The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-07-05
THEY DID NOT ALL SUCCEED.
Efforts to Capture Noted Enemies
That Were Not ns Successful
as Funstons.

Gen. Funston's achievement in cap
turing Agu;naldo recalls earlier at
tempts made by officers of other
armies to make prisoners of the
leaders of hostile forces. The first
attempt at seizing a general was
never carried out; it involved too
many persons, and the plotters en-
gagged in it worked from the inside,
not from without, as Funston did,
and their plans were overheard. This
was the attempt in June, 1777, to
seize Washington in New York; the
plan was changed later to an at
tempt to poison him. The plans of
the conspirators were overheard by
a woman, who disclosed them to the
American authorities, and as re-
suit the men implicated were cap
tured and punished, one of them,
Private Thomas Hickey, of Washing
tons bodyguard, being hanged, says
the New York Sun.
After Arnold's treason and his
fight to the British the Americans
made an attempt to seize him. This
undertaking was like Gen. Funston's
exploit. Sergt. Champe, of Lees le-
gion, was the principal actor in the
scheme. His plan was known only
20 the chief in command; so when
he deserted to the British his late
comrades fired upon him and he
reached the enemy's lines under a
fire of bullets, narrowly escaping
with his life. This was an excellent
introduction to the British, and
Champe was received with open
arms. Bat he was unsuccessful; Ar
mold moved his headquarters the day
on which Champe had arranged to
capture him, and Champe had finally
to desert from the English and re-
turn again, under fire, to our lines.
When Washington wished soon after
to promote him for his gallantry, he
found that Champe had died of dis
ease.
The capture of the British gen
eral, Prescott, in July, t777, was
perhaps the first successful attempt
of the kind. Gen. Prescott COM
manded the British forces in New
port, r. l., and went for the sum-
mer to a fine house some five miles
out of the city. Col. William Bar
ton, knowing this, decided to cap
ture him if possible, and on July 10,
1777, with Al comrades, rowed across
from Warwick point, on the west
short of Narragansett bay, and
reached the house undiscovered. The
door of his house was burst in by
a negro, who used his head as bat
tering ram; Prescott was asleep and
awoke to find himself prisoner. He
was not allowed to dress, but in his
cloak, with a captor carrying his
clothes, was forced to the boat and
taken within the American lines and
then to Washington's headquarters
in New Jersey. He was exchanged
later.
The successful capture of Gen.
Stoughton by Mosby and his rangers
in March, 1868, was the result of a
carefully made plan. Mosby, with
30 men, entered Fairfax Courthouse.
passing themselves off 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 gem
erai was sound asleep. At the name
of Mosby Gen. Stoughton sat up in
bed, wide awake in an instant. "Have
you got him?" he asked, Hes got
you," replied Mosby. The prisoner
was taken to Gen. Fitzhugh Lees
headquarters from the very midst of
camp in which lay several thou
sand troops. The attempt to cap
ture Sitting Bull was not made by
strategy or trick; our Indian scouts
went openly to the old chiefs tent,
and when they tried to arrest the
famous Sioux We're met with bull
letsi they retuEned the fire and
killed him, losing some of their num-
ber. Funston's capture of Agulnal-
do was marked by well-devised
plan, involving more danger than
that of any other plot except that
of Sergt Champe's and requiring
longer time and more careful work,
with the same exception,