Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-12-21
ABOUT BEING CAPTURED.
Two Thrilling Incidents of the War
as Related by Eye Witnesses
of Them.

the surprise of it yet. | was captain
on the stan of Gen. Emory, commanding
the Nineteenth army corps. On the
morning of the 18th of October, 1864,
we were reused up before daylight by
the heavy firing over on the left Some
thing was evidently wrong, and we had
our horses saddled at once. We occu-
pied, with Sheridans staff, the stone
house-the "Hite House." | have since
heard it called-in rear of our first di-
vision | was dispatched over to the
pike" to see what the trouble was and,
report. | did not reach the pike" i'm
mediately; there was great deal be-
tween me and it to prevent, and as for
reporting" l never saw the Nineteenth
corps again till the next spring.
The morning was foggy, and it was
impossible to see a man at that hour
more than few rods off, but l could
see the flashes of the muskets of some
of the regiments of our corps, and | met
fugitives from the Eighth in large num-
bers going to the rear. A great noise
of shooting, and a yell that was never
made by any but southern soldiers, was
heard from the left, and l saw enough,
besides what these fugitives told me, to
be sure that there was an attack and a
panic in the Eighth. 1t would have
been well for me if had been satisfied
with what | had thus far discovered,
and had gone back to headquarters with
the report. l should certainly have
found headquarters in the saddle, and
tatr
morning. But wanted to do my whole
duty. | was anxious to see the whole
trouble with my own eyes, that | might
make faithful report, and on went.
To avoid the streams of fugitives,
bore we'll off to the left, intending tn
reach the pike rather below the line of
their hasty retreat. l had not ridden
half way to the pike when l came slap
on four soldiers. The meeting was so
sudden, in the obscurity of the fog, that
they seemed to rise out of the ground.
At a glance | saw that they wore gray,
and that each of them had musket
| can see now that if I had acted with
the greatest promptness | might have
wheeled and galloped back Uninjured
at me; and then again might have
been knocked dead off my horse trying
it. | was not quick enough to take the
risk. | pulled up, and their muskets
quickly covered me.
They saluted me as a "Yank," order
ing me to dismount, promising to "Iet
daylight through" me if did not, and
conveying their wishes to me in other
explicit language. They had the con-
troversy all their own way, and yielded
without trying to argue the question. l
got down, and was taken to the pike,
and up it toward Fishers hill, to place
where many union prisoners had al
ready been collected. The number was
swelled to 1,200 by night, and we were
started up the valley on the long way to
Richmond before Sheridan's cavalry
could overtake us.
That (said another comrade) reminds
me of what happened in plain sight of
our picket line, off on the left, near
Hatcher's Run, before that battle had
been fought
Our major was in command of that
part of the line. He had come out from
the reserve with a sergeant, and took the
notion to go beyond the line and see
what he could see. 1t would not have
been a wise thing for horseman to do.
They were afoot, and it was positively
foolish. But they went-full of big head,
to tell the truth.
The country was clear in front, there
being nothing but some scattering tim
Der to break the view for perhaps 30s
yards. | was one of the pickets, and
watched the major and sergeant as they
strolled along out to the front prob
ably suspecting no danger. We had
seen to a picket line, even in daylight,
and their presence never be suspected.
What followed l got partly from my
own observation and partly from the
account of the major when he came in.
AS he and the sergeant approached
low stone wall, being not more than 20
feet from it, three muskeTj were thrust
over it at them a1a a voice shouted:
Surrender, Yanks, or we'll shoot"
The sergeant at once threw down his
gun. He was captured, of course, and
sent to the Libby.
Not so the major.
l know the man pretty well, and
think | can tell what flashed through
his mind on that stern hail. and the dis
covery of what was before him.
1t probably occurred to him that he
was where he had no business to be;
that the months of weary captivity be-
fore him would be followed by an Off.
cial inquiry as to what he was doing out
there, and that some severe punishment.
Il not cashiering, awaited his exchange. -
lie resolved TO run for it. He must
have appreciated the fact that the
chances were nine TO one against him:
but the reasons that have stated made
nim desperate.
/ saw him whirl and cush for our line.