The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-10-12
THE SECOND BULL RUN.
Daring Man Prevented Rebel Advance
On WashlngtOu.

Gen. Pope OF the Confederates' advance
upon Washington and was directly in
strumental in keeping them out Of the
National Capital, and was personally
| asked by Abraham Lincoln to become a
member of the Government Secret
Service-this is the proud record Of T.
| .. Harter. Of Tecumseh. Okla, who is
one Of Denver's honored visitors this
| week.
Harter had been i'm the service but a
short time when he was called before
Gen Franz Sigel and asked IL he thought
he could enter the Confederate lines
and return with news of their plans.
Discarding his uniform for citizens
clothes and taking an unbranded horse,
| Harter entered Richmond and was cap
| tured. and after being in irons for 48
hours was taken before Maj.-Gen.
| Winder. of the Southern army.
He was closely questioned about rail-
/ road matters, but by his minute de-
scription of all the details OF railroad
work he won the confidence of Superin-
tendent Whitcomb. and at the latter's
solicitation he was given a pass to Char
| lotteSville. where he was to take an en-
CINE on the Virginia Central. Before
reaching Charlottesville he came across
the entire Confederate army encamped
| at Gordonsville.
| There must have been 200, 900 men
there under Lee and Jackson and only
40 miles from Washington. Determin-
ing to take matters into my own hands
went direct to Lees headquarters and
told them that I wanted to be soldier
instead of an engineer.
while about headquarters I heard
the Confederate officers talking about
moving upon Washington at once and
attacking Gen. Pope, who was at Gull
pepper, short distance away, with only
1000 men.
Il knew that even without arms the
| them hand and foot because Of their
superior numbers, and that they were
confident they would soon be I'm Wash
ington is shown by the fact that only
two days rations had been provided
for Being an engineer they did not
pay much attention to me. and I man.
aged to slip away. I reached the Rapi-
dan River, left my clothes on the bank
and swan across, and by taking two
horses I reached the Federal lines in
| SIS minutes. I conveyed my informa-
ton to Gen. Pope. end he was enabled
to begin his retreat and to destroy all
his cannon and supplies that he could
| not take with him. He just got away
in time, for Gen. Jackson did capture
portion Of Gen. Sfgel's rear guard. The
Confederates got closer to Washington
after that, but they never had such an
advantage over our troops as they had
then"
This may all be so. but on account of
the following circumstances OF official
record. and OF personal knowledge,
members OF the I'd Md. have always
been under the impression that inform
alton obtained by them was the fmmed-
late cause Of the retrograde movement
| of the Army Of Virginia on Aug. Is,
1852
On Aug. IT Gen. Reno sent for Lieut.
Col. Duryee ed Md and directed him
with four companies, $50 men, to leave
fosr hot 10
field at p. m, cross the Rapidan at
Racoon Ford, reach the summit of
Clark Mountain. a Confederate signal
station, at daylight, and IL possible find
out the enemy's strength and position,
adding: Young man, when YOU reach
the rebel army than your own. So look
out. The rebel pickets have been ex-
| changing shots with our troops across
the Rapidan this afternoon" Passing
the cavalry outpost, who wished us
goodnight, we plunged into the cool
and then in silence and with caution
struck out across-fields for the noun
| tain. In the deep gloom our guide for
a short time lost his way. so that we
did not reach the summit until after
daylight, Notwithstanding we surprised
and captured the signal station with
men, flags and books, after slight
| skirmish in which two Of our men were
wounded, and pushing on came in sight
| Of the enemy'S camps. ascertained their
position and estimated their strength,
| when the long-roll informed us the
main body were also surprised. and
fastened our departure by a different
and shorter route and nearer ford than
| that taken earlier in the morning
| Iieut.-Gen. "Dick" Ewell, while pris-
| oner under my charge, acknowledged
this surprise, and stated brigade was
1, ~
| route taken going he would have
bagged us all.
Col. Duryee reported to Gen. Reno
between Z and a. m. of the 18th, hav-
| ing sent a courier with information Of
our return route. See Gen. Reno's re-
Records, Vol. XII, page 2: "They
I'D Md captured signal flag and
memorandum book, from which 1t ap-
pears Jackson's army is back of Clark
Mountain. The cavalry has not yet re-
turned
Vol. XII, PIT. II, pages % and 20.
o. r., extract from Gen. Pope's Re-
port: by the morning Of the 18th l
| became satisfied that nearly the whole
force Of the enemy from Richmond was
assembled on my front. I de-
termined to withdraw with all
| speed"
Jackson, Chief Engineer, Vol XII,
PIT. II, page 648, Official Record, re-
cords the boldness of the I'd Md. expe-
dition and the important bearing it had
upon impending designs, forming plans
and commenced operations. An extract
says: ION the morning of the 18th
body of the enemy drove in our pickets
from Clark Mountain and found out the
position of our troops"
While there is no desire to discredit
the story of Serg't T. .. Harter, 1st Ind.
Cav, the fond belief of our men that
their risk accomplished something
credible should not be destroyed.
When Col. Duryee reported the posi-
ton and gave his estimates of the en-
emy's strength, satisfying Gen. Pope,
the cavalry had not returned, nor had
Serg't Harter swan the Rapidan.-Ben
F. Taylor. Colonel, I'd Nd, Station d,
| Baltimore, Md.