The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1904-12-01
Interrupted Wartime Wedding.

The yicissitudes of war and the
friendships of peace are strangely il
lustrated in the lives of w. j. Knight
and William NJ. Skillman, two messen-
gers in the Office of the comptroller
of the currency, who sit opposite each
other every morning and open the
mail of that bureau.
In the civil war Skillman was one
of Morgan's raiders, and knight, a
member OF an Indiana regiment, in
charge of a detail of men, captured
him and a few of his comrades under
circumstances that made their capture
especially CALLING.
In 1893 the two men again met, this
time while each was drawing a salary
from Uncle Sam in the treasury de-
partment, and since then they have
been fast friends, although Mr. Knight
never tires of telling the story of the
interrupted wedding festivities in
which his fellow messenger played his
part.
W. p. knight was sergeant of Co.
b, Fourth Indiana cavalry In Sep
tember, 1862. one battalion of the
Fourth, commanded by Mai. John A.
Platter wass tationed at Madisonville,
KY, together with the Sixty-fifth In
diana infantry. commanded by Col.
John w. Foster, afterward secretary
of state. Col. Foster was in command
of the Union troops in that region.
About this time Morgan's cavalry,
which had been making things lively
for the Federal troops and incident
ally frightened northern people living
along the southern boundary of Ohio
and Indiana, was operating in this
part of Kentucky.
The sweetheart Of the lieutenant OF
Skillman's company lived near Madi-
sonville. and this officer decided that
he might as well get married then as
to postpone it until later In the war.
Arrangements were made and invita-
tions sent out to limited number OF
the men Of his company. all of whom
we're from that region. Morgan was
camped about thirty miles distant
from Fosters headquarters and the
home OF the bride was midway be-
tween the two forces.
The wedding ceremony had been
performed, and, yielding to the per-
suasive powers of the blue grass
maidens in attendance, the twenty-odd
"Johnnies" remained TO participate in
the dancing that followed. This proved
their undoing.
1t was while this was going on that
Col. Foster heard of the affair and or
dered Major Platter to capture every
Confederate present. Sergt. knight,
with sixteen men, was detailed to do
the deed, and Private Skillman has
never quite forgiven him for the ruth
less manner in which he broke up that
wedding party.
The house was surrounded and the
lone sentryman, stationed outside TO
watch the arms of the soldier boys,
was quietly overpowered and the
fighting implements removed to a con-
venient spot where they would afford
the wedding guests no service in this
juncture.
The door was forced open, and the
"Johnnies" commanded at the revol
ver's' point to surrender. A rush was
made for doors and windows. but ey,
cry avenue of escape was closed. A
'Yank" stood ready to greet the wed.
ding guests
The lieutenant-bridegroom and his
men surrendered as gracefully as the
circumstances would permit, but
pleaded that they be permitted TO con-
time the dance, urging their captors
TO join in the merriment
Here was where Sergt Knight for.
got his orders. but as all's well that
ends we'll no harm was done. The
boys in blue placed a guard outside
and then Joined the boys in gray and
for an hour or more forgot the war
and its horrors.
1t was Skillman. however. who
aroused them from their reverie.
SKillman had not been dancing with
his accustomed hilarity; he sat in a
corner pleading illness, but scheming
Ill the time how he could get away
and give the alarm 10 Morgan's com
mand.
An opportunity. as he supposed, pre-
scnted itself. and Skillman made a
dash for the window aud for liberty.
but the dash was of short duration.
Enight's men ceased to be dancers
and became soldiers who knew their
dpty. The Confederates. including the
lewly welded "-r'e-,,t. were