The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-27
A LOST SWORD.
The Priced Relic Returned to Its owner
After Mauy Years.
MANASSAS Va) Journal.)

MANASSAS (Va) Journal)
One of the interesting incidents of the
Horse Show week at Manassas, Va, was
the coming of Lieut.. w. Simpson Harrison.
of Landmark. FarQuier Co., bringing a
sword captured by the 18th Va. form an
officer of the 55th Pa. in the days of the
civil war. 1t seems that a few weeks
ago Lieut.. Harrison was in Manassas on
business, at the real estate office of George
G. Round & Co. In swapping war stories,
as veterans are won't to do, he told Lieut.
Round the story of the sword and his de-
sire to return it to its original owner.
Lieut.. Round, who is a native of LuZerne
County, Pa, took at once lively interest
! in the affair. The inscription on the scab-
| Presented to Lieut.. Z. +. Hodge by the
members of Co. A 55th Rest. Pa. Vols,
July 10Th, 1863"
He wrote at once to Adj't-Gen. Stew
art, at Harrisburg, who is also at this time
the National Commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic. He also sent an
inquiry to The National Tribune, the SOL
diers' paper published at Washington.
From both sources lie heard that an old
soldier named Patrick +. Hodge was liv-
| ing at Swissvaie, Allegheny County, Pa.
An interesting correspondence followed,
pursuant to which Lieut.. Harrison dined
with Lieut.. Round on Thursday and the
sword which by the stern fortunes of war
| fell from the grasp of Lieut.. Hodge as n
mimic ball struck him in the face, May
1G, 1864, was returned to him by Adams
Express.
1t seems that when Mr.. Hodge was pro-
noted from First Sergeant to Lieutenant,
| the members of his company presented
him with an elegant sword. He had pos
session of it 10 months and one day,
| yybap tho of Rntler and Rpanre-
gard got badly mixed up in the fog fight"
along the Petersburg Il Richmond Rail-
road. In the "mix-up' the Confederates
came out ahead, and Hodge and some of
his men were taken prisoners and march
ed to the rear. Mr.. Round by another CO.
incidence was near by ut that time, a Cor
pOral in a Connecticut Battery, but owing
to the dense fog the artillery could render
no assistance, though they could tell from
the increasing roar Of the battle that their
friends were being forced backward. Later
in the day his battery put in a few shots
| to warn the visitors to attempt 10 further
cOnquests.
1t is interesting to note that when Lieut..
Harrison returned home, in the Spring of
1866, it was his own mother who sug-
gested the idea that he hunt up Lieut..
Hodge and return the sword. His duties
on the farm, however, were pressing, and
after time he left the homestead, and
the sword was missing, when it again
came into his mind. He supposed that a
relic hunter had confscated it, when re-
Gently it was found with a pile of rubbish
in the attic of the Harrison homestead
near Haymarket.
The sword was shown to Governor
Montague and other distinguished guests
at the Horse Show, to whom, as well as
our own citizens, it was an object Of
special interest. Lieut.. Hodge expressed
great qualification at his singular good
fortune, and Lieut.. Harrison sends Ills
best wishes for health and happiness
along with the sword, to his former foe
man. The three Lieutenants are planning
q reunion to he held some time in 1904.
Your correspondent desires to say that
the 'fog fight" alluded to was the battle
at Drewry's Bluff, and that the 55th Pa
lost, in killed, wounded and prisoners, 800
men in the fight. Lieut.. John Barnhart, n
brother of Abram Barnhart. of Bedford
was one of the killed on that day.