Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-12-04
From the Rockingham Registe r, Nov. 29th.
THE MEIGS EPISODE
How the Yankee Lieutenant Came to b.
Killed by Frank Shaver.

The recent death of B. Frank Shaver
has called forth two published state
ments as to the part he had in the fall
of Lieut.. Meigs. The account accredit-
! ing the fatal shot to one George w.
Martin is incorrect. The narrative
prepared for the Register by IN. w.
Orb" Bridgewater, Va, is substantial
| ly correct, varying, however, in some
of the details from the recollections of
others whose favorable opportunities
for information entitle them to Gre
dence.
The object in preparing this addi
tional statement (Which is based upon
the recollectious of two persons, the
one having received his information
Immediately from Mr.. Shaver, the
other from kinsman of his. who also
was a close bosom companion of his in
the war, as also upon partial nara
tive written by Mr.. S. himself, land
found among his papers after his
death) is not SO much to vindicate the
reach the facts in the case as matter
of history. The conviction that Lieut..
Meigs had fallen by his hand was a
grief to Shaver; he would speak of it
only as it was drawn from him, and he
doubtless would have accounted it an
| immense relief could he have persuad
ed himself otherwise.
In the fall of 1864 Gen. VIM. G. Wick
ham, OF tie Confederate army lay
with his command in the vicinity of
Augusta Springs, Va. The Fede raj
forces under Gen. Phil. Sheridan oc-
cupied the territory north of North
River, including the towns of Bridge
water Mt Crawford, Dayton and Har
risonburg. Gen. Wickham, desiring to
gain information as to the where
abouts and strength of the Federal
forces, organized scouting party for
that purpose. Under the command of
Lieut.. Campbell, his fayorite scout, he
competent guide arising, B. Frank
Shaver, a resident of that section of
the country, was chosen. The scout
| ing party thus consisted of five per-
| sons.
| The route of the scouting party was
northward, parallel with the North
! Mountain, and west of Bridgewater.
After crossing the North River they
were within the Federal lines, and pro-
ceeding cautiously they ran across two
Federal soldiers, whom they captured
and disarmed What now to do with
these men was the perplexing ques
ton. not wishing to deplete their num-
Der by sending guard to conduct
them to the Confederate camp. The
suggestion was made to shoot them.
Shaver objected with the remark: eff
you want to kill them, give them their
arms, and two OF you fight it out with
them. l will kill the first man that at
tempts to kill them" The question
was settled by Lieut.. Campbell detail
ing two of his men to take them to
| camp.
The remaining three, Lieut.. Camp
bell, Joshua Martin, and B. Frank
| trip. Late in the evening, covered
with their gum blankets (for a drilling
rain was falling), while riding along
the Warm Springs pike. south of Har
risonburg, near the entrance of the
Swift Run Gap road, they noticed
three Federal horsemen approaching
them. They turned into this road.
| Upon the suggestion that they quicken
the pace of their horses, the reply by
Shaver was: No, by our riding leis-
urely along they may take US for citi
zens and not follow us up this road;
besides, | was here a few days ago and
noticed short distance ahead of US a
gap in the fence, reaching which we
will enter the woods, where we will be
| safe, for | know every COW path in
that woods" Ut was not over mile
from his residence.) The Federal
horsemen, however, turned into the
Swift Run Gap road after them, riding
rapidly. This caused them to move
their horses more rapidly to gain the
gap in the fence. When. however.
they reached that point they found
bo al fhair
rapidly approaching. In this dilemma
Campbell asked, "Shall we run or
fght?n Shaver replied, Eight
Campbell Immediately directed them
to widen the space between them, to
leave room for quickly turning their
horses, and when we do wheel let each
one take the man Immediately in front
of him. Lieut.. Meigs and Shaver were
in the middle OF the respective lines.
By this time the Federal horsemen
were we'll upon them, and challenged
them as ID Rebels, to surrender.
The Confederates Immediately wheel
ed, and each party fired almost stimuli
taneously. Shaver was riding very
active mare, and when he pulled her
around so suddenly, she seemed to rear
and turn on her hind feet. Striking
her with his spurs she darted past the
man in the middle, and Shaver, not
knowing at the time who the man was,
discharged his pistol at short range, at
his head. Refining in his mare, he re-
turned and found two of the Federal
saddles empty-~the one man dead, the
second dismounted; and the third,
abandoning his horse, leaped the fence
and escaped in the woods. Shaver
captured the second of the Federal
soldiers and the three horses. Mean
while Campbell and Martin retraced
their steps, returned to and directly
crossed the Warm Springs pike
Shaver, securing his prisoner, whom
he mounted on Lieut.. Meigs' horse and
covered with his pistol to prevent his
escape, and leading the other two
horses, followed. When Shaver cross
ed the Warm Springs pike it was dark
aud he could hear the tramp of Fed
eral cavalry. They did not, however,
follow him back into the country.
He soon overlook Campbell and
Martin, Martin being severely wound
ed, and Campbell taking care of him.
They pushed forward in the dark in a
westerly direction some miles, until
they reached the house of Mr.. Robert
Wright, about 81 miles south of PauIs
mill, where they were received and
|
water, was called to attend the wound
ed Mr.. Martin.
The next day Shaver asked Camp.
bell why he and Martin had gone off
and left him. To which he replied,
that Martin rode up to him and asked
him to take him out, that he was
wounded. The question coming up,
who had killed Lieut.. Meigs. Shaver
said, IF L killed him he is hit in the
head; held for my mans head" Sub
sequent examination revealed the fact
that Meigs had received two balls, one
in the head, the other one account says
in the shoulder, another in the lower
part of the body or leg. The ball in
the head was unquestionably the fatal
one. Which of the other two deliver
ed the ball in the body or leg is uncer
tain. The same day Shaver took his
prisoner into camp.
Efforts were made after the war to
arrest Shaver on the charge of bush
whacking Lieut.. Meigs. And it was
On1v after SatiSfa,.tOrv avidapco bod