The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-17
A. THRILLING STORY OF THE WAR
Rev. DR.. w. r. GwaItney Writes of the Herosm of
Confederates at Fort Handy.

had returned from Appomattox, and pur-
sued them, crossing the Yadkin River,
rushed up to within a few yards of the
| fort and two of their men, James Linney,
brother of Hon. r. q. Linney, and Jones
Brown, We're killed and left in the yard.
The others, some OF them springing from
their horses and running on foot, escaped.
They managed to get together at Mora
Wan Falls and returned home greatly
detected, while the robbers were great
| ly emboldened by their two victories in
one week. The loss of Linney and Brown
| cast the darkest shadow of gloom and
| sadness over the whole community.
The burning question was asked by
every one, What is going to be done?"
Some thought that there was little or no
hope of anything being lonesome who
had been were really afraid to go again
and did not go.
Now the writer must speak as an eye
witness of all that follows. After return
| ing from the army l took small school
| in Alexander county and boarded in the
home of ELLIS Haynes, Esq. The COM
pany which was driven from the fort the
Sunday before was made UP in this COM
munity.
| Col Sharpe called together and held
consultation with a number Of the old
soldiers and it was soon decided that an
other effort should be made to dislodge
them and put an end to the work of plum
der and murder l left my school in the
hands of one of my pupils and joined
the company We started on Tuesday af-
ternoon following the Sunday on which
our Alexander men had been repulsed.
The company numbered about twenty
men. Having crossed the Brushy Noun
tains at Cove Gap, just before reaching
Moravian Falls, in Wilkes county, we
met a man from near Holmon's Ford who
told US that Wade was looking for us and
declared he could whip thousand
of us, and he hoped that we would come
en-. We stopped and held consultation
and sent one of our men into Iredell
county to ask Col. Robert " Cowan, who
had commanded the 33rd Regiment of N
G. Troops in the war just closed, to gath
er up all the returned soldiers he could
and to come to Holomon's Ford with all
possible speed We sent another one of
our number to the headquarters of
portion of the Federal army encamped
near Lexington, N c., to inform them OF
the condition Of things in Wilkes county,
and to ask them to send and relieve the
situation as early as they possibly
could. We then went on, reaching Mora
Wan Falls about sunset, and remained
there till near midnight, and then smoved
slowly and cautiously up the road leading
to Holmons Ford. The night was dark,
or the after part of it, and all felt that
the march was fraught with danger.
Coming within mile or less of the ford,
voice sharp and clear rang out: Halt,
who comes there?" Col. Sharpe replied;
Men from Alexander: Who are you?"
The answer came, "Oxford's men from
Caldwell county. Advance" This was
good news to us. We found Oxford's men
all sleeping soundly in the woods near
the road except two or three who were
walking the sentinePs beat. We shared the
bed of leaves till break of day and then
the call came for all to rise and fall into
line. The two companies together num-
bered not more than forty men. We left
the road leading to the ford and turned up
the river to the left and crossed at a
small ford on the farm Of a Mr.. Teif1ett
and then assembled a hill to the valley
road and dismounted and fed our horses
and opened our hayer- sacks and ate
breakfast In the yard of Mr. Tolbert. In
his house a woman was dying, who with
her husband the day before was APP
preaching the ford in wagon and was
shot by one of the robbers from the fort
more than a quarter of mile distant
While here Mr. Tolbert said to us: "You
may easily judge what my fears
of these robbers are and my feelings
toward them, but dare not say a word
But my advice to you all is that you go
back home; for with that force you will
not be able to take them. They are on
the lookout for you, and they have
doubtless sent to their sympathizers for
recruits, and should they capture you
, they will surely kill you, and no doubt
now they are lying in those thickets wait
ing in ambush for you, and as soon as
you turn the top of that hill you are in
danger of being shot down" We held
counsel Of war. few of our bravest
mem were IN favor of going back and
waiting till we could rally a stronger
force. BY large majority it was de-
cided to go on. After passing the top
of the hill and coming to little narrow
/ footpath heading through a long stretch
/ of thicket and old field pines, the Colonel
odlu " INT Ou TAKE THESE UNe men
and follow, this path till you reach the
hill yonder on the west Of the fort be-
tween which hill and the fort runs Lewis
Fork. Feel your way carefully through
the thicket and when you reach the hill
scour it all over and see that there is no
one on it. | will take the company on
horse and station them on the north and
east of the fort and then we have them
surrounded with the Yadkin River on the
South. When the men are stationed
gun will be fired on the east that you
may know that we are in place" | took
/ the i've men and we went single file one
after another expecting every step to be
] shot down. We breathed not a free
i breath until we reached the hill and
secured it all over and found no one on
it, We had been in many places of
danger during the war, but never had
our courage been tried as it was in this
march through that thicket. We felt
that enemy whom we could not see
was about to drop US in our tracks--in
constant expectation of being shot into
eternity. We were never so conscious of
| Sa fpfX aq when VIC rparhod fbot LtI1