Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-23

ter's mon had previously captured the
headquarters outfit Of the rebel Gen. Ros-
ser, and Rosser's men by singular coin
cidence captured Clusters wagon and these
two men, class mates at Westpoint, both
were in this engagement, each wearing
the hat and coat Of the other. Custer
mounted horse, rode into the 'Johnnies"
ranks and gave the order Right about
face" gallon as IL he were q rebel officer;
then rode over among the First brigade
troops, who were soon in line for action.
The rebel troopers, finding they were dis
covered, turned back, with the rebel yelr'
and were fired upon on all sides. The
writer's regiment and other commands
poured a deadly volley in their flying
ranks, killing several and of the First
Vermont boys, some on the picket line
were captured and stripped; others came
to their company, soon to be ratified In
the general meleeensuing. However, the
battle was soon over. Daylight appearing
the column began to move towards Win
chester where 1t arrived two days later
went into camp and began building winter
quarters. On the march down, men would
be watching the column, looking for their
horses, unable to comprehend what had
become of them.
This Lincoln, who had done the YER
monters such bad service in confscating
their horses, was known to have murdered
four Union soldiers, belonging to this COM
mand whose bodies he threw in a pond.
Young Clark said his father and other citi-
zens went and fished out their bodies and
gave each a decent burial. Lincoln came
back to the Springs" to live after the
war. The people, knowing what he had
done and fearing trouble with the Union
forces, Gen. Hancock being then In COM
mand at Winchester. ordered this outlaw
to leave the country. He did, going to
...1 III ..,lt hi n
in a melee in the fall of 1865. Now, II any
member of the First Vermont cavalry, who
was in the battle of Laceys Springs De-
cembcr 20, 1864 lost his horse at that time,
he knows now what became of the crit
ters." SOL JEWELL, JR.,
Late Co. NJ, I'd N. Y. Harris Light Cav.
We suspect that the writer OF the above
may be in error in regard to the capture
of some of the First Vermont cavalry on
picket. in the affair at Lacey's Springs,
perhaps by confcunding the First New
Hampshire regiment with the First Yer
mont.
The report of the affair made by Major
William G. Cummings, First VT Cav, was
as follows: ION the 18th of December oui
division (Custer's) made q reconnaissance
up the valley, camping the second night a
Lacey's Springs. Just before day on the
Goth brigade Of rebel cavalry charged
into camp, surprising the pickets of the
First New Hampshire They were upor
the Eighth New York before the Eight
was aware of the presence of an enemy
Our regiment moved at once towards tho
firing and after a short skirmish made q
charge, capturing some thirty prisoners
without losing man."
Gen. Custer in his report of the affair
says that the enemy, Payne's brigade
made his attack before daybreak on the
Eighth New York and First New Hamp-
shire; that Gen. Chapman at once at
tackled with the First Vermont, and drove
the enemy back for more than a mile
after which Payne made no further
demonstrations. The official reports do no
show that any Vermonters were captured
at Lacey's Springs.