Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-01
IN Interesting Renaissance Of General
Lee.
nTGGING WITH A WINDLASS.
..Thougbt He Would Never Hear the Last
Of II.
MISTAKEN i"h
,,.. yir,t Observation-Disclosures OF
,iosby's Men I'm 1sGf-What "'sh'
49,. uccn-The DonDy Hue
Rag.

flag.
nv Joseph Mayo. Colonel Third V Illnl
Infantry. Picketts DiVisloi-5|Sp
Ushcd. ~ request rom
Tmes) -. <.z
ON the night Of the 18th Of August Gas
,.,u as remember, 1854. a detachment
., re5erals was thrown across James
,,, from Bermuda Hundred 10 occu-
-. che neck OF the bottle-shaped piece
- lsrd known as "Dutch Cap where
Ella, river Of sinuosities makes It's most
centric bend. as IL 1t had mind TO
,t.i against the law Of nature and turn
h,-rward in its course. AT that time the
Confederate line between the James ana
,-,e-attox extended from the Hewlett
Ms. battery to Dunn's Mil. From the
,.rr,sr point 20 Battery Semmes, or I'M
r-i,ately in front Of Dutch Gap there
a., hiatus. which this movement Of
o., enemy made It necessary 70 NIL
fl,rce / was sent with my regiment
,rs day after they appeared TO occupy
Ire vacant space.
IN, Instructions given me by General
Pc.ett through his aide-de-eamp. Captain
= A. Bright, were to find out as quickly as
ros-ibl. what "our friends, the enemy
were up 10 IN that quarter The con-
fgyation OF the ground made the task
.ornevhat difficult ON our side II zen
az abruptly into a low basin, whlcn'
but for the dykes which defended H.
,vo,,Id have been overlooked by an or
binary "fresh," or high tide. opposite
H. rs was a bank thirty or foTty ieet
A. beicht. f-inged with trees, through
which nothing could be distinctly SEEN
So we had 20 trust entirely 10 our ears
Or the Information which ] was told
General Lee was anxious 10 get Making
tre hest reconnaissance that circumstances
,v,v,ed I ordered the officer IN charge
.- tho uickct line 10 take particular note
ar every sound he heard during the
ffiit and communicate the result TO me.
N.xt morning at dawn he sent me
nm account Of what he had heard, which,
along with some observations or my
own. I embodied in a report, covering "a
f.c.t Of f0olscap paper and sent 1t post
haste 20 General Pickett, as directed.
j. 70 ] expressed the confident opinion
eat the enemy was digging canal,
frl f,l'citated myself on having made
the proposition as clear as anything
could 10 made without occular proof.
The next day about noon l was lying
quietly doing IN my tent, when my
ouarteruastcr. Captain Tabb. who was
sitting outside reading n law book, called
81 me that General Lee was coming.
Ilrnw.nc on my coat, ] hurried out just
in time 90 meet my distinguished visitor
wa1 Was accompanied by Colonel Mar
sail. q his stan. and Captain Bright.
bsuo.ut.ag and courteously declining
the camp-stool | offered him, he said
rather abruptly: Captain Bright In
formed us sir. that II l came by here,
y.l c1Ii- could tell me what those peo-
are doing over there at Dutch Gap"
N,w ! v-s barely a moment come from
o., front not a via wiser Tor anything
] h1i seen than when l had sent my
report 90 General Pickett. Consequently,
J had no alternative but TO repeat that
orally pres ming that General Lee had
lot read it. In the midst OF it he
stopped ne. II have seen that report OF
Solrr. ar. IN which you say that you, or
somebody. heard the noise Of a windlass
g. work DO you suppose they would
~ O. canal with a windlass?" The tone
j. which the question was asked made
hy blood Jingle II aid not suppose much
t'cgt &c.. General, / replied: Il only
ie shaft TO find out what sort of soil
t,y had - 90 through" Never mind
IT coniecturcs. sir" said he; "the up
t-lt 81 81 IS that you really know no.
tfg az al Of those peoples intentions.
N't exactly, General" / replied with
81 tn dignity l could muster. II am
to'r. Jon have come so far Out OF your
way o. no purpose; but II you desire II
: VIII 90 az once and take another oh.
toNaion ot those people" Il DO wish
j. f.r,' mounting his horse as he spoke
-l your report directly to me. Good
I1-r'1g. Captain" And of he rode.
whether ne had forgotten my rank. as
we Oldest colonel OF infantry in the Viz
a.a line ~ the Army OF Northern Wiz.
..a. or meant 10 intimate that, II he
gao bis way. he would take me down
several buttonhoies lower. I have never
't"eN the trouble TO inquire, but even
" his distance OF time, we'll remember
we provoking smile that played about
'-ai.ey M3rshars lips anp row his
eyes were twinkling behind his specs
ven the blessings l had IN store for
.o bright for getting me into such "a
I.'tie. IL wasn't pleasant by any man
A'F u means, having 10 walk a mile or
moro under a boiling August sun on an
'nUfely useless Grand To make the
AGED by ihe Crows Nest" battery,
vas carrying on a sharp cuel with Bat
,E hemmes. and / had 20 foot It for
FIRE
Teaching The picket post. Immediately
opposite the gap proper. l was saluted
~ me cherry voice OF my gallant friend,
'ae tyer-yigilant Colonel W. r. Poague.
OF tho artillery. who. perched in the top
leaning sycamore tree. glass in
Aaho' was intently surveying the stu
. lon on the other side. Come up here.
'oionelr' no exclaimed IT'S plain rs
can be. can distinctly see two lines
% art indiCating the width Of The ca
- 80. ana men at work with picks" etc.
.'oantinS 70 HIS side, sure enough. The
canal or rather the beginning OF n
,'oo1 confessed to my delighted eyes
lolc Foaguc OF nay Interview with Cen
80 80 Lee. az which he was highly amused
"eli." said he. there ~ no longer room
sgr doubt ON the subject; but we had
'Ster descend; that fellow looks as