighborhood the names of the south
ern sympathizers would be reported.
They would be arrested, taken to
camp and questioned by the officers
in charge, and while many would be
sreleasedsin day or two some were
held as prisoners for weeks and some
times even months. When the army
of General Ahercrombie encamped
in the fall, I think, of 1868 on the.
hills overlooking the village of Hy-
attstown; Montgomery county, as
soon as it had arrived an informer
in the neighborhood, whom we will
call John Smith, went to camp and
gave the names and descriptions of
a number of rebels living in the
vicinity, my father among the num-
ber. The great majority of them
were arrested, taken to camp and,
after examination, released. The
description of one of these so-called
rebels given by Smith tailed in the
main with general description of
himself. A squad of cavalry was
sent with this description to hunt up
the cuIprit and bring him into camp.
They wentt to his residence, bat fall
ing to find him were returning to
camp when they met Smith in the
road. They looked at the descrip-
tion aud then at Smith and concluded
that he was the man they wanted.
They commanded him to get out of
his wagon and go with them as their
prisoner. Smith protested and swore
that he was the wrong man. The
soldiers insisted and lie resisted, and.
finally they came to. blows. He was
soon thumped into surrender. They
then tied rope to. either wrist, stood
him between two horses and attached
the ropes. to the saddles of the horses
on either side. The soldiers jumped
on their horses and started for their
camp on a trot with their prisoner,
thus tied and running between the
horses. Tue dust in the road was
very deep and completely enveloped
him as he ran. AS he went through
the village he recognized two of the
old citizens, and appealed to them in
turn to identify him and have him
released. These gentlemen both
knew that there was mistake, and
that Smith would be released rs soon
as he reached the camp, and remem-
bering that members of their family
had been arrested at his instigation,
they laughingly refused to oirecognize
him and release him from his ludi-
crous position; so he was trotted
along. When they reached the creek
Mt the foot of the village, the water
of which was about 18 inches deep,
they made no halt, but trotted
through the water, covering the pris-
oner from head to foot with mud and
water, On and up the steep hill
they went and soon landed Smith,
wet, muddy and out of breath before
General Abercrombie. He was re-
cognized and released. There was
one less informer in that neighbor-
hood after that. was an eye-wit-
ness of the above.