The National tribune., 1903-08-20
JUST BEFORE CHARLOTTESVILLE.
The Conf. aerates Capture a Dispatch Beare,
on the Rapidan.

apTli, ISoo, the Army VI lHe otoi''e
crossed the Rappahannock and Rapidan
Rivers to attack Lee, Gen. Slocum COM
manded the Right Wing, composed of the
Fifth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Corps. l
was one of so men that constituted Gen.
Slocums escort.
The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps cross
ed the Rappahannock at kellys Ford, and
the Rap:dan at Germanna Ford, the
Fourth Corps crossing the Rapidan at
Ely's Ford.
While the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps
were crossing the Rapid-n, Maj. Steel, of
Rockers staff came with an order Tor
five men of SlOcums escort to accompany
him to the headquarters of the Fifth
Corps, then commanded by Gen. Meade.
Serg't Allen, of the escort, ordered me to
take charge of the detail and report to
Maj. Steel. Leaving Gen. Slocum's head
quarters at 3 o'clock p. M, we went back
on the road about three miles to a corner
where we met the Eleventh Corps. There
we took Il read leading through a wood
land. 1t was raining, and we heard thun-
der-or cannonading. Maj. Steel and /
thought it was thunder.
We found Gen. Meade at Ely's Ford,
and, after the General and Maj. Steel had
talked an hour or more, Meade wrote n
dispatch to Slocum. Maj. Steel gave me
the dispatch, saying: Go to Gen. Slocum
as quickly as possible Keep sharp
lookout. Don't let the rebs get that dis
patch. In the event you are captured, be
sure that you destroy it. You will be all
right when you reach that corner where
we met the Eleventh Corps. Our troops
will picket that corner tonight, but rs we
have no countersign out yet, you must let
yourself be known as best you can"
Il. +. Owen, of Co. c, 9th n. Y. Cav,
and myself took the advance, some 20 or
80 yards, the three others of our party
being ordered to keep that distance in the
rear and to be watchful. We met with no
msadventUre until we had come nearly
to the corner where we expected to find
our pickets. Hearing a noise, but no chal-
lenge, and apprehensive that the picket
would fire upon us, we thought it best to
do some challenging ourselves.
"Who is there!'
Friends. Come in
/ thought recognized the voices of the
men of the 9th Cav, who had been the
advance guard of the Twelfth Corps that
day. but when we started to go in we were
surrounded by 80 or 40 Confederates. One
of them, riding n gray horse, ordered me
to dsmount. When / had obeyed him, he
commanded me to mount his horse. We
simply traded horses, the Confederate do
ing the trading.
Most prominent in my mind was the
thought of that dispatch, which. with
letter from my mother, and one from my
sweetheart, was in the inside pocket of my
cavalry jacket. l took out two envelopes
and was sure one of them contained tile
dispatch. As it was white dared not
Il Il nh ct,n1 tl,ft tt-n
envelopes through hole in my pants
pocket down into the, leg where they
stayed for two days. Col. Drake, of the
1st Va. Cav, questioned me closely as to
what troops were near. land who command
ed them. Evidently lie thought he had
captured a picket detail consisting of five
men. We were placed in charge of n
Lieutenant, who lost his way in the woods
and spent the night in wandering Again
thinking of the dispatch, and to be sure
that | made 10 mistake, | took the third
envelope from my pocket and surrepti-
tiously bit off small bits, chewing them,
and splitting them out of my mouth.
On the next morning we reached Rae
coon Ford, on the Rapidan, where We
found Gen. "Jeb" Stuart and Fitzhugh
Lee with about 5000 cavalry and 400 or
500 prisoners. We We're dismounted and
made to walk all that day and until 2
o'clock at night. guarded by Stuart's men.
About midnight Stuart attacked 200 or
300 of the 9th \. Y. Cav, who were stand
ing to horse, resting, in n small clearing,
killing their Lieutenant-C Colonel and cap
turing about 100 men.
On the next morning we were put into
the Court House at Spotsylvania, and
heard cannonading all day. Toward
night we were taken across the street
and placed in the Methodist church,
where there was some fire in stove. By
the dim freight | examined the two en-
veopes that l had concealed in the leg
of my trousers. One was the dispatch.
the other my mothers letter. l had
chewed up my sweetheart's letter in the
woods. l read the dispatch, which was
as follows:
81 am now crossing the river. / have
one division and its battery across, that
have taken position for the night, and
think l will have all my corps across to-
night. What position shall take in the
morning to connect with your command"
After reading the dispatch l put it into
the stove and watched it burn.
On the following morning we started
toward Richmond. The officer in charge
Lieut.. Robinson, of the Cd N. G. Cav,
was n kind-hearted gentleman. treating
the prisoners with as much consideration
as he did his own men.
Upon our arrival at Richmond we were
taken to Libby Prison, searched and pa
rolled This was on Sunday. On the fol-
lowing Tuesday about $50 officers and
$50 men were sent on the ears from Rich
mond through Petersburg to City Point,
where we met our flag of truce boat;
thence we went by way of Fortress Mon
roe to the Parole Camp at Annapolis.
From there l wrote Serg't Allen a detailed
account of my capture, and Of my burn
ing the dispatch, requesting him to tell
Lieut-Col. Rogers. Gen. Slocum's Adju-
tant- General all about it.
Serg't Allen wrote me that on the morn
ing following my capture, the Adiutant-
General came to him and asked: "Where
is that detail that went with Maj. Steel?"
When informed that we. had not yet got in,
the Colonel became enraged, and wanted
to know something Of the character of
the man who was in charge of the detail.
Would he let the rebs get that dispatch :?
He said further: 1--WE shoUld have receiv-
ed that dispatch by 10 o'clock last night,
as it would determine the time for us to
move. The dispatch is of great impor-
lance" Serg't Allen assured the excited
Adjutant-General that the man in charge
of the detail would not permit the dispatch
to fall into the hands of the enemy
However. before Allen received my let
ter he had been sent back to his regiment,
and could not see Col. Rogers or Gen. Slo-