The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-20
HAYES WAR STORY.
A Thrilling Incident of a Night At
tack.

! Chicago Tribune.
! The following incident of the great
| Civil war was related by the late Presi-
| dent r. B. Hayes while route from
| Chicago to Indianapolis In the fall of
| 1870:
Gen. Hayes, ''to tell the most thrilling
experience that occurred to me during
the four years in the volunteer army.
1t was in 1864 that the Army of West
Virginia tried to capture Lynchburg,
Va, but Gen. Lee rapidly sent a heavy
force to drive us back, and 1t was
thought best to fall back to the Kama
wha valley, where food and clothing
could be had, and then go by railways to
Winchester again.
Gen. Jubal Early's army was pressing
our forces at every point, and l was or
dered by Gen. George Crook, who COM
manded the division, to check the en-
emy until our wagon trains and artillery
could get out of the way. A gap was
chosen in the mountains, two or three
regiments were ordered to build a barri-
cade across the road in the gap, one reg
iment was sent up the mountain on the
right and another on the left of the gap
to protect the fianks; these regiments
selected were accurate in firing as rifle
men could be.
'1t was dark by the time all these
preparations could be made; Gen. Crook
was careful to give his instruction that
the point must be held until the artillery
and long wagon trains were beyond the
reach of Early. Darkness, stiffness and
the mountains enveloped us. Finally an
order came to march, to follow the army
Gen. Russell Hastings, my aid, was sent
up the mountain on one side to direct
the regiment to come down and take the
pike in the rear of the brigade and march
rapidly after the artillery.
Another of my staff, Maj William
Mckinley Ghe president), was ordered
to go UP the mountain on the other side
and direct the regiment to come down
carefully and take the road in the rear
of the breastworks. The duty was so
perilous and of such great Importance
:nat the instructions were repeatedly
given with the greatest care not to come
| down the mountain in front of the bar
| ricade, as in the darkness our~men would
| fire into them. Col. Devol, who COM
| manded the men behind the breastworks,
fully understood the situation. 1t seemed
hours while we were waiting for the two
regiments to come down the mountain.
81 was walking from my horse to the
line Of men lying down with guns rest
ing across the pike. All at once the
clear, ringing command of Col Devol
was heard. Ready Aimr A thousand
thoughts rushed upon me, Our men
were coming down the mountain, and in
the darkness were marching in front of
the barricade. ] tried to cry out to Col
Devol: They are our men-don't fire,'
l rushed toward him and the line, ready
to grab him and the men who were ready
to fire. My soul was on fire. I was too
choked to cry out: Our men. Our menI
Don't fire! Don't flrei' but I was too
late. Devol gave the order 'Firer and
one vast voley of guns roared out in the
darkness. GroanS and cries and curses
followed. I jumped over the barricade.
shouting to our men, loading their guns:
Those are our men; don't fire. But
Col. Devol and his men tried to seize me.
saying: They are rebels colonel; do not
go over the breastworks' I hurled them
off, and seized the first wounded or dead
man, yelling: To what regiment do you
belong?' No answer. I grabbed another
by the neck, turned him over and shout
ed: What regiment?' The road was full
of them, and the man was wounded, but
family answered, '-th Virginia; Early's
| army! Our men had come down the
mountain under the guidance Of Hast
ings and Mckinley and gone on after
the army.
''Early's army had left us and gone
toward Staunton, but the stragglers of
his army had taken the wrong road and
followed us. Some of them were killed
and wounded, but I learned afterward
that 1t was a severe lesson, their men
not keeping ur with the column; 1t was
valuable to us, in showing the danger of
moving soldiers at night"