The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, 1900-01-25
A NIVIL WAR EPISODE.
THE RAID UPON PORT GIBSON AND
WHAT CAUSED 1T.
Fifty Aristocrntic southern Girls
Were Taken Rs Prisoners of War
aud Were Carried 10 Vicksburg
and There Held as Hostnges.

and There Held ms Hostages.
81 wns mixed UP In one little unre-
corded event OF the civil war" said
General b., that was interesting from
Its very unusualncss, and which, as I
look back upon II, seems strangely pic
turcsquc We were attached to what
was known ms the marine brigade, n lit
tie fleet of IL 'tlnclad' river steamboats,
that piled up and down the Mississippi
river after the surrender of Vlcksburg.
The term 'tinclad,' by the way, Is some
what misleading, as 1t Is not remotely
connected with the white metal. but sig
nlfics rather boats heavily planked with
oak for the purpose of protecting them
somewhat from the ravages of bullets.
zone day our little battalion OF four
companies was ordered to steam down
the river, discmbark mt Rodney, march
to Port Gibson and there consult seal
cd orders In regard to further proceed
ings. Imagine our surprise upon read
Ing the instructions that we were eX-
pectcd to capture and carry back to
Vicksburg as prisoners 30 of the most
nristocratic Confederate young women
In the city. However, we had served
long enough to obey orders without
question, and, provided with guides ia
miliar with the town, we set about our
bizarre and not too agreeable task. We
first established headquarters ut the
residence of prominent Confederate
judge.
"Thcn different squads were sent out
to call mt the homes Of the young wom-
en- and escort them to the place of rem
dczvous. The Instructions were that
they must report at headquarters with
In two hours on penalty of their family
residence being burned to the ground.
The only Information we could give
| them Uhe whole transaction was as
much a mystery to us as to them) was
| that they were to be taken to Vicks-
burg as prisoners of war, but were on
no account to suffer any discomfort or
| indignlty.
"Of course, there was great weeping,
wailing and gnnshing of teeth from
] tender mothers, loving sisters and irate
| fathers and brothers. But the incident
had to be accepted rs belonging to the
fortunes of war, and at the end of two
hours 10 OF the 80, attended by anX-
ious friends and relatives, were ut the
rendezvous. Mercy was implored for
one delinquent. An additional hour was
| granted, and. at their own suggestion,
several of the young women were dis
| patched to her home to persuade her
| to follow their example in gracefully
submitting to the inevitable. The result
was that before the hour was up the
last fair prisoner had put in an appear
ance, though in a very defiant mood.
"Our troubles, however, by no means
ended here. Indeed, they were hardly
fairly begun. The next question vas
how to transport our beautiful captives
to Rodney, n distance of some 90 miles,
over roads that were in n frightful con-
dition from the devastation of war and
consequent neglect. All the good
horses, too, like all the good men, were
they had most decidedly fallen into n
state of innocuous desuetude.
"rherc was obviously nothing for us
to do, therefore, but to gather together
all the broken down old horses and di-
lapidated vehicles in the vicinity
which we somehow managed to hitch
together with plow harnesses, bits OF
rope, straps. etc. With these improvised
coaches, drawn up into line, began the
process Of loading on our victims, and
when they were all slowed away II
was motley looking procession, car
assure you. Even the sound of fare
wells and the sight of weeping eyes
could not blind us to the humorous as
pect of the scene. You must remember
that we were all pretty young fellow.
In 1863. The civil war was fought by
men whose average age was only 23.
well. we made our way slowly
amid tears and laughter, to Rodney
where we embarked for Vicksburg
Upon arriving there the young womeI
We're taken before the provost marshal
who put them on parole, continini
them to the limits of the city. Mos
of them had friends in the town witt
whom they chose to remain, and suit
I able quarters were found for the rest
"The reason for the whole transaC
ton then transpired. 1t seemed tha
= some northern young women school
teachers had been taken prisoners b.
the Confederates and We're at that me
ment in their camps, where they wer
J, forced to wash and mend for the so
y diers and perform other menial serN
u ices. These Confederate young wome
> were, therefore, to be held as hostage
s. until the northern women We're n
- leased.
! There was little delay In the e,
change, and we had our visitors |
e Vicksburg only 80 days. They wer'
= however, very gay, delightful day
s Yankee officers and Confederate mait
ems intermingled socially, and the a
quaintance so rudely forced upon I'll
:, beautiful southerners proved in SON
y instances mutual pleasure. | coul'
% indeed. point to more than one romal
le tic marriage that was the direct ou
>, ,nn,a rf n,r ro IN nnnp Port Gibson -