Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-06-01
SHORT OF GUARDS.

filed along the railroad track IN the
direction of Martinsburg. A discovery
was made when We got them all IN
line. and that was we did not have
men enough to guard them safely.
There were $500 of them, and only
about 500 to 1000 of US. With
strong advance and rear guards 1t re-
duced the number Of effective guards
TO such a small number that We could
place only one on each side Of the
railroad the distance Of every thirty
yards.
An incident occurred while We were
placing the men in line. a colonel Of
one of these Connecticut regiments
was told to take his place in line. His
girth was fully five or SIX feet, and
when he walked up to his place, with
abdomen rolling frettully from side to
side, he was indeed novel sight. His
wife came out of one Of the tents and
spied him standing side by side with
the other prisoners. l was near the
old man and his wife, and his wife
spoke to me thus "You are not 60
ing to take my dear husband ?' She
was pitilessly informed that he would
have to 60 along with the rest. ! IN
formed her that the colonel would no
doubt be delighted with the trip, and
besides, he would be safe from the
perils of the army that IN going to
Libby he would travel over historic
ground, and Immediately under Rock
fish Gap, over which the knights OF
the Golden Horseshoe rode in l7lO
and got a glimpse Of portion Of what
became afterwards a great western en-
pire.
She was not at all historical or rem
iniscent, and did not or could rot APP
preciate what | said about Richmond,
her husbands future home, as the cap
ital of the Confederacy, etc, but she
was sensible and said what agltated
her mind was how to get the old man
out of our clutches now. She said she
could raise money if that would suffice,
but | informed her that we were not
brigands; that her husband was
prisoner of war, and all the money
north of Mason and Dixon's line could
not secure his release that he would
receive kind and considerate treat
ment beftting his rank during his en-
forced absence.
The orders were given to move down
the railroad, whereupon the old wo-
man went into swoon very much like
the old darkey at camp-meetlng
when he gets into a weaving way,
and when | took my last glimpse Of
her, as we turned out Of sight, she
seemed to be warming up and others
had Joined in her war-dance. ! fre-
quently talked to the old man on the
route, and I was impressed with the
fact that he had rather been back in
Connecticut making wooden nutmegs
than to be sharer in the glories Of the
war for the Union.
We had gone some eight or ten miles
on the railroad ties when darkness
overlook US. 1t was dark, too. Very
frequently during the evening ! dis
mounted and let some weary brother
astride my Rosinsnte. They were, az
a whole, a sociable, jovisl set Of men,
not in the least obstreperous, and aP-
parently submitted gracefully to their
capture. Nearly all were factory hands
and had been conscripted for guarding
places similar to the one we had re-
duced to ashes. But when darkness
spread her mantle over the earth, one
by one they would slip out Of ranks
unob8erved by the guards, and would
secrete themselves in the thick under
growth along the sides Of the railroad.
When we delivered them over next
morning TO an infantry brigade, sent
TO meet US and take charge Of them,
nearly half of them were gone. All
night long we we're harrassed by the
enemy's cavalry, which would make
dashes into our line Of prisoners, but
never in the least demorslizing the
guards or their wards, for they were
told that any attempt at mutiny would
be very disastrous to them, and that
the best life prsserver for them to wear
was quietude and submission.
never heard anything from the old
colonel, but he was safely delivered TO
the infantry, and l most cordially gave
him a hand-shake and goodbye, wish
ing him quick exchange. / told him
that if could be Of any service to him
at any time 1 would esteem it favor
for him to notify me. He told me bis
name and l gave him mine, bat /