Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-14
now A FEDERAL MAJoR-GENERAA'
ESCAPED EN- DIsHABILLE.
GENERAL BUFFERS GOOD STORY.
xrLpArRycK's WHOLE CAMP MIGHT
HAVE BEEN CAPTURED.
WALKED OUT OF LIBBY PRISON.
II Took n Lot of Nerve, But the
Ordeal Was Passed Successfully
The Armies OF Virginin--interest-
ing Figures.

The Charleston News and Courier pub
fishes the following account by General
II. c. Butler of the capture Of AS Fede-
raj soldiers near Fayetteville, n. c.:
Our cavalry consisted of Wheeler's and
my own division. under the command of
General Wade Hampton. On the 10th OF
March our column. on the march, was In
about one days march of Fayetteville
n. c. My old brigade. at that time com
manded by General r. NJ. Law, OF this
State, was in front. Young's Brigade,
commanded by Colonel ]. @. Wright,
next. with Wheeler following.
Humphreys squadron Of the Sixth
South Carolina Cavalry, Laws Brigade,
constituted the advance guard. BY the
rule usually observed on such occasions.
Toungs Wrlghts) Brigade would have
taken the lead the next day. You are no
doubt aware that while marching in the
neighborhood of the enemy advance and
rear guards are thrown out well to the
front and rear, with active, Yigilant
scouts and videttes operating on the
tanks, front, and rear. 1t rained in tor
6hermans army was to the south and
east of our line of march. Kilpatricks
cavalry covering his left flank. About
nightfall Humphreys halted his squad
ron at the intersection Of a road leading
from the south.
On inquiring OF Captain Humphreys
the cause of his halt he Informed me
that the road he had intersected had re-
Gently been travelled by heavy column
OF mounted troops. On examination
found this to be true. and concluded we
had run into Kilpatrick's track While
we were discussing the situation l dis
covered a detachment of cavalry follow
Ing in the wake OF Kilpatrick's march.
and rode out into the forks Of the road
about forty yards and halted with the
usual challenge, who comes thereY' 1t
was then getting too dark TO distinguish
between friend and foe. The answer
came. Fifth Kentucky" Knowing this
TO be one Of Kipatrick's regiments. d.
rected the commander of the detach-
ment who turned out 10 be lieuten-
ant. TO ride up, as / wanted TO talk with
him. Evidently not knowing who we
were, he advanced with his orderly and
when / had led him into the ranks OF
Humphreys squadron it was the work
OF a few moments to disarm and place
him In arrest
WITHOUT FIRING A GUN.
This done, I whispered TO Humphreys
TO send out a squad and take in the de-
tachrnent of the Fifth Kentucky. He
promptly surrounded them and made
them prisoners, Is in number, without
firing a gun.
You will pardon what appears to be
minor, unimportant details, but they
have an important bearing upon what
followed.
AS soon as General Hampton had been
appraised OF what had occurred, after
consultation between himself. General
Wheeler. and myself. II was decided TO
attack Fitzpatrick the next morning at
daylight In order to do so more advan-
tageously the whole column moved for
ward from where we captured the de-
tachment, in columns OF fours, cautious
ly and quietly, about four miles. where
we halted and dismounted on the road
side without unsaddling and without
6res. The night was dark, with a cola,
drizzling rain. / can never forget that
night. as we lay without shelter or food
for man or horses, each man with his
bride on his arm.
/ threw out some distance in our front.
on each side OF the road. a line OF dis
mounted skirmishers. They had scarce
~ depioyed when one of Kilpatrck's
iieutenants walked or rode into the line,
He was brought 10 my headquarters, 9
pine log on the roadside. and on being
,nterrogated a. TO why he was there al
that time OF the night. he replied that
he had been sent back to look for a
broken-down wagon, and had walked I'M
swares into our picket lines. He was
not inclined TO be communicative. but
learned enough 10 enable me TO locate
Rilpatrick's camp pretty accurately. On
the strength of this information we re-
connoitered his camp about midnight,
riding up almost to his camp nres. MO-
q picket was posted. nor other precau'
tion taken as far as we could discover