The age-herald., 1897-08-13
FIRST CONFEDERATE PRISONERS.
Private Buchley Claimed That He Made tfe
 Capture Ten Days After Sumpter.
7rono tbe Chicapo rimeg-Herald.

From the Chicago Times-Herald.
 "Who can tell me about the first prls- oners of war captured in 1861 by the Union forees?"
 The question was out of the current and set me to thinking. I have asked the same question of scores of people, nons Of whom were able to give a better answer than IS embodied in story l heard at Fora's theatre Washington, in December. 1861, from the lbs of a member of the presi- dents mounted guard body of Washing tondent's mounted guard body of short term ,Washington vo.unteers-Rudo-p Buchley, for many years a prominent Washington business man. Between acts he told me some of his experiences as member of the presidents mounted guard. Among the incidents was the capture of two Texans who were the first prisoners secured in that city.
 Private Buchley and corporal were sta tioned at Seventh street, three blocks or four from Pennsylvania avenue A wagon drawn by pair of mules, on the front seat of which sat two men, was halted by the corporal who asked the driver and his companion various questions. They in formed him that they were going out into Maryland for load, intending to get back. that afternoon. The corporal became con- vinced that they were innocent parties and told them to go. ahead. Buchley didn't like their looks. He had noticed that there was something in the wagon covered with5an old carpet After they had gone few rods he made known his suspicious to the cor poral.
 Nonsense. they're all right. Let them go, . said the corporal
 But Private Buchley thought his rank was pretty nearly as high as the corporal's, and he idsshed out and halted tte Texans second time When they became impudent, which they did very soon, he arrested them and@~ hen -fhsy deciifstl sto turn the team toward Pennsylvania avenue he turned his carbine on them By this time several other members of the guard appeared and search lwas@made. The Texans were nicely equipped with revolvers carefully concealed on their persons, and their wagon was lit orally packed with arms of various kinds, including revolvers, muskets, rifles, sabres. and carbines. They also had quite sup ply of ammunition. It was reckoned an inn portant capture. The Texans were placed behind the bars. Private Buchley became very much of a hero and was advanced in rank. Our regiment was then in camp in a field back of the Lee mansion, on Arling- ton Heights, and as we had no engagements with the Confederates, Buchley's story was of great interest. The capture took p.acs within ten days of the firing on Fort Sum- ter. I am confident that the two Texans were the first prisoners mare by the federal soldiers. after war was declared
 MT. Buchley died more than twenty years ago. Four years later his brother, one of the first undertakers of Washington, who had officiated at the funerals of many con gressmen and other high officials, died Rudolph Buchley's family have lived in Virginia on the old Fairfax road, about four miles from Long Bridge, ever since 1865. l visited them few days since, and in the course of conversation Mrs. Buch- ley spoke of her husband having been credited with capturing the first confeder- ate prisoners and then told the story, al- most word for word, as Mir Buchley told It to me between acts at Ford's theatre. a third of a century ago