The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-15

"oS AAO l1oA4 Ia 1N1 l1S ~
whom the term GUNNER was applied
previous to 1861. The war brought out
the man and the name. Sherman's
'bummers' gained a reputation over
those of any other army, but every
command held its free lances, and they
We're more or less of a factor in the
field.
The GUNNER of the war was neither
a guerrilla nor a robber, in point of
TACT, though the element had it's dregs,
he was a man FESTIVE Of discipline.
He didn't shirk fighting, but he wanted
to fight when and how he pleased. His
appetite craved something better than
army. r%ationS, and he also had a curl
oslty to know what was going on be-
tween the lines. Nc matter how strin-
gent the orders or how watchful the
provost guard, the hummer found a
way to get out of camp and go wan
dering about. The advance guard of
a marching army, whether cavalry or
infantry, always found the free lances
ahead Of them. Now and then they
acted as scouts and brought in valu-
able information, but as a rule they
had little concern except for them
selves.
SAVING THE GUARD.
Just before Hooker set his army in
march for Charlottesville a provost
guard of 100 men was ordered out TO
round up a lot of bummers who were
raiding the country to the east. -Four
or V men had been overhauled and
made prisoners, when the guard rode
into a confederate camp in the woods
and a sharp fight began. Unknown to
either side, a crowd of fifty get
aways' were encamped in the same
piece of woods about half a mile away.
AS soon as the firing began they seized
their msukets, fell into line, and under
command Of one of their number they
marched through the woods and fell
on the enemy's flank n routed him.
But for their timely arrival and the
way they fought, not a man of the pro-
vost guard would have escaped. They
had been raiding farm houses and some
of them were wearing women's bon
nets and skirts as they went into the
fight. Three or four Of the fellows were
killed. but the body Of them escorted
the guards back to within a mile of
our lines, and then sent a dozen fat
chickens to General Hooker as a token
of their esteem.
HOLDING UP A BANK.
Perhaps the first confederate bank
raided by union soldiers was one at
Charleston, Va, as Milroy was making
- way up luS OIcIldIOOdu valley.
Cumming was in it's infancy then, but
a dozen Of the fellows found them
selves ahead of the army and resolved
to strike for a big stake. They made a
sudden attack on the town at daylight,
and then dashed in and made for the
bank. The broke in the door with an
ak, obliged the banker to unlock his
safe, n something like a half million
dollars was carried away as they re-
treated. A day later they bundled
up 500, 1000, strapped it on the back of
a mule, and hired a farmer to deliver
the wealth to General Milroy in per-
son. Accompanying the money was
a note, which advised the general to
bride the confederates to keep ahead
of him and do no fighting. AS his mill
itary maneuvers had been checkmated
right along, and his reputation was
under a cloud, it was a hard shot at
him. The story got to Washington,
and was commented on by President
the presidents levity caused the g2a-
eral to tender his resignation.
A wOMAN's ROUNDUP.
When Stonewall Jackson flanked in
On Pope the bummers were scattered
over a large extent of country. There
was not @ company in any regiment
which had not contributed at least one
man. They went roaming in squads of
three n four, over highways where
no commander dared send less than
half a regiment, and many were shot
or taken prisoner. Enough were left,
however, to terrify the people OF every
farm house in every direction. BY
some circumstance about forty Of them
reached a certain farm house at the
same time, and finding only a woman
and two or three children about, they
killed the only pig left, devoured the
last few %chickene, and %plundered the
house of whatever took their fancy.
their quarters in the barn. No sooner
we're they settled down than the wo-
man took her children and set out for
help, and after walking seven miles
she encountered a confederate picket
post, and told of the game in the trap.
Before midnight the barn vas sur
rounded n every hummer captured,
and some of them had not got back to
their regiments when the war closed.
BURNsIDE'S ORDERS.
A month before General Burnside
was relieved sf his command, the bum
mer element was called to his attention
SO forcibly that he issued more strin-
gent orders than had ever before gone
out. It vas announced that any SOL
der who should be found absent from
his command without a pass would
be imprisoned during the remainder of
the war. with a forfeit of all pay and
allowances. The provost-guard was
increased and ordered to do constant
scouting, but the cumming went on
just the same. Then came a second
order, to the effect tina any soldier
absent for two days without leave
should be considered a deserter and
treated accordingly. This brought back
some Of the men to duty, but one of
the professionals at least came into
headquarters solely in search Of in
formation. He did not get to see the