The National tribune., 1899-06-08
A CIVIL WAR ROMANCE.
How woIicrds cavslrymen Broke Up an Intended Double
Wedding and Carried Off the Grooms.

Wedding and Carried Off the urooms.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Very
seldom seeing anything from the famous
1st Ky. Cav. !Wolford'sl,. will give your
Far away in the eastern part OF Ken
tucky, and near the line of Virginia, nestled
among the hills, is the beautiful little vii
lage of West Liberty, town of about 600
people; It was in the memorable year n.,,f Of
20 miles from West Liberty.
One beautiful Autumn day miner
came into our camp and reported that on
the morrow, at high noon, there was to be
a wedding at West Liberty; that two OF
John Morgan's cavalrymen were to be
married to a couple of West Liberty bellies.
Soon a scout of 20 men was organized to
raid the town. There was no detail made;
each volunteered his services, all eager for
the raid. Your scribe was one of the 20.
Capt. Brent Fishb:tck was in command,
and when the order was given we were in
our saddles and away at the break of day.
when he pointed out the very house in
which the wedding was to take place.
We watched until we saw the people
gather, and when all were off the streets
We made dash, the sound of which seemed
not to be heard by the merry crowd within
the house. Before they were aware of it
we were coming through the yard gate, and,
with revolvers in hand, demanded their
surrender.
| The parson was on the floor with license
in hand and before him stood two couples.
But everything came to standstill, SO far
as the wedding was concerned. In the
large dining hall was a. long table filled
with the best the city Gould afford. We
conducted the minister and the matri-
| monial candidates to the table, and after
seating them proceeded to make ourselves
| welcome, and at once filled the table.
flor u yol xIatt
ceed with the wedding, but they refused;
and after bidding the girls good-by. we
carried the groOms away prisoners. Since
that long-ago raid have often wondered
whether the boys ever got back, and whett-
er the ceremony was ever finished, for no
doubt it was partly said. After writing
several letters regarding the matter, at last,
through Judge Perry, Of Lexington, KY,
] got all that remains TO be known Of that
memorable day, and herewith give your
readers his letter, written from West Lib
erty, where he happened to he:
army, under Gen. John II. Morgan, for
three years and eight months. / was one
of the six Confederate soldiers who were to
be participants and guests at the wedding,
or rather the marriage, of the Confederate
soldiers to the two pretty young ladies of
had gay grand time helping the boys off
but for the untimely intrusion of the Yanks.
We had been sent on detached service from
Virginia through the mountains Of Ken
lucky by Gen. Morgan to this place West
Liberty and Mt. Sterling to ascertain the
number of the enemy's forces; and, by the
way, the boys were to get married and take,
their young wives back to Virginia with
them.
1.-The two Confederate soldiers who were
to be married were 10Th capturd by your
forces, and carried away to prison. Ny
Golf a md fbraa ntbarc do lar
heavy fire, and after getting the informa-
ton sent after we returned to our COM
mander in Virginia. The names of the
two soldiers captured by your forces are
John Colvin and Fielding Cox, both of Co.
A, I'd KY. Cav, under Gen. Morgan's COM
mand; both good friends and good com
rades of mine, and brave, dashing soldiers.
Both lived through the war. John Colvin
now resides in Topeka, Kan; Fielding Cox
resides at Hazel Green, Ky. Neither ever
married the young ladies to whom they
were to be married on that day. The
giving the names Of the two young ladies',
but one OF them married a Union soldier
after the war closed. The other married
Confederate soldier. I saw the last named
lady yesterday F'eb. S, 1S99). The one
who married the Union soldier is now dead.
They both made exceptionally good wives
and splendid women.
81 could write you much more about the
natter, but | think this is fully responsive
to your interogatories. l served in my
command until the war was over. / was
within $50 yards of Gen. Morgan when he
was killed. We often fought your COM
mand during the war. once at Philadelphia,
Tenn. Your Colonel, Frank Wolford, was
brave and generous man, as were also his
men. l was never captured by your COM
mand, but made quite a number of them
prisoners during the war. Col. Wolford
was a warm friend of mine after the war
and up to his death. Yours were brave
officers and men. They fought well, and
we always tried to impress them with the
fact that we were Kentuckians and believed
in the cause for which we were fighting. /
am sure they thought well of us as adver-
saries. / was Second Lieutenant in my
command; was 10 years and 10 days old
when entered the service on the 18th day of
September, 1861. Please pardon the refer
ence to myself. | am glad you are good
'Campbellite.' am one of that persuasion
myself, as well as a good rebel | wish
you much success,i hoping to meet you
after it is all over, in that land where the
tramp of cavalry and the clank of sabers
will never be heard. Glad to hear from you
at any time.-J. w. PERRY"
j. w. GARNER, 1st KY. Cav, Perkins,
Okla.
THE JOHNNY'S SIDE.