The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-10

pursued by Federal cavalry; from Mrs.
Henrietta Walker, Il resident of Curri-
tuck county, a venerable and veritablC
book of chronicles of the war, whose
husband dead, carried the captors across
Currituck sound and took care of them
in the CiWlituck Swamps, and more re-
Gently from Il communication by Ell Nc
Harvey. who, when a boy Of II, with
his brother and Il companion, conveyed
some of the Confederate CaptC"s in their
boat to Yeopim creek I'm pcrquimanS
county, and thence piloted them across
ChOwan river into the Confederate lines,
which communication, owing 20 IN in"l-
dent i'm newspaper !ite,-too much care
fulness-was misplaced. and REMAINED
in hiding two years and which vii ne
published next week.
\ few days ago we were looking over
the contents of recent publication
Tine Camp Fires cf the Confederacy, -
when we came across an article, headed
Capture OF the Maple Leaf" written by
Captain \. IL. AsEury of Higg:nsvile
Missouri, who seems to have been che
Of the captors OF the Maple Leaf. Hn
says that he, with twenty-five other
Confederates. was confined by Ben But
Ter in Fort Norfolk, ~ in a small room.
on half rat,Ons, half cooked and under
great suffering. There were Is OF them.
in room 12x30, which was used as
cook room, clcacina room, hospital. bed
room AMI exercise While PAINTING there,
in this Ozark Hole Of Calcutta" there
came Federal Government transport
sh.p-the Maple Leaf''-5cund for Fort
Delaware with 10 Confederate officers,
prisoners Of war. Capt. Asbury, with
his % half starved comrades, VAS put
on board the transport for the same Fort
on the 18Th day cf june. 1868. Anon"
the prisoners were Col a. X Witt. OF
an Arkansas Regiment, and Lieutenant
Semmes. They were cordially received
by the prisoners and at once passed out
to sea by Fortress Monroe. The one
hundred Confederate prisoners wore
guarded by about twenty United States
soldiers. The prisoners We're allowed
free intercourse. being Unarmpl. They
agreed to seize the vessel at the tao OF
the great bell, at twilight. At the signal
agreed on, every man, from his station
pnunced uEOn his man, armed and Un-
armed and a desperate struggle fer SUI
rrCnacy enSued, NON TO man, arm TO
arm. breast, to breast, Freedom or
death" was the slogan. The Federal
guard was 0vGr-powered, and their arms
taken The Confederates armed them
selves with the guns. sabers and pistols
OF the guards. Two Confederate officers
broke into the cabin where was the Gem
mander and commanded him to surren-
der. he drew his sword to defend him
self The ConfedcrateS warned him %
the danger of resistance as the boat was
in their possession. He gave I'M his
sword 1t was the work of about three
minutes and the Maple Leaf was under
Confederate command No life had been
taken, and no gun had hocm fired The
Gray uniform supplanted the Blue. Col.
Witt took command. A council was
held and it was determined to empty and
burn the vessel But Iatercn account Of
the sick and disable CCnfedeTates On
board, it was determined to mead her for
the nearest beach. The Federal officers
were parolled and sworn to proceed to
Fort Delaware, and give no notice of the
capture. They also agreed TO take care
of tine Confederate sick ON board y
few Confederates stood guard over the
Federal officers. until the last CCnfeder-
ate was landed on the beach of the Cur
EllHtTh CtdSls NEAR tllt 1ISIllld dlltl Nydtp-
lima line. having taken with them all the
arms and ammunition Then with a veil
and salute they surrendered the Maple
Leaf. She headed for Fort Delaware.
but socn turned back for Fortress Mon
roe. and before the next day the Federal
Cavalry were securing the Currituck
Swamps in search of the captors of the
Maple Leaf.
This is an epitome of the account Of
Captain A. e. Asbury of HjgginsvilIc,
Mo, which will be followed next week
with the subsequent history of the cap
tors of the Maple Leaf, by Ed. McHar-
ney, of CurTtituck county.
Capt. Asbuqy was Cne df the sick Con
federates left ON board the Maple Leaf
after her surrender to the Federals.
Capt. Asbury concludes thus
aying never seen an account of this
brilliant act i'll print, and never having
met but one of the participants in it,
Lieut. Sam L. Asbury, of Pennington,
MOI Thought | would at this lapse of
time, give this plain statement and ask
where are those gallant Confederate sol
oilers who are left to tell this episode
besides ourselves"