The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-24
HOW LIEUT.. BOWIE;
NET HIS End.
Eyewitness Of the Warriors Killing.
Describes II.
HOW j, MosBY's MEN FOUGHT E.
second-Lieutcnant James G. Wilt
shire, Of the Famous Command,
Tells of the Circumstance OF
the Death of the officer.
HOW M0sBY's MEN FOUGHT.
tFor the Richmond Times.)

(For the Richmond Times)
+ In the Mcclure Magazine for DECEMBER
1888, an account of the death OF Lieuten-z
ant Walter Bowie, of Mosby.s Command,
appears over the Signature of hoy
. Stannard Baker" in whith he cieVeIls
shows how Detective Trail secured 'tie
I1ieutenant's shotgun from his nome ~
Prince George county, Maryland. ana
with it followed him and his two com
@rades while scouting in Maryland during
the war between the States, and Whensa
favorable opportunity presented ltseh ne
killed the Lieutenant 10y emptyi1lg bo::h
barrels of his gum loaded with buck-shot,
into his breast, and then 7overpoWered
his comrades with an empty gun! no"
strange to those who know differently.
read this story with interest, because
of the novel sense Shown in it. yet Win
no little astonishment on account OF
the vast amount of ingenuity displayed IN
it's makeup. To be frank, Mr.. Baker
SO dtstigured the circumstances that at
tended Walter Bowie's death that those
who were with him at the time OF Its &C
acurrence fail to recognize them DIS
torted history, especially war history, Is SO
distasteful to me that if L pe pardoned
for the personal element that may appear
in this paper, shall endeavor to give an
account of the raid on which Lieutenant
Bowie was killed.
About the 18th OF September, 1864, Lieu
tenant Walter Bowie. Company f, Forty
third Virginia Battalion (Mosoy,s Bat
talion), received intelligence that the
White House" at Annapolis, Md, was
not. guarded and that with small force,
the governor could be captured and con-
veyed to Richmond, Va. This the Leu
tenant reported to Colonel Mosby and
asked for permission to capture His Elk
cellency and hold him as hostage for
friends of his in southern MARYLAND, VINO
had been lodged in the old Capitol prison
at Washington, because of their southern
proclivities. This request was made with
SO much earnes tness that the Colonel es-
poused the cause of the young officer at
once, and gave him a force of twenty
five men, with orders to proceed on the
expedition.
BOWIE AND HIS MEN.
All preliminary arrangements being
completed, we were ordered to meet at
Upperville. Va, at a given time. Every
man answered to his name at the time
appointed Lieutenant Bowie made
short address to his followers acquaint-
ing them with the fact that on the eNpe-
dit!on they were about to make dangers
and trial awaited them. He was cheered
to the echo by the men, who were armed
cap-a-pie and as ready for the tilt as any
knight of old. The line of march was
now taken up for Matthias Point on the
Potomac river, via Fredericksburg and
King George Courthouse Va, making
the point of our destination the evening
of the second day about dusk Here we
bvouacked on tie premises of Mr.. Marcus
Tenant, a gentleman of culture and
means, and as true to the South as the
needle is to the. pole. lie was particu-
Iarly kind to US, feeding sand permitting
us to sleep in his house. The next day
was spent in lounging ABOUT the yard and
along the shore of the river, watching
the United States gunboatsa passing TO and
fro doing scout duty. The Lieutenant
IN the meantime was actively engaged in
looking after the ways and means OF
crossing the 'Rubicon. The way was
clearly seen. but the how to effect the
going was the question. There were no
available boats on the Virginia side, but
near the Maryland shore a little schooner
laid at anchor, which judging from her
dimensions at long range Bowie thought
would meet the requirements to dot.
At this particular junctrre Long, the IA
nous bockade-runner, as though he had
previously been Informed of our presence
| by ..grape-vine'' biography, cast anchor
at our landing. The Lieutenant recog-
nized in him a faithful and true friend,
one who had rendered him valuable as
sistance on several previous occasions.
L
a short interview between them, Long
was enlisted heart and hand IN our cause,
expressing q willingness to do all in his
| power to further our purpose A short
study of him revealed a genius in a
| miniature way-a man Of nerve, ssagaclty
and honesty of purpose. y little danger
sweetened and gave color 70 the life of
| this adventurous spirit. From love for
| the Southern cause, and a desire to aid
| the Confederates, some of whom We're
constantly passing his way, Long made it
| his business to cultivate the acquaintance
of the crew of all vessels that anchored in
! his baliwick, and being questioned as to
| the character of the crew OF our coveted
| boat, he replied favorably to probable
scapitula ton to a small force. At any
rate the commander concluded to give
her trial. He selected John Randolph
| and myself to accompany him, and order
| ed the rest of the men to remain where
| they were until further orders. All aboard
! in Longs boat, with the latter and at
i the oars, and the Lieutenant at the helm,
| we were about to weigh anchor. wien
] lady from Georgia, protesting to be in the
! secret service of the Confederate States,
/ under orders from the War Department at
l Richmond to proceed TO New York with
| important dispatches, made her appear
| ance and requested to be allowed TO cross
| the river under our escort On being ex-
! amined by Lieutenant Bowie for proof of
her loyalty to the South and the truth
! of her statement concerning her mission,
| our little heroine pronounced the shtS-
| boleth so clearly that she was permitted
| to pass under the suspended ear of corn
/ with u.s. Oars were now. dipped and we
; were soon well out in the stream. The
! night was clear and cold, necess.tatins
| our ping a close watch on the enemy
/ gunboats, which were much in evidence
/ and on the alert; being watchful ourselves.
/ however. we were enabled to make the
run without being detected by the lynx
l eyed Yankees, effecting a landing at the
Big Walnut Charles county, Nd. eight
/ miles below Port Tobacco. After con-
cealng his boat in the bushes, Long guided
US to the house OF southern sympathizer,
| who received us kindly and otherwise con-
/ duced to our comfort bysgiving US quarters
1 for the night and a good hot breakfast
tSin the morning. Here we parted with
the heroine of our story. whom, regret
/ to say, have not since heard from.
ALONG THE POTOMAC
Having said goodbye to the lady and gen