Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-01-25

a wounded Uuion cavalryman at this
house and we have come to see you.
This lady tells us you were not captnr-
ed by the Rebels, and we want to pre-
vent that if we can. We are to con-
tinue the march for Point of Rocks at
daylight. A Union colonel is under
Ashby's Cavalry, in command of US.
We also have with US a great many
poor wounded fellows, some of TIRES
in very bad condition, as it is nov
four days since the battle and nothing
has vet been done for their wounds.
1 A number OF them are in a dreadful
state. Now, we will take you with
us in the morning if you can go, and
if you can't walk we will find some
other means to take you if we have to
carry you"
! told him if were alive in the
morning and could move one foot be-
fore the other l would go with them
and that thanked them with all my
heart for their attention and kind
offer to help me. After they departed
a number of others came to see me. At
daylight was in less pain, but my
inner and outer clothing was stiff and
uncomfortable from dried blood, and
irritated me till / got used to move
ment. At first tried to stand up
right, but it made me faint and caused
me much pain. So assumed bent
over position, and with no hat, and a
the eight mile march. We moved
very slowly, not making over mile
an hour. One OF the men remarked
that there might be some trouble for
me at the river if the Rebels called the
roll. When their Colonel passed us
they stopped him and told him my
case. ooh that will be all right, |
think, said he. 1--WE can manage,
I am sure, to smuggle him over. None
will cross the river till the whole COM
mand is up, and the wounded will be
put over first We won't have them
detained for any roll-call. So come
along as fast as you can, and he will
be put among the wounded in the
first boat"
We were about the last arriving at
the Ferry, and the boat was there and
was filling up with the wounded-of
which there were over I5o-and | was
put aboard without any fornality or
question of the guard. | thanked
my kind conductors for their help and
soon was on "God side ofthe river, /"
as the boys used to call it, and in the
village of Point of Rocks, where was
large number of army surgeons in
wounds were dressed on the porch of
hotel there, and the wife of the pro-
prietor gave me some clean under
clothing of her husbands to put or
very kind act which was fully a.
preciated. / was put on board the
first train that came along and taken
to Harpers Ferry. Some of my COM
rades were at the station when the
train got there, and almost felt they
were seeing an apparition, as l had
been reported dead in camp. A gen
tlenan in Bolivar, with whom was
we'll acquainted, desired me to be
taken to his house, which was accord
ingly done His family consisted ola
noble wife and a sweet little girl of
some six years. A large rocking
chair vas fixed for me as | could not
yet lie down. A lieutenant of my
company was also in the same room
with a fever. Later on Col. Thomas
Ford, of Ohio, shared our room at
times. he being in and out, suffering
from a painful complaint. This Off
Ger was the next in command after
Col. Miles, Commander of the Depart
ment of Harpers Ferry. Col. Ford
was man of genial and sociable dis
position-the very. opposite of Col.
Miles.
1t was the evening of the 3rd of
September when l was taken to the
house mentioned in Bolivar. My
wounds began at once to heal, and |
seemed to be doing well, though it
was some time before I could breathe
freely and without pain, but was
again enabled to assume an erect po-
sition.
The force we encountered at Lees
burg was, as l have said, the advance
of Stonewall Jackson's Corps, which,
along with the rest of Lees army, was
about to invade Maryland. So the
objects we had seen on the day of our
march to Leesburg were sure enough
Rebel soldiers and good many of
them-two or three regiments of cav
airy, artillery and infantry. They
had also seen us, but kept hidden and
permitted us to walk into the trap
or ride into it. Many of Jackson's
men crossed the river at Leesburg. the
rest of Lees army crossed at other
points on the Potomac, and things
finally eliminated in the Battle OF An
tietam.
After Lees army had crossed into
! Maryland, the post of Harpers Ferry
with its garrison of 1000 infantry
and 600 cavalry was cut off and com
pletely isolated, and was eventually sur
rounded and attacked by Jackson 5
whole command, aud captured. At
the time this was going on, we inva-
lids could get no news at our room in
Bolivar. The house was some distance
back from the street and was on the
highest part of the ridge occupied by