The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10

| NiVHi TINS renee 10 the IVa~ w ''SS~
was perhaps three hundred yarus.
Now. passing through these WOODS,
| MAYOR Ricnards left lew men scattereu
mere End there in them, AZ , tnousI 'f ny
| south, unoer the brow OF me mn. COM
pany Is was drawn up IN me OF pattie.
racing the road, so disposed mat the
enemy, would not see them untii one or
| the other should reach the hill top. still
further to the south, down In the vale.
Company A was halted In line OF march.
As we expected. when Blazer reached
Myers shop he was informed that we had
| just lett there In something OF a hurry.
on ne pushed after us, at double QUICK.
Wheh ne reached the WOODS on the RIVER
ROAD, and was moving past them, ms
attention was attracted by our decoys,
| winch had been left there. A rev snots
| passed between them, when ne matted MS
| men and faced them In line TOWARD us.
| ana was about TO deploy skirmisners
| into the woods. At this crucial moment
| Company a moved hurriedly. out OF the
valley into his view, upon the southern
slope or the old field. toward the PACK
| fence, through which some OF our men
| were seen tearing gaps for dear life.
| The impression was at once MADE upon
him that we had taken fright, ana were
| IN iull retreat. Here was ms chance,
The gods were propritious; the man
snouid not be wanting: ordering a
| charge, cn he brought his men pell riell
through the woods after us
\ HlS was what klcDdTuS
| on. Company Il sprang TO the charge.
| and to Blazers utter surprise, met nm
with a yell and volley at the TOP OF the
| hill. HIS men were Of the true metai,
however. and stood the surprise ana the
| shock ike heroes. The two lines closed
| UP, and for more than a minute tand
mats an age for such Dusiness) stoou
horse to horse, emptying their reviewers
| into each others faces. Al TINS point
murderous work was done on both sides.
But as Company made It's charge
Company halted in It's retreat, ana, AT
the word from Hatcher, raced ABOUT on
the instant, dashed back at full speed,
rushed up the hill. into the woods ana
struck Blazers still struggling and as
tonished men on the left flank. Not even
II halt was made, and we carried the
enemy in hopeless. reckless rout back
through the woods into the ROAD, ana on
past Myers shop lowell, don know
where. The truth is. that all except nve
or six, who were unusually wen mounted
or got off in good time, were oyertaken
and captured.
Captain Blazer stood his ground among
the last desperate fighters, ana oniy
when he saw that the day was hopelessly
lost and his veterans had fallen thick
around him. did he betake himself 10
fight. He was well mounted ana maze
race as gallant as was ms nSht' More
than a mile up the road, ana away
ahead of the main body, he was overtaken
by sgd. Ferguson, a burly young ranger,
who. by the way is now an eminent a.
vine in the Methodist Church; Pursuer
and pursued had emptied their pistols,
and Blazer paid no heed to the youth
calls on him to halt until Ferguson mail
ly. running beside him, knocked him
prone In the road with the butt OF his re-
volver.
AS the rout passed Myers shop
/ saw a Federal officer strike out from the
main bodyeof- aging men. evidently TO
seek ms own salvation. MY horse,
which was strong and fleet, made after
1 MIN, and in less than hundred yarus
run. was along side him; on my eau 10
surrender he halted and raised poth
ards. i saw that his pistols were in MS
holster, and leaned over TO unbuckle his
belt and secure them. AS ! was bent over
my attention was attracted by the souhu
OF horses feet. and | raised my head 10
see p rein Up behind us. His race
Was distorted with anger or excitement,
ard he was pointing a cooked pistol at
the officers head.
VENGEANCE FOR THE HANGING.
He was, Of course, released from his
captivity as soon as Blazers column
broke: learned afterwards that he at
once fell upon his guard and wrested MS
revolver from him and fell into the .hase.
Lieutenant Cole became the single object
OF his pursuit, and. his eye once falllnS
upon him, he had followed him like a
Nemesis throughout the whole desperate
race until he came up with him in my
possession.
raised my hand and said: Don't
SnOOt TINS man, he mas
p answered. with an oath: Inc
rascal tried TO hang me this morning.
| knew that he had been in the enemy
hands, and asked the prisoner II what ne
charged were true. There was a mo-
ment's hesitation, and no response; then
the crack of a pistol. and Lieutenant Cole
fell against my side and rolled TO the
ground between his horse and mine.
dismounted and took his belt, with pair
OF revolvers. from around him. Let me
pay this tribute to his memory-Doth
pistols were empty. l DeIleVe 1alleu 10
state that when 1 overlook him he was
bleeding profusely from a wound in the
breast, which he had received In the
tight. As / moved away he rolled MS
dying eyes toward me with look shall
never forget and | would gladly have
tarried TO give him such comfort as L
could. But this was no time for sympa-
thy, and hurried back 10 the road.
i soldier who shortly afterward went
to him and got his watch and small
sum OF money from ms person tod me
that he was dead when he found MIN.
Perhaps somebody will be Interested I'm
the following sequel, which came TO my
knowledge quarter oil century after
the events narrated above.
| was sitting by my firesde last win
ter discussing this hight with "A friend
whose family resided near the scene and
were eye-witnesses TO much that | have
written. He told me that his father had
assisted in burying the Federal dead, and
took special charge of the remains OF
Lieutenant Cole, with whom he had had
pleasant acquaintance. a few days al
ter the fight-possibly the next day-a de-
tachment of the First Pennsylvania Cav
airy rode up TO his house and asked n
he knew where the Lieutenants body was
buried. When he told them that he HIM
self had buried II he was asked If the
body showed any signs OF having been
ritied. The questioners were very anxious
about this, because, they said, he had
large sum of money in a belt around
n i'm inf Of do
Mr.. Chamberlayne the citizen, very
nervous, also, for II the money should
not be found his own position might be
made not altogether a happy one. SO he
carried the party TO the grave without
delay and the body was eXhumed. Greatly
10 his relief the belt. with the money, was
found intact His comrades said the
amount was $3.50, bit | can scarcely
imagine the circumstances that woulc ~.
duce him 10 carry so much money about
him in his precarious kind OF life How
ever soldiers were curious people! The
sum was considerable, at any rate. How
like kicking himself when he reads this.
will the man fecl who got his watch and
purse! | cannot myself say that l do
not regret that did not carry my own
researches In that direction further.
Perhaps that dying look expressed
wish 10 communicate the presence OF the
treasure to me, who at least made an
effort to save his l!fe.
How the news of this fight reached the
enemy Is told officially by General Steven
son:
HEADQUARTERS
Military District OF Harper's Ferry.
Harpers Ferry. Nov. 49, 1854.
Lieutenant-Colonel ]. w. Forsyth, Chief
of.Staff. Middle Military Division. in the
field
Colonel.-Two OF Captain Blazers men
came In this morning. Privates Harris
and Johnson. They report that Mosby.
with 800 men, attacked Blazer, near Kable-
H. NJ BAsr