The National tribune., 1900-11-15
CAPTURING A REBEL.
An Incident Related by Capt. Carter at a
Chicago Reunion

CnlcasO Reunion.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The old SOL
diers from different States who had served
In New York regiments during the civil war
met at called assembly Of the New York
veterans, In Y. NJ G. A. Hall. on LaSalle
street, Chicago, Tuesday night OF Encamp-
ment week. As the different New York regi-
ments and other organizations of the diff
ferent branches of the service that went from
that State were being called out the COM
| rades who respectively belonged to them
would change their locations In the hall SO
as to get together, in order that each might
come face to face with the others and get
the names and pOstoffice addresses of those
present who had served In his regiment.
Just as the meeting was about to dispense
J.. i. Hayes, OF Oregon, Wis, who had for
merly served as the Hospital Steward of the
10Th y. Y. III. A, got the floor and demanded
that the Chairman, Capt. LucIan L. Carter,
OF St Joseph, Mo-, formerly of Co. d, of
1860 until that meeting, should then and
there show cause why his Imperialism over
yictimized Johnny without his consent on
the picket line at Bermuda Hundred was not
In violation OF the Declaration of Independ-
ence and Constitution of the United States,
Tor which he should give an account Of him
self at that meeting. With some hesitation,
caused by the surprise, Chairman Carter con.
tended that at the time of the occurrence
referred to he was inexperienced in the tricks
practlced on that picket line, and If limlta-
lions did not bar the remedy for his of
tense he could plead in extenuation that he
sympat hized with the unfortunate Johnny by
appeasing his sorrow; and, besides, he was
Simply acting at the time In the execution
OF an order of his commanding General
The following, In substance was the story
as he narrated 1t:
ION or about New Years Day. 1865. the
regiment to which COmrade Hayes and my
self belonged was sent to Bermuda Hundred
On the James, and / was put on detached
service as Judge Advocate OF General Court
Martial at the headquarters OF the General
| In command, in which capacity / officIated
| until March 81, when / was ordered TO re-
| port to my Colonel for duty, which l did
and by him was ordered TO take command
OF the picket detail that was to 20 ON duty
that night to relieve the pickets of the line
| In front Of the Hewlett House Battery. the
James River
THE weather was fair, and In the fore.
| noon OF the following day, April /, 1865, all
was quiet except as the BOYS occasionally
Played upon each other an April fool; but in
| the afternoon 1t was different, for out came
| the Officer Of the Day on Il horse at full gal
| lop, and as he rode up hurriedly inquired:
are you In command OF this picket line?
replied, 4 am, sir Said he: THE General
commanding orders you to capture a rebel
and send him TO his headquarters forthwith
He had no more than delivered the order
| when. without explanation, he put spurs 10
| his horse and went on up the line of our
breasf""rks TO the left and out of sight. 1
| turned to. someone Of my command and said:
| That must be an Apri-fOOl.' He replied:
There's no fooling about that j was not
able to see how the order could be executed
| ~ Nho my hIsl experiences on mat picket
line; but the one spoke to was better posted
| than l.. He said: Captain, give me that
| job and will get the rebel ] was very
willing to turn 1t over TO him, whereupon
he selected two stout, athletic soldiers and
had them slip down unObserved by the en-
envy Into ravine that was there between
the picket lines to point near well-known
spring, where they were told to lie concealed
In ambush among the bushes. He then called
TO the JOhnnies to know If they wanted to
trade papers. After calling for some time
mn I'm all u
waving newspaper over his head the same
| as was being done On our side, with n Hello
meet at the spring., and soon both started
down In full view Of each other toward the
spring. until they were out OF sight among
| the bushes, where the pickets had at times
| been clandestinely meeting to trade coffee for
| tobacco and perhaps also to play cards Just
what happened at the spring | do not know,
but 1t was but a few minutes until the three
soldiers came to me with a brlght-faced youth
| OF about Is years, who said ne was a Con-
| federate Corporal and belonged to the com
| mand OF Gen. Malone, that was In our front
lie made most piiiable appeal for me to
let him go back: He said his officers would
| think he had deserted. ! assured him as
| cheerfully as ] could that he would not be
| harmed, and then sent him under guard 10
Gen. terrerro. who. as | afterward learned,
| extracted from him the information that
| Gen. Malone was depicting his forces in our
| front in order to reinforce those of Lee sontb
OF petersburg, where Gen. Grant was amas-
| sing troops for decisive assault and In
| the event that Gen. Ferrerro should get such
| information he was under orders from Gen
Grant TO at once engage the forces of Ma
| hone at Bermuda Hundred by making n
charge upon the enemy's works, which we
| were called upon by Gen. FerrerrO to do
| that evening but which was deferred by his
order until O'Clock the next morning AnrIi
| 2, when. led by Maj. James b. Campbell of
| our regiment, we made the charge, the last
battle OF the war to those who were there
| engaged, and In commemOra ton OF which the
| COnfederates have since erected n monument.
| 10 mark the spot and to show where was
wounded, as they said, the bravest man
| whom they ever saw lead charge / have
| never at any time since heard what became
| OF the Confederate Corporal whom / sent TO
| Gen. Ferrerro as stated, but l have eyery
| reason TO think that he was safely kept and
/ kindly treated for the week following and
until the surrender OF Lee at Appomatox,
| "If he gave me his name / have forgotten
| It, but his face, as II appeared to me In the
| afternoon of April l, 1865, on that picket line.
| Is still fresh In my memory us that of dutI.
| full son Of some fond mother, and as that
| Of as brave and gallant a soldier as ever
| ser-cd under the stars and bars Of the lost
cause. ~ EIERAN.