The morning times., 1895-09-08
1t. GAY OF THE RIHGGOLDS
One of the First to Come to Hi
COuntry'S Defense.
MENTIONED IN HISTORIES
His Famous Trip From Baltimore TO
Washington I'm tbs April Days of
ing Seized by Cons spirntors-Gen.
Scot's Birthday Present 10 Him.

one Of the most famous aud picturesque
Grand Amy men OF the day is Lieut..
James d. Cay, OF the Ringgold Light
Artillery, of Reading, who was in the
city Gay OF two ago, and in an inter
view with Times reporter told some Of
his thrilling experiences OF the war. His
record is by no means an empty one, and
he is possessed Of keen Intelligence that
invests his stories with an unusual degree
OF attractiyeness.
He is now sixty-six years old, tall and
slender, Of erect carriage has a well
formed head matched with gray, and
his wrinkled couutenance is set off with
stubby gray mustache. Pinned to his
breast are a number Of medals, ackuowl-
edgmentS of his services during the war.
Conspicuous among them is q golden badge,
an emblem of the famous Soldiers Mail
Bag" which contained the first missives
with an account of the Baltimore riots
carried out OF the Monumental City.
The Ringgolds clail the honor of hav-
ing been the first company TO respond to
the call of the President for the defens-
Of the National Capital in 1861. They
had received secret orders from Gen. Scott
/ as early as January in that year to hold
] themselves in resdsless to proceed to Wash
/ ington at an hour 's-uotice, fears being
entertained that there might he trouble
at the Inauguration Of President Lincoln
! They Immediately commenced to drill Sc
/ oretly five nights a week, but they were
! not called until April.
JOINED CLAY'S BATTALION.
Lieut.. Gay, however, came to Wash
ington couple Of months earlier and Joined
Cassius NJ. Clay's Secret Battalion. He
remained in the secret service during the
entire war, and prides himself on the fact
that he has never asked the government
for any recognition OF his valuable services
to his country.
His most famous achievement, which has
become a matter of history, being recorded
I'D Lossing's History of the Civil War"
was that OF carrying earpet-bag full Of
soldiers letters and other mail matter
from Washington through Baltimore during
Tie excitement and riot in the latter city,
on April 18th and 18th, 1861. Direct
mail and telegraphic communication from
. / hdSlllk NDl- y OIlil- hdb tHllltlk lultl-
| rupted for five or six days. Washington at
that time was fuIl of Southern conspir-
ators, and their sympathzers, who We're
plotting TO seize the Capital.
When Lieut.. Gay arrived in Baltimore he
found that for miles north of the city the
bridges had been destroyed. He procured
carTiage geanddrove fifteenmilest to COckeys-
vile and proceeded next day on a special
train TO York.
He also claims, and Lossing's History
awards him, the honor ofsaving the Capital
from being seized by conspirators on April
18th, 1861. The rebels had planned to
capture Washington and seize the Presi-
dent Wight had come, Harper's Ferry
was burning and 1000 Southern troops
were ready to march on the Capital. About
500 almost uDarmed Pennsylvania soldiers
had arrived and were quartered in the city,
which fact was known TO Gay.
he thereupon informed Col. Magruder,
the commander of the rebel forces, that
$500 Pennsylvania men, armed with mimic
rifles, were in Washington, and this infor-
nation deferred the rebels from making
an attack, giving time for troops to actually
arrive.
HIS PIOUS FRAUD.
Losing refers to this act ~ history
as Gays pious fraud" Magruder was
afterwards a general in the Confederate
Army.
on April 8, Mr.. Gay was at Fort Wash
ington when the commander entrusted
important verbal messages to him to be
carried to General Scott at his headquarters,
on Seventeenth street. When the mes
sages We're delivered to the general n the
presence of one of his gray-haired orderlies,
Gay was met with an affectionate shake
OF the hand a nd a fervent GOD bless you
Gay was thirty-one years old then, and il
was his birthday.
Lieut. Gay is florist and in / Sol, when
he first came TO Washington, he brought
with him an expensive book of beautifully
colored samples of his flowers and plants
This book he left in care of an old friend
OF his, who kept an inn on Pennsylvania
avenue. Up TO the time OF his present
visit he had entirely forgotten the exist
ence Of the book, butlooking up the family
the granddau lighter OF bis old comrade
who had long since died, discovered the
volume in its leather case in an old boz
In the attic nj returned il to its rightfu
owner.
Mr.. Gay is writing a book OF his wal
experiences. BE is still full of enthu
siasm and patriotism, evinces keen intel
lect in his conversation, and says he hai
hundreds of little stories and incident
stored away in his memory that will sur
prise even the most experienced of TIT
old veterans OF the late war.
|
Fell From the Steeple.
Toledo, O., Sept. IA German carpenter
Ell