The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-04-12
FUNSTON'S GREAT ACHIEVE.
TENT.
How Other Generals, Besides Agui.
naldo. have been Wanted and
Some Captured.

General Funston's achievement
in capturing Aguinaldo recalls
earlier attempts made by officers
Of other armies to make prisoners
of the leaders Of hostile forces.
The first attempt at seizing gene
raj was never carried out; II In.
volved too many persons, and the
plotters engaged in 1t worked from
the inside, not from without. as
Funston did. and their plans were
overheard. This was the attempt
In June, i777, to seize Washington
In New York; the plan was chang
ed later to an attempt to poison
him. The plans of the conspira-
tors were overheard by a woman,
who disclosed them to the Amcri-
can authorities, and as n result the
men implicated were coptured and
punished, one of them, Private
Thymas Hickey, of Washington's
bodyguard, being hanged.
After Arnold's treason and his
flight to the British, the Americans
made an attempt to seize him. This
undertaking was like General Fun
ston's exploit. Sergeant Champe,
OF Lees legion, was the principal
actor In the scheme. His plan was
known only to the chief in com
mand; so when he deserted to the
British his late comrades fred upon
him, and he reach the cnemy's line
under shower OF bullets, narrow
ly escaping with his life. This was
an excellent introduction to the
British. ane Champc was received
with open arms. But he was uu-
successful; Arnold moved his
headquarters the day ON which
Champe had arranged TO capture
him, and Champc had finally to
desert from the English and return,
cgain under fire, to our lines. when
Washington wished soon after to
promatc him for his gallantry, he
found that Champo had died of
disease.
The capture of the British gene
raj, Prescott, In July, i777, was
perhaps the first successful at
tempt OF the kind. General Pres
colt commanded the British forces
In Newport, II. l., and went for the
summer to fine house some i've
miles out of the city. Colonel Wm.
Barton, knowing this, decided to
capture him II possible; and on
July 10, i777, with forty-one COM
rades, rowed across from War
wick point, on the west shore OF
Narragansett bay, and reached the
house undiscovered. The door of
his house was burst in by negro,
who used his head as battering
ram; Prescott was asleep. and
awoke to find himself prisoner.
He was not allowed to dress, but
in his cloak, with n captor carry
ing his clothes, was forced to the
boat, and taken within the Ameri-
can lines and then to washington's
headquarters In New Jersey. He
was exchanged later. The success
ful capture of General Stoughton
by Mosby and his Rangers in
March, 1858, was the result OF a
carefully laid plan. Mosby, with
twenty mine men entered Fairfax
Court House, passing themselves
oil as belonging to the Fifth New
York cavalry, and while some OF
the band attempted to capture Col.
Wyndham, the leader went to the
house where the general was sound
asleep. At the name OF Mosby,
General Stoughton sat up in bed,
wide awake in an instant. "Havc
you yot himp" he asked. "He's
got you" replied Mosby. The pri-
soner was taken to General Fitz-
hugh Lees headquarters, from the
very midst of camp In which lay
several thousand troops. The at
tempt to capture Sitting Bull was
not made by strategy or trick, our
Indian scouts went openly to the
chiefs tent, any when they tried
to arrest the famous Sioux were
met with bullets; they returned the
the fire and kill him, losing some
of their own number. Funston's
capture Of Aguinaldo was marked
by yell devised plan, involving
more danger than that of any 9TH
er plot except Sergeant Champc's,
un,,,trsr. lAnDar %;,,,n and