Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-11-16
written for the Herald
JULY, 1868.


vania and the army of the Potomac
came from Virginia to meet them
A large Federal force was lying al
Harpers Ferry and on Maryland
Heights at the time. On the march
General Hooker resigned command o.
the Army of the Potomac, and Gener-
al Meade was appointed to take his
place. The latter ordered the evacua-
ton of Harpers Ferry and Maryland
Heights and consolidated the force
with the Eighth Army Corps, of which
General French was in command.
So. after destroying all the stores and
provisions which could not be carried
with them the force started on the
march northward expecting to meet
the enemy in battle somewhere.
Showers had softened the roads very
much, and at first the mud was dread
full. Arrived at Frederick information
came that the enemy was encounter
ed at Gettysburg by Reynolds Corps
and fierce fighting was going on.
French received orders to hold bis
command in reserve at Frederick until
| further orders, and to be in a state OIL
constant readiness to march.
Most of the men of Coles Cavalry
were we'll acquainted with the topo-
graphy of the region around Gettys-
burg and knew all the roads public
and private, and the men OF Company
c desired to volunteer as guides fol
BuelPs Cavalry. Their car tain was
by them requested to approach Gen
eral French in their behalf and get the
required permission He did So He
came back in some excitement with
out the permission. He told us he
had laid the matter before General
French, and that squirting General
reply delivered in thunder tones, was
"Nol get back to your company III
have any id man shot who leaves
campn' The Captain just then felt
more like pitching into General French
than into the enemy, and with wink
and nod the men were given to I'M
derstood that such OF them as wanted
to risk it could take trench" leave
with little If" About twenty did
so, went to Gettysburg, offered theii
services 10 General Buell., were accept
ed, aud did good service. They re-
turned to their company after the
battle, and not one was shot by the
sanguinary General French; but it is
not likely he ever heard of this helm
GUS violation of his orders.
During the days of the battle at
Gettysburg we only bivouacked al
Frederick, being kept in continual
readiness to move instantly-our
horses saddled and bridled and in line
and the men aligned in front them.
No tents or shelters were erected, and
during the period of the battle sever
al heavy showers occurred, and the
| fiat fields in which we were were
soaked with water; so our condition
may be better imagined than describ-
ed. We could easily hear the cannon
volieys at Gettysburg When the
battle there was over, things relax
ed with us, and we did all we could tc
make ourselves comfortable. Large
bodies of troops who had fought al
Gettysburg returned through Fred
eriek on their way b&ckto the Potonl
ac. Buell's Cavalry came that way
and remained just long enough al
Frederick to hang spy on lone tree
in field across the Hagerstown Pike
from our camp, where he hung some
three days. The victim. was man
who had often been. through oui
camps in the Shenandoah Valley sell
ing books and notions to the soldiers
By some means suspicion was at this
time directed towards him, and be
was arrested and searched. Nothing
eliminating was found upon him, ant
he was about to be discharged, when
a negro who had been with him told
his captors to take off his stockings
1t was done, and plans of the fortifi-
cations around Baltimore were found
upon him. That settled the matter.
1t was reported that the suggestion
was made to Buell. to have him SEM
to Washington for trial. ITO Wash
ington" he replied. "No! if he's
sent there he'll return with a com
mission! Hang him up and any
man who cuts him down in less thar
four days will be strung up beside
himl" So he was hung on lone tres
a little in from the pike, and in full
view of our camp. He did not hang
for four days, however. AS the cav
airy passed along the pike, many rode
in and cut bits Of bark until it was al
gone as high as cavalryman could
reach from his horse, when they begar
on his clothing, which went bit by BIZ
until he was entirely nude, aud, last,
the rope which held him was cut ant
carried away. After the body hat
lain for day or two on top of the
ground detail of men was made t.
bury it,
Soon after that our cavalry was or
dered to remove from along the
Hagerstownypik to a position ON tn,
4 Woodsporo pike, a mile out from
Frederick. From this camp we fur
nished the city daily with a patro
guard. One day Comrade Coble, til,
bugler of my company and a fin
musician, made proposition to IN
that if would compose some lines il
honor of the battle of Gettysburg Ii
would compose piece of music 70
them and we would have it printed il