The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-12
GEN. F. A. WALKER.
eToRv or FIRST CAPTURE DURING
THE WAR.

= Scout Attached to General Longstreet's
Command Was His Csptor-The Strange
Adventures Of HIS sword--An Kncident
Showing His Quickness Of wit.
The death Of General Francis A
Walker recalls the story Of his captures
during the war. The first one was at the
battle of Rcams' Station on the 26th of
August, 1864. His captcr, scout at
tached to LoDgstreet's command, had
been doing some harpshooting to pre-
vent Union battery from shelling a
Confederate brigaae while charging.
The battery was presently abandoned,
and the scout disguised himself as
Union soldier and crossed the lines to
find ont %hr ler the Union troops were
in full rcisat or were preparing to
make q r'and.
II pic..ed up package Of papers,
he SAL, In describing the event some
yer 4 afterward, (which / imagined
m. lit be OF Importance to my officers
and moved forward. was going north
east toward the enemy's main line,
when an officer came along from my
left and passed me to my right. 1t was
nearly dark, and l could not discover
his rank. | ran after him about 100
yards, which carried me out of earshot
of any Federal soldiers, and called out
to him, 'You are going the wrong wayP
My object in this was to Delay him till
I,could come up to him. He replied, i
am looking for General Curtis'-I think
that was the name. AS / was close to
him by this time he asked me what /
wanted. / told him in very strong lam
guage that he must surrender. This
seemed TO bewilder him, and he ex-
claimed, Where am ~ / told him,
'You are a prisoner and he asked me
to have more respect for him, as he was
an officer. answered that he must re-
spect my commands, as l was Confed.
crate soldier. and added that it would
he death to one of us il he did not sur
render and follow my directions.
"Without dismounting him or de-
manding his arms. / started in the di.
rection Of Reams Station. About the
time we crossed the road dropped the
bundle of papers had found. I had the
muzzle of my gun directed at the Off
GERS head, and, fearing to stoop and
pick them up, asked a soldier saw ap-
preaching to do SO for me. Whether he
did or not / do not know. In the excite
ment Of the moment moved my pris-
oner on. Coming near our lines, asked
the prisoner to surrender his arms He
handed me q revolver and very fine
sword. We then went OH to the railroad,
and called for Lieutenant Jones. adju-
tant of the Ninth Georgia regiment. As
soon as he appeared asked the prisoner
to dismount and give his name and
rank. He replied as he dismounted, i
am Colonel Walker. adjutant general on
General Hancock's staff. saw he had
q watch and told him that if he would
give it and his money to me I would
keep them for him and return them, but
that the guards would take them from
him. He replied that he would as soon
trust one rebel as another, but that the
sword he had given me was not his, and
that he would be greatly obliged IL
would have it sent back into the FEEDER
al lines, where the owner might get it.
/ laughingly answered that would
take it TO General Hancock's headquar-
ters myself"
The sword here mentioned was after
ward given by General Walkers captor
to Brigadier General G. T. Anderson OF
the Confederate army. General Ander-
son wore it from that day till the end Of
the war. Sixteen years later, happening
to have the ownership Of the sword
brought to his attention, he sent it back
to General Walker with his compli.
ments, remarking that if he ever should
need again to wear it he hoped it would
be lent to him, and received very cor
dial letter of thanks in response.
General Walkers quickness of wit
has given point to many story told of
him in Washington. At one time he
was travelling in railway train and
was much annoyed by the chatter of
two small politicians who were loudly
gloating over local victory which their
party had gained few days before. One
of them presently turned to General
Walker and remarked in a staggering
manner, "Straws show which way the
wind blows, eh?''
"There is another old proverb about
straws," suggested Walker.
What's that?''
Drowning men catch at them. -
New York Evening Post.