The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-25
ADVENTURES OF A SCOUT.
CAPT. FRANK sTRINGFELLOW's
NARRATIVE OF ARMY LIFE.

Relate His Experiences-His
Thrilling Escapes Told With Many
Humorous Incidents-Was Then as
Now "A GOd-Fearing Man and Shun-
ned the Taking OF Human Life.
Capt. stringfeIIOw Expected TO DO
Some Scouting I'm Cuba and Was
Greatly Disappointed That He Did
Not Have the Opportunity.
Masonic Han was packed to its fullest
capacity last night TO hear Capt. Frank
Stringfellow, chaplain of the Fourth Vir-
ginia Regiment, deliver his celebrated lee
ture upon his experiences as a scout in
the service Of the Confederacy.
The lecture was given under the aus
pices of the Sons of Veterans, but their
friends, the old veterans and the Daugh-
ters of the Confederacy, were present in
large numbers. There was not seating
room for all who sought admission to the
hall. The audience expected a treat, and
it was not disappointed When Capt.
Stringfellow undertook to bring his lecture
to close at 10 o'clock he was urged from
all parts of the hall 10 ''go on" and did
so, much to the satisfaction of his audi
ence.
Capt. Stringfellowl earned his title as
such by his service in the Army of North
ern Virginia, and not merely by his APP
pointment as chaplain in the volunteer
service of the United States during the
recent war. He, is plain and unassuming
in speech and manner, and yet has an at
effective. He showed that he knew how
70 see the humorous side of the most
thrilling situations and that he knew
now TO make his audience see it as well.
1t was also evident that, while doing yeo-
man service for the Confederacy he was
also soldier of the cross. constantly de-
pending upon the providence of God and
often sought the divine assistance. He
never willingly took the life of a foe when
II could be avoided. and often risked his
own life in avoiding taking the life of an
enemy.
Capt, Stringfellow showed that he still
had the spirit of the soldier in him. 81 did
not intend to go to Cuba simply as a chap
lain, he said Il intended to do some
scouting, too and it was a great disap-
pointment 10 me. as 1t was to all of us
when l found that we were to see no ac-
tive service"
Capt. Stringfellow made this statement
IN connection with a statement as to his
ability to see in the dark This is an
ability which l still possess" he said, "and
1t was of the greatest service TO me in nv
work as scout 1t is a secret o.! mine
which have never told, but which l ex-
pect TO tell some time"
Capt. Slringfellow's description of the
manner in which he conducted his scout
work showed that he could have been of
vast assistance 10 the government had his
services been needed for such work in
Cuba. His description of his adventures
and the many devices and subterfuges
which he resorted to in getting in and out
of The enemy's lines, and especially in es-
Gaping from dangerous situations. sounded
more like one of Fennimore Cooper's
Misunderstanding" tales than the unvar-
nished story of real life which il was. One
pointer which he gave the soldiers present
was that in establishing their picket lines
the men should never be. posted on The
eminences but in the hollows and valleys
The man on the eminence cannot see what
Is going on In the darkness beneath him.
he said, while the man who is creeping
through the lines can see the picket on the
eminence With the picket in the hollow
or valley, those who pass between the lines
must come between him and the horizon,
and thus run the risk of being seen, even
on a dark night The Yankees made the
mistake of posting their pickets on the
eminenCes, he said, and this made 1t easy
to pass between the lines This Capt
Striugfellow did constantly, passing back
and forth between the two armies and re-
naming within the enemys lines for
weeks sending his reports to headquarters
by messengers and various underground
routes.
fnr
within the enemy's lines, a regiment be-
ing camped around II and the colonel max
ing the house his headquarters yet Capt.
Stringfellow visited the house constantly,
and frequently remained there days at a
time. His mother was wounded at the
battle of Raccoon Ford. he did not say
how, and though she was in the midst
OF the enemy he made it his business to
constantly attend her. On one occasion
he was hid in the closet in his mothers
room and heard the surgeon of the regi-
ment, who has attending her. prove be-
yond a doubt. by circumstantial evidence,
that he, Stringfellow, was dead He
also heard the surgeon state that he was
attending upon three of the four men who
had been shot by the speaker when he and
his scoutiE party had been surprised by
a party of the enemy.
II do not know whether the fourth man
".
hope he is alive to-day but I know one.
thing, if he didn't die he had a mighty
bad wound
Capt. Stringfellow confined himself chief
ly to description of an expedition which
he made into the enemy's lines by order
of Gen. Lee in the fall of 1853 Gen Meade
was then in command of the Northern
army, and the opposing forces being on op-
posite sides of the Rapidan river He was
ordered to take three or four companions.
cross the river. penetrate the enemy's lines
and ascertain what was the purpose of the
movement which appeared TO be then on
foot The river was badly swollen and
they crossed with great difficulty, after
waiting two days, having to swim the
swollen stream at night and carry their
clothes on their backs. They got through
the lines without difficulty and were soon
in the midst of the enemy. Capt. String
fellow told a very laughable incident of
how he and his party frightened a party
of che enemy who came up to them in the
dark and were unable TO tell whether they
were friends or enemies. When the latter
was discovered to be the case the Yanks
hroxe To run. IL was pretty dark in the