Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-26
srnlo1lY M uNpAess.
Corporal nudoiph's Appearance BEFORE
General Mcclellan with a MrAsnre.

Corporal nudoiph'e Appearance nefore
General Mcclellan with a MrAsnre.
William K Rudolph, engineer at the
Spring Garden watcsworkr, was q corpor-
al IN the Eighth Pennsylvania cavalry
and ~ past commander Of Post ao. lie
was Colonel Kccuans orderly In the IA
nous charge nt Chauccllouville and fell
desperately wounded by the same volley
that killed his colonel. Essentially mod
est. Rudolph's recollection Of an interview
with Mcclellan was told IN tho plninsst
way, without decoration OF any kind, yet
he Is probably the emily living soldier who
ever appeared before his commanding gCn-
eral without any clothing whatever and
bearing an Official dispatch IN his mouth.
The night Of the battle Of Malvern llill,
June ! 1909, was very dark and rainy
one, The command TO which Rudolph be-
longed went into camp near White Oak
swamp, Late On the night he was aroused
from sleep and ordered to report at once
TO Captain keenan,.
Corporal, said he, III nm on on i'm.
portnnt duty. aud want You and Priyatcs
Marks, Johson and Cox 20 80 with ME.
Leave your horses and arms, except your
pistols IA charge Of the orderly sergeant"
In few minutes all were ready for the
they were about TO take great chances,
and there wins considerable doubt whether
they would return alive lilo had n dis.
patch Tor General Mcclellan which must
he delivered ns soon ~ possible on board
tho gunboat Galena, lying In the James
river just below TURKEY bend. He said
1--WE have the advantage OF knowing the
country and lust where the punhO0t lea,
but since w6 plcbetod there this morning
the Confederate liucs have closed h.. and
We must go through them Ia order TO dc
liver the dispatch. Then. after urging
the utmost caution, he led the way into
the woods
After trimpng about * miles they
eRmc upon the pioket-, but soquietly that
their presence was not discovered. Max
INK q circuit, they passed around tho PICK
cts IA well Ms the reserve. who were suin
standing about fire Reaching the hrlni.
OF the river, they found themselves direct
" opposite the gunhoat whose lightswere
discerniblc about 600 yards nwny AZ I,
VIVA TOO ar TO chll. and there were No
means Of signaling, Rudolph volunteered
TO K,yim out to the vessel. he stripped of
his clothing, took the dispatch IN bis teotl
and wnded out about 90 yaris before Tho
water became deep enough to swim be
fore he swan o yards he WIS challenged
and almost Immediately fired upon. A,
held up the dispatch and shouted, ~
friendly The picket boat Of the Galcnt
rame at once alongside, and he wis pullet
In. Ito showed the dispatch, and the bont
men rowud OVER 60 She gunhoat, where h'
delivered the dispatch 20 General McClel
Ian IN person.
81 told him, said Rudolph, "whcro ON
captain was and how no bad got down Il
the river No thanked me warmly ans
told me TO plve hi4 compliments TO th
captain, and then inquired " we could ge
bnck the same way We came and take al
answer 10 the dispatch, / replied / though
we could. lie then went away TO writ
the nngwer, aud whilo be was gone one q
the officers gave me q dram TO take on Oh
night chill In less than 1--WE minutes Oh
general returned to tho deck and gave m
dispatch and q motto for the captain, Hny
ing, Be az careful ns you possibly car
forl wouldn't have TINT dispatch fall Int
this hands Of the enemy for all the world
81 was rnwed 20 within 80 yards Of th
Rhoru and soon found my companions
Tho captain almost Rugged me when "
met aud he found out TINT everything wa
all right. We rturncd by the same roui
60 our camp. which We reached With
three hours from tho time We left y
Here tho captain mounted his horse an
galloped away TO deliver the dianatch--i
whom never knew. Philadelphia re-
ord.