The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-27
STRICTLY IN uNOREsS.



General Mcclellan with n Message.
William X. Rudolph, engineer at the
Spring Garden waterworks, was n corpor-
al in the Eighth Pennsylvania cavalry
and is past commander Of Poat So. He
wns Colonel keenan's orderly in the ia
Eous charge at Charlottesville and fell
desperately wounded by the same volley
hat killed his colonel. Essentially mod.
st, Rudolph 3 recollection Of an interview
yith Mcclellan waB told in the plGinest
way, without decoration Of any Kind, yet
. is probably the only living soldier whe
ever appeared before his commanding gem
trail without any clothing whatever and
bearing an official dispatch in his mouth
The night Of the battle of Malvern Hill,
June /, ls62, was II very dark and rainy
one. The command to which Rudolph he
longed Went into camp near White Oak
swamp. Late in the night he was aroused
from sleep and ordered to report ut once.
to Captain Keenan,.
Corporal - said he, II am of ON i'm
fortant duty, aud | want you and Privates
Marks, Jobson and Cox to go with Inc.
! Leave your horses and arms, except your
/ pistols, in charge OF the orderly sergeant
! In u few minutes all We're 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
. I'VE have the advantage of knowing the
/ country and Just where the gunboat lies
I but since We picketed there this morning
/ tho Confederate lines have closed in, ant
! we must go through them in order to dc,
;, liver the dispatch" Then, after urging
the utmost caution, he led the way into
the woods.
l After tramping about IA miles they
) came upon the pickets, but so quietly tina
their presence was not discovered. Max
ing circuit, they passed around the pick
cts ar well as the reserve, who were seer
standing about fire. Reaching the brinl
of the river, they found themselves direct
, ly opposite the Kunboat, whose lights wer
/ discernible about 900 yards away As !
was too far to call and there We're II,
/ means Of signaling, Rudolph VOLUNTEERED
to swim ont to the vessel. He stripped oi
= his clothing, took the dispatch in his teet
: and waded ont about 80 yards before I'll
!, water became deep enough to swim. BE
! fore he swan 10 yards he was challenge
a and almost Immediately fired upon. II
t held up the dispatch and shouted, 81
. friendI" The picket boat of the Galen
i came at once alongside, and he was pulle
in. He showed the dispatch, and the boat
men rOwed over to the gunboat, where Ii
delivered the dispatch to General McClel
i Ian in person.
i ~ told him, y said Rudolph, "wherc ON
Il captain was ond how he had got down t
II the river. He thanked me warmly an
a told me to give his compliments to Il.
9 captain, and then inquired If we could u
. back the Same way we came and tnke II
|, answer to the dispatch. replied though
4 we could. lie then went away to writ
i the answer, and while he was gone one
the officers gave me dram to take off I'll
night chill. In less than five minutes IL
general returned to the deck and gave m
h dispatch and II note for the captain, sa,
n ing, Be MS careful rs ym possibly car
Y for wouldn't have that dispatch fall int
q tho hands of the enemy for all the " orld
, 81 was rowed to within 20 yards Of II
a shore and soon found my companion
o The captain almost Rugged me when "
met aud he found out that everything w!
all right. We returned by the same rou
to orr camp, which we reached with
+. three hours from the time we left
}: Here the captain mounted his horse al
q galloped away to deliver the Dispatch
~ ! whom ] never knew. "-Philadelphia Re
/, ord.