St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-17
AN INCIDENT OF The WAR.
Capture OF PERRYViLLE, A VIRGINIA
VALLEY VILLAGE.
QUEER SORT OF NEWSPAPER.
On One Side Was Gen. Joe John
ston's Account OF the First
Battle of Bull Run and on the
Other n Lot OF Union Senti-
ments by the Boys of the First
Minnesota.


ments by the Boys of the First
Minnesota.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.
W WASHINGTON, June 16.-On the 10th
day of March, 1862 Il write from men,
ory), the brigade of Gen. Willis A. Cor
man captured Berryvllle-a village in
the cheerful Virginia Valley. The
truth of history eompels the remark
that the old First Minnesota Regiment
did the capturing; and further that the
opposing forces consisted of rebel
cavalry picket, of some dozen or twenty
men. who fed upon the approach of the
Union forces, leaving us i'll peacea5le
poss tssion of the town.
There hangs Tor should be SuSpeuded)
In the public library in Minneapolis
communicating country newspaper,
framed so that both sides may be read.
On one side it bears the name of Berry
vile C0nServator. and contains the re.
port OF the rebel general, Joseph E.
Johnston-of his dongs at the battle of
Manassas Tor Bull Rum on that previous
2lst day OF July, and also other strong
iusurgent literature. On the other side
there is the title, 1.-The First Mime
sota," and the subject matter following
is aggreSsIvely patriotic and intensely
Union. The Confederate portion OF
this singularly compounded newspaper
was edited, arranged and printed by MIR.
Gregg. The loyal department was writ
ten, composed and printed by a detacb-
ne It 6f printers from the regiment
whose name it bears-Ed A. Stevens
(now of Minneapolis. L. II. Presnell
(now of Duluth). Henry w. Linder-
green, Julian J. Kendall and the writer
of this article were the editors and
publishers of the Union portion.
1t is recalled that the 10th of March,
1862, was warm, sprlnglike day; that
We entered the village of Berryville
without even skirmish. and that we
were gaZed upon by the denizens of
this quiet country village as something
entirely unique in the line of genus
homo. We printers took possession of
the only printing office in the village,
our title by Gen. German, so that we
might publish one edition of good
loyal newspaper. The confirmation
was made with much cheerfulness and
some profanity, as was the custom OF
our honored commander; and we COM
menced work with all the reckless
responsibility of youth and enthu-
siasm: The only specimen of the news
paper now remaining in existence
w liab fba l. Of :,
the. Minneapolis public library, though it
is probable that the state historical
society may also possess one of these
treasures.
The men who published the loyal
side of this newspaper will remember
that in the first issue we advertised MIR.
Gregg-the editOr-aS lost, Strayed or
stoen," and offered a reward for his
return. On the next day he answered
the advertisement in person. He was
tall. slender, dark. and as mild man
nered rebel as ever sought to rend in
twain the union of our chain of COM
monwealths. He protested against the
outrage of our seizure of his property
naturally enough-hut having the in
discretion to carry his protest TO Gen.
German direct. was placed IN confine-
ment as man in open rebellion against
his government, sent first to Washin e.
ton, and later by Secretary Stanton to
Imprisonment at Fort Lafayette or else
where.
Probably no member of the "old
First has ever visited Berryville since
that memorable trip, generation ago.
until your correspondent spent day
there short time since. The route of
the regiment in 1862 was from Harper's
Ferry. through Charlestown. directly up
the Shenandoah valley to Berryville,
and thence across to Winchester. My
recent visit was made by rail from
Washington to Round Hill. thence by
team through Smokers Gap, across the
Blue Ridge, over the Shenandoah by a
primitive ferry TO BerryvilIe. Under
the June sunshine and through the
magnificent grain fields of the valley
the trip was particularly restful and
pleasant. There may, posi- bly,, be
handsomer and more fertile valleys on
earth than that of the valley of Vir-
ginia, but if so, have never visited
them.
To the scattered remnant of the "Old
First" and their descendants-to all
veteran soldiers, in fact, if not to the
general public "a brief account of this
visit will prove interesting The Jour-
ney over the mountains was made in the
company of an eX-COnfederate Virginia
Soldier of four years service To this
fact, probably, l owe the cordial recep.
ton accorded me by all the people of
the village met during my days visit.
the village of Berryville is in itself little
changed. Since the war was over and
''its stern alarums changed to merry
meetings." the town has slept the sleep
of the just, Its continuous nap only dis
turbed by The advent few years ago of
railroad. The great trees still shade
the narrow streets. The old court house
with its pillars still stands unchanged
in Its locust grove--the grove under
which the rebel cavalry squad was boil
Ing Its coffee at the moment when Gen.
German drew up the battery of artillery
and fired two warning shells over the
village, just to let the people know that
the Union forces were coming. Thai
coffee % was compounded Of parched
rye, and made a very comforting bev.
erage for Company B-the Saltwater
boys-who first entered the village as
skirmishers.
The grounds on which our regimen tal
camp was established are little changed,
except new and more artistic chur eli
edifice crowns the hill where the old
country chapel stood. The small brick
building in which the Conservator had
Its home in 1862 was for rent" was
told that the Conseryator was neve,
Eesurrected after the Minnesota boy.
captured it, and thus the last Pickering
efforts of that newspaper were honestly
given to the cause of the Union
through our Doyish efforts. Gregg, the
proprietor we so deeply injured, died
In Richmond two or three years ago,
full of years and honors. and entirely
nreconstructed-a rebel to the last.
l met an innumerable caravan OF
elderly people-male and female, white,
black and saddle olored-who remem-
bered the Minnesota men well, and had