The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10
A TERRIBLE FIGHT.
low MAJ RICHARDS WHIPPED THE
REDOUBTABLE CAPT. BLAZER.
Told by One OF the Men who Helped to DO
ti-Hanging = Prisoner 10 Extors INFER
nation Followed by Swift vepgssuce,

| feuerdi OIncef elSdsed IN attIdcNho -
| attention OF Colonel Mosby and all MS
men-indeed he had a special contract
| hQt only to interest the Colonel, but 10
tAkc him and all his belongings. dead or
| alive. and that officer was Capt: Ricnard
| Blazer. This brave man was west VIZ
! ginian, who had gone INFO the Northern
army, and had so disting iished himself
| that he was specially chosen Tor the TASK
| OF driving away or destroying MosDy anu
| his command. However rough he was on
the members of the Forty-third Battalion
| OF Virginia Cavalry his kindness says
| Mr.. John Scott. ito citizens was proVerD,
ial, and everywhere within the range oI
| III activities the citizens were reauy 10
| bear honorable testimony TO MS chaTaC-
| te: -
How effective was his work let mis- own
| report show: but, with all allowance LOT
| self-praise, he was certainly d thorh III
| Mosby's side
| Headquarters Independent Scouts.
! Mddletown, Va, Oct. "A, 1904:
Sir: / have the honor of submitting tue
| following report of the operations OF NY
command since the 18th OF August:
on the 18th, learning that a party Oh
| Mosbys guerrilas were in the vicinity
of Myerstown. | proceeded to that place
and overlook them near the SHENANDOAH
| river and, after chase of three miles, l
one prisoner. The army having fallen
| back to Haltown on the 18th, according
to your orders, | went into Loudoun
county, and after operating for several
1
captured three prisoners. The army hay
ing again advanced to Berryville. on the
right OF the Sd of September learned
that Mosby, with a considerable force,
ing or the 4th ] CROSSED the river AT
Backus Ford and moved up the river 10
where ! could get up the mountain
through the woods. | struck the pike
east of the TOP of the mountain. and
moved on their camp. Finding that he
had left during the night in the direction
Of Charlestown, / determined to follow.
] recrossed the mountain through Lewis
Gap, and, by forced march, overlook
them about p. NJ at Myers Ford, and,
after spirited fight for several minutes,
| completely routed them. with a loss on
his part of 10 killed, wounded, prison,
ers and Ii horses. My loss was i Killed
and 6 wounded. Since that ! have had
several small affairs with them, in which
| have always defeated them, except
twice. On the goth Lieutenant Ewing.
with five men. was attacked on the Ber-
ryville pike, near the Opequoii, py SUI
perior force. and was all rapt'T.d eNcepS
himself on the I'D Sergeant Fuller, OF
the Fifth Virginia Infantry with ION
men, was attacked near Summit Point ny
fifty or sixty Suerrill1s. He tousht ITEM
until lie was oVerpowered ana foH" OF his
men were killed, one wounded and the
rest all captured but three, who made
the.r escape.
Having learned that a Ip.an by the name
of Marshall was recruiting a company IN
the vicinity OF Ashby'S Gap. and that they
were to organize on the, 18th. | proceeded
70 their reported rendezvous, near White
Post, and completely surprised them, get
ting. Marshall and four of his men. ana
Capturing all his papers. In another al
fair below Front Royal left eight OF his
murderers TO keep company with some
that (were) left by General Custer; these,
with number of others that | have
picked up through the country, make an
aggregate in killed. a.: wounded. u, and
prisoners. including two captured IN the
i. Tz.l -oty no
My entire loss is men killed. wound
ed and prisoners.
| am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant.
(Signed) X. BLAZER,
Can't Commanding Independent Scouts.
Assistant Adjutant-General Army oil
West Virginia. 80,
After this report was filed, indeed,
shortly prior TO the occurrence
of which | am about to give an account,
Captain Blazer had come upon Com
pany a. of Mosbys battalion While
bivouacked in a glen Of the Blue Ridge
and completely surprised and routed
them. killing some of their best men,
capturing more and shooting down ana
capturing their commanding officer, Lieu
tenant Nelson, who 10 this day carries
in his hip the leaden souvenir oil the
occasion.
Company a was now burning for its
revenge Things had come TO such "A
pass that that section of the country
was not large enough TO hold the rival
clans, and it became a military necessity
that Blazer should be wiped out, 20
Colonel Mosby dispatched Major \. IL.
Richards. with his squadron. consisting
of Companies 4 and b, upon the mission.
We crossed the mountain and the
Shenandoah river one Afternoon IN
terrible rain and spent the night without
fires or shelter, in Castleman's big woods,
a few miles northeast of BerryVllle.
Early the next morning we moved out
i'm quest of our game But the Vigilant
Ia1 Il n.
and, as we afterwards learned, pretty
accurate information as TO our numbers;
He broke camp. mounted his men ana
promptly took up the gage OF battle. Inc
parties were about equally matched as
TO numbers. Each recognized that the
decisive hour had come. and was none
the less eager for the fray. But each
also appreciated the immense advantage
of getting the bulge" as our Harry
Hatcher called IT. on the other And
now began manoeuvering for position.
We actually followed each other-Blazer
and we-around in a circle. the com,
mandS being kept in the ravines and
under the river bluffs, while the hostile
scouts frequently caught sight of each
other from neiGhboring hills.
While this kind of game OF hide and
seek was going on. two Of our scouts
Charley McDonough and John P,
rode up hill and found themselves with
diers in Confederate uniforms approach
ing them. They took for granted hat
they We're some of our scouts, though
they did not recognize the individual Is.
McDonough, however, was outlawed by
the Federal authorities, with price upon
his head. for some desperate deeds pre-
viousy committed by. him, and this made
him cautious Of making new acquaint-
ahces. Declaring that he wouldn't allow
men whom he didn't know TO ride up
on him. he quietly withdrew:
expression at Charley's timidity.
awaited the strangers who. when
they came up. proved sure enough 10
be Jesse scouts. a class Of Federal scouts
wearing Confederate uniforms. IN when
disguise they succeeded in taking in
many an unwary Johnnie Reb
HUNG SEVERAL TIMES.
p was a brave youth, who bore
a heart always ready for soldiers fate,
and he bowed to the inevitable with the
best grace he could. But an experience
awaited him OF which ne. poor fellow,
little dreamed When he was carried by
his captors back TO Lieutenant Cole,
the second in command to Blazer. and
who had charge of the scouts. that Of
flcer OF course questioned him as 10 the
wherea bouts of our command, and equal
", OF course he refused 10 give any in
formation. Lieutenant Cole should not
have expected IL from him. But l sup
pose he was a man who looked upon
war as barbarous business. anyhow,
and considered barbarous means Justi-
fable for the achievement of a military
success. Al any rate. he insisted upon
P--'s betraying his comrades, and
when threats of instant death failed 10
move the loyal-hearted lad he proceeded
apparently 10 put his threats into execu-
ton. 4 rope was placed around the
from a tree until nearly unconscious,
and then lowered and again questioned