Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-08


The Motors were at their work until
daybreak.~,W We were then ordered to
move on uA the pass, and the whole
body OF men, officers and all, had gone
three miles before it was discovered
that the guard in the rear had van
ished.- None had been placed in adj
vance, much to our wonder. We did
not know what to make of the disap-
pearance Of the rear guard, but after
awhile move was made back towards
camp. Not Confederate was to be
seen, and of all the desolate sights our
was left to feed or shelter a crow. The
officers who had gone out the night be-
fore had not been heard of, but we felt
certain they had been killed or cap
tured on the road. AS to how the Con-
federate force came and went we soon
ascertained. A creek crossed the high
way about the center of the forest, and
they had used the bed of this as road.
Every horse had been taken up that
creek for mile or more, and then
across the fields for another mile to
highway leading into the Confederate
lines. We had an outpost in that di-
rection, but they had struck in above
it.
1t soon became evident that we had
been attcked by only small band of
irregulars, but it was weeks before We
ascertained their true number. Then
there was cursing and crashing of
teeth and court martial all around for
the commissioned officer. Col. John
Moseby had attacked 600 men with IS
and had made them prisoners. The
only advantage he had was in rear
attack, where none was looked for. His
few men, dashing into such a camp as
that, ought to have been eaten up in
five minutes. Instead of that they
plundered and burned to the amount of
a hundred thousand dollars.
Now as to the mysteries. A few
weeks after the burning of the camp,
Captain Cline. who had been exchang-
ed, reappeared among us. He and the
major were captured by guerillas right
at that creek. 1t had been so with
Colonel Stone and all the others. With
the creek running slush and ice the
foot prints of the horses had not been
discernible. Every one had been sent
to Richmond, and we had been mysti-
fed over the plainest kind of a case.
Did the people at the plantation house
have a hand it all this? Up to few
years ago l should have declared them
entirely innocent The women were
so, for that matter. l told you about a
boy-the widows brother. Well, he
was Southern sympathizer from head
to heel, but his work was so crafty that
even his sister did not suspect what he
was at. He was free to ride about the
country, and was often at the Gap. In
one of his rides he fell in with some of
Moseby's men and put them on to the
fact that our officers were riding back
and forth and could be gobbled up. He
gave them our numbers at the Gap, our
defenses, and indeed all they cared to
know. Whenever an officer was cap
tured this young chap would ride about
with the scouts who were beating up
fields and forest, and his solicitude was
such as to call forth words of common
dation. Before the final attack the boy
planned to have the ladies give a din
ner which should bring out all the Off
GERS, but this did not come to a head.
He reaped nothing from the attack on
the camp except the qualification OF
feeling that the Union cause had been
delt smart blow, and as said, he did
not fall under the slightest suspicion.
Uncle Sam has big bill against some
body for the plumber of that camp at
the Gap, and none of the six hundred
men who were holed up there like rats
by less than a company Of horsemen
has ever forgotten the shame and deg
radiation. The drums of civil strife
ceased to beat long ago, however, and
long ago Captain Cline became the
brother-in-law of the lad who brought
his capture about. Another Union Off
Ger married Miss Harper after the war,
and so perhaps it was even up between
the god Of war and the god of love.
1899, by John Brisben Walker