Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-22
WAS ONCE BGBERT's GATOR
Gallant Captain Rode Into tho Rebel
Lines by Mistake at GettyahurC.

Lines by Mistake at Gettysburg.
Philadelphia Records: Colonel Henry c.
Egbert, of the Twenty-second regular in
.antry, who was killed at Malinta, Luzon,
Philippines, In the battle Of Sunday,
March %. was captured during the battle
bf Gettysburg by Major w. w. Goldsbor-
pugh, ex-confederate, and now Of this
;ity. In a book entitled THE Maryland
Line, c. s. A. written in 1869 by Major
Peterborough, occurs the following:
while directing the firing of my men
[ was approached by an officer on horse
back and asked how the fight was going.
From the shape of his hat, which / could
rather indistinctly see through an opening
In the foliage, / was satisfied he belonged
to the enemy. l told him / did not know,
and stepped toward his horse TO take hold
OF the bride. His suspicious were evil
IDENTIFY AXE and he asked: What
corps is this?' Selling his bride rein and
presenting my revolver, l exclaimed: "Thls
Is a rebel corps, and you are my prisoner
Dismount quickly or you will be shot TO
pieces for many OF my men had observed
his mistake by this time, and l feared they
would fire upon him. With perfect self
possession he dismounted and, unbuckling
his belt, handed me his sword and pistol,
remarking coolly: They are yours, and
fairly won.' He proved to be Lieutenant
henry Egbert, a stan officer, who in car
sying a dispatch had lost his way owing
1T was in this way" explained Major
Goldsborough 70 a reporter, when
Ewells corps made Its advance on Culp
Hill late In the afternoon of July z STU
arts brigade of Johnson's division took
possession OF a line of log breastworks
that had been occupied by Geary's Penn.
Pylvahia division, but the division had
been called Off to the left OF the federal
line to help repulse Longstreet's fierce as
sault and had not returned. An hour or
two after this Geary returned and was
much surprised TO find his breastworks In
return OF Geary's troops that Lieutenant
Egbert, with some others, became entan-
gled In our lines.
Lieutenant Egbert seemed much put
scarcely realize that he was a prisoner not
over q hundred yards from his own com
mand. for the two columns were that
close to each other. l made him sit down
behind a huge rock to shelter him from
the fire Of his own troops, for which he
seemed at the time very grateful, and
some time after, when there was a lull
in the firing, | sent him to the rear. .
But / had a substantial evidence OF
Lieutenant Egbert's gratitude some
months later. on the morning Of July :
Stuarts brigade attacked Geary and was
repulsed with heavy loss. In the assault
oner. In October following, along with
others, l was lGnsferred from the field
hospital at Gettysburg to VESTS hospital
In Baltimore. This building should never
have been selected for a hospital, as II
was on one Of the docks and surrounded
by mountains of oyster shells, which
emitted a horrible smell. The hospital
was. In charge Of DIR. Thomas Hewsor
Bache. Of Philadelphia, one Of the kind
est men that ever lived. One day DIR
Bache brought into the ward an officer
who introduced himself as Lieutenant
Henry Egbert. He said he had called e
see his lifelong friend, Bache, In passing
through Baltimore, and in n%arrating e
that gentleman his capture at Gettysburl
and subsequent escape i'm Lees retreat
had incidentally mentioned nay name, ant
was surprised when the doctor informed
him his captor was in the building. IL,
seemed pleased TO see me, thanked me
over and over for my kind treatment, and
thrusting his hand into his pocket, drew
forth a roll of bills, which he insisted
should take, but which 1 declined, as
was among my friends and had all tn,
financial assistance l required. When HI
took his departure he begged DR.. BachC
to extend me all the kindness he coulC
consistent with his duty, and even strair
a point
And DIR. Bache did strain a point fol
when, some time after, at the suggestion
or Colonel William ii. Forney, Of Ala
bRma, a fellow-sufferer, / asked, as {
great favor, that Forney and myself b,
transferred to the hospital at Fort Nc
Henry, DR.. Bache said: L promised Egg
bert would strain n point to serve you
and 1 Will In two weeks after my ar
cent. Had 1 remained I'm Vests nhb4eablt
hospital l would most assuredly havddied
Have not good reason to mourn THIS no
Die feHoWs death In far of Luzon?'