The National tribune., 1900-10-04

Band, the leader of which was Augustus
| Thomas, the father OF the now famous
musical director, Theodore Thomas. Both
| the father and son were my musical in
| StructOrS in Portsmouth in the early fif-
ties The stepson of Mr.. Reynolds, John
Ellis, established the music store on the
Avenue, Washington.
| Fort Monroe occupied rather curious
| and unique position during the war Il
was on Virginia soil. while Virginia had
seeded from the Union, and was, ac
cording to her declaration, "a free and in
| dependent State of the COnfedcracy," and
at war with the United States. How
ever. the grand old fort held its own un-
| til the downfall of the COnfederacy, al
| though two attempts We're made to cap
| ture it. The first was made Just after
the secession of Virginia by some 80 or
| 10 men, secretly armed. who quietly took
| passage on the steamer for the fort, in
| tending to 20 into the fort as visitors,
overpower the small garrison, take pos
| session and place rebel garrison in
Charge. The plan failed as the party was
not permitted to land.
| The next attempt. soon after the first
| was planned in RiChmond, where it was
| arranged that Il strong battery of field
| Jieccs be sent, as secretly as possible, at
| night, and on reaching the fort. or the
outer end of the bridge, at daylight. to
| lemand the immediate surrender of the
fort, and If refused, to batter down the
rear walls and take possession. At that
period the rear walls of the fort, only
brick, could scarcely withstand the at
tack with artillery.
The attacking force. with artillery. as
silent as the night itself. passed over
Mayo's Bridge, taking the river road on
the south side of the James, but before
crossing to the north side of the river
that the garrison was too well prepared
10 admit of being successfully attacked;
that, besides the Strengthening Of the
rear walls all the war vessels i'll the har
Dor were drawn up near to each entrance
IF the creek. and could easily destroy the
artillery being brought against the fort;
therefore the party returned TO Rich
mOnd.
| was Informed of these facts by a
friend connected with the Postofiice III
Richmond. | also had friend connected
with the telegraph office on Main street
who, when opportunity offered, gave me
much interesting information received AZ
the office. y Confederate commissioned
officer had charge of the office, and my
friend did not receive the kilograms di- |
rect, but his duties as clerk required that
ne copy them in a book. These were true ]
friends, and | knew, perfectly, who | was |
trusting. L knew of the fall of Ficks- |
burg nearly a week before it was pub |
licly known in Richmond. Also. L knew |
If the capture of Island NO. TO-" on the |
Mississippi, some three weeks before it |
was publicly known in Richmond Very |
few kilograms were accepted from citi- !
Zens, and | remember that | had an i'm |
pOrtant telegram to send to Staunton i'll |
1868, and, on entering the Office, my friend !
bowed very stilfiy to me, as per previous {
agreement, when | handed him my tele-
gram. He handed it to the officer, who
glanced over it, and asked my friend, do /
you know this gentleman?" My friend
replied that he did not know me, but
thought | was 4 citizen. as he had seen
me on the street ut times. The telegram
was sent, after being closely scanned, by
the officer in charge. While purporting
to be an ordinary message, the telegram
contained information regarding my prep
lrations for leaving the Confederacy.
DRAWING TO A CLOSE.
The military operations were of linn
tied character after the threatened attack
Oh Portsmouth by Longstreet few
months previous to the close of the war.
Grants great movement against Peters
burg, which resulted in the final defeat
md surrender of Lee, is too well known
10 bear repetition here. However, l may
refer to an incident or two connected with
Virginia. My correspondent
Scrg't Griswold, of Fort Wayne. Ind. in
recent letter to me, relates the follow
nS incidents connected with his command
while in front of Richmond during the lat
cr part of 1861: Dec. 10, 1864, | was
IN picket duty with 10 men and two Cor
,orals near the Johnson House. at q dis
post on the Darbytown road.
The enemy made an attack at daylight.
capt. Reynolds, of Troop ID. being in !
Command OF. the main picket force, was
irst attacked. He stubbornly resisted the :
force that confronted him, /
,ut was compelled to fall back. My lit ;
lie force, being farther to the right, was l
ut off, which compelled us to act indie l
| sent the horses to the rear
n charge of two men, and, with the re- '
nainder skirmiShed, gradually falling back J
o the infantry pickets, which we reached {
bout II o'clock. We were joined in the i
kirmish by a mounted picket from the c
ID n. Y. Cav, who had been driven in
n our right. G
"While we were dismounted Capt Rey- Il
olds remained on his horse, showing Il Il
degree of bravery and cool o
less. 1t was n Winter day; in fact, the v
now had fallen during the early morning s
ours. and later turned to sleety coat h
lg of ice, which embraced everything i'll n
S chilling grasp. They flanked our po-
ition and captured two guns at Spring
ill Fort, but were compelled to fall back ii
uring the night, and on the morning of V
he 11th we resumed our picket duties" Fl
The above interesting sketch of Serg't I
ir;swod, relating to that period in front W
tIsiGhmond, was taken from his war i
iary of the period. n
CTo be continued) III