Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-16

90 mention here that these wagons were
all packed and ready 10 move out at any
moment-1 saw soldier trying 10 get the
cork out Of a bottle. lie got impatient
with the obstinate cork and 50 he struck
the neck OF the bottle on the wagon the.
There was an explosion. and he dropped
the bottle ike hot cake. l yelled 10
him that he was "a fool, that that WAS the
best stun he eyer drank that it was
champagne. lie said there Was plenty OF
10 I'm tho wagon. | made him harl me out
a bottle, which ! stored away Ia my sad
dle-pOckets. | then proceeded tc wagon
which had not been molested. Two fine.
fat horses were tied behind &c. / united
one OF them and transferred my saddle
from my own horse 90 this old Yankee
cuss and / had ample time a. regret IL
afterwards. ] had no notion q Tuning
my horse adrifl FOR ] considered him as
lne an animal as there was in tn service.
After changing saddle and bridle 10 the
thG horse. tied tho h-ltcf-sirap Of nv
horse in the ring OF the saddle. / then
liinbed NJ into tbs W. gon. which was
check fun OF camp equipase / soon slash
I'd the cover OF with my Knife, so
mat / could have fun play. / tackled
big leather trunk ana as / hcaveG n out
1n the ground II struck the front wheel
and the top ard bottom parted com
any. II evidently belonged TO an
lflcer Of high rank. The first thing l
pulled out was on elegant cooked hat
with royal black piumes. Then followed
lrcss uniform coats and pants. ana ia
igue jackets. all with epaulets, and sE-
lcrb underwear of every description. !
VAS rich. l strapped to my saddle ana
round my person everything that ] need
n. and some things that l had better
ave left where i found them. but then
didn't know Among other valuable
hings was an elegant pair Of iield-glasses.
put the strap OF the case over my neck.
here was a cylindrical tin box, foot
p more long, containing drawings and
maps. l should have carried those TO
General Stuart. but ! did not, and left
Ecm where they were. Then ] found
my evil genius which was "a pint flask
half full of good whiskey. / sampled it
then and there. When | had enough
mounted my new capture and started out
/ hadn't gone far, when ! was hailed by
q man standing over a 5-gallon runlet
with the head knocked in. lie asked me
If / didn't want something 10 drink.
took out the flask, which / had gotten
from the trunk, and handed IT 10 him,
first unscrewing the top. lie simply i'm
mcrscd il in the whisky and let it run
full and handed it back 10 me. l was
sitting on my horse, and screWing on the
top with the reins hanging loose, when
an ON a sudden the Yankees, who had
crcpt mp under cover Of darkness, opened
"a terrible fire on us. At the first discharge
The old Yankee horse bOlted right over
wagon pole. and on he went into pitch
darkness. through bushes and over gullies.
Before | could gather up the reins he was
running away with me. At the first
bound the halter strap to the horse | was
leading broke. As a second mishap one
strrup leather gave way. | had 10 hold
on by my knees. Whittier he was carry
ing me | could not tell, for it was dark.
ana the bushes were raking me fore and
aft, and l expected every moment 90 be
dragged off. l finally succeeded in haul
ing him up. Then l felt around to see
what damage had been done. And II am
sorry TO relate" / was as poor man as
you would wish TO see. Every vestge of
my plunder was gone except the field
glasses, which were around my neck. The
bushes had scraped me clean: haversack
and all were gone. l couldn't find my
company, and / didn't know where l was.
! stopped and tried 10 locate myself
and TO listen. While so engaged
heard some one grooming, apparently FAR
below me. l could not understand It, so
| called 10 know who was there, and the |
reply came back, ITS me; Harry Fin !
ney." And sure enough It was Lieuten- |
ant II. Il. Finney, OF the Powhatan |
Troop. He begged me 10 help him, say |
ing Ae was badly hurt / then found that |
! was standing on the edge of a very deep |
gully. and Lieutenant Finney was at the |
bottom Of IT, / fastened my horse and |
went 10 his rescue. He could scarcely |
walk. His horse had played him an |
ugly trick. i managed 10 get him up /
he steep bank and put him on my horse, |
and as daylight was coming on, took him |
back TO the rear. During the day / got |
another horse and put him on 1t and ne
Joined some Of his own company. i soon |
found some Of my comrades, and to- |
gether we joined the regiment. ] learned |
from some of the men that a soldier from |
the Sixth regiment had captured my |
Ost horse i lost no time in hunting him
lp but had hard work getting him back. |
After much persuasion and many pro-
misses ] finally succeeded. Had l stuck |
@ him all the time ! should have come |
)ut Of that raid much better off than |
| did.
We captured n great many prisoners. |
among them a woman i'm mans uniform |
and with gun; destroyed quantities of |
stores and wagons. brought off all the /
horses, and got back without the loss of /
a single man. so far as / know.
Thus, Mr. Editor, l have tried 10 jot |
down my recollectiOns of one of the most |
rides and raids tina; it was
my good fortune TO be in during the war. |