The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-08-14
The Lost Company

copyright. 1905 By r. 3. McCiure.]
The orders were for Colonel Davis
81 the Twenty-secoad Federal reg
,nent, stationed about four niles from
IuIrs Cap. in the Tennes see noun
tains. to move b. night AMI capture a
confederate signal station WHICH had
i post upon a mountain crest ten miles
away. This station commanded the
pass 50 far as observation went AMI
every move of the Federal force there
was at once reported.
The idea was TO move slowly and
quietly, and this WAS carried out The
regiment had four hours and half to
make the ten miles. and the vicinity
Of the signal station was reached at
i O'Clock in the morning. Three com
panies were sent TO the left, three TO
the right, aud Company L was to make
a long detour to get b the rear Of the
station and bold mountain road
against retreat. An movements were
made 50 quietly that no alarm was
given
Day had just begun to dawn when
up from the valley came white mist,
cold as shroud and thick enough to
cut out all objects twenty feet away,
The Confederates at the station could
be heard moving and talking, but there
could be no attack until the mist dis
appeared. 1t hung over the mountain
for two long hours before the rising
sun began to eat into it, and it was
near I o'clock before the Federals
dashed forward The surprise was
complete. There were only fifty Con-
federate soldiers there as guard, and
seeing the force opposed to them they
prudentIy surrendered Not a man
was killed on either side, although
there was considerable firing. The
regiments sent out on the TANKS We're
up III time, and Colonel Davis supposed
that the firing would bring il Com
pany ID
When an hour had gone BY and
nothing had been heard of 1t scouts
were sent forward with orders for IT
to Join the main force al once. Az the
end of two hours the scouts returned
and reported that no trace Of the com
pany could be found beyond d certain
point
The main column returned to camp,
aud from hour to hour looked FOR the
missing company When a day had
gone by without news from It two
scouts were sent out There was fear
now that 1t had been gobbled up by
Confederate force. The scouts struck
the highway and followed It to the
bend, but they brought back no news
A native had gone asong with It to
act as guide, and after three or four
days had passed 1t was concluded that
be might have led the detachment far
enough to bring about its capture by
Confederate force The matter rested
there for week. Then two Confed
crate prisoners were captured, hut they
denied having heard the least news Of
the missing company Had Il been
captured they must have known OF the
event
An advance By the Confaderates ID
force just at this time prevented any
further search BY the Federals, and fo1
six weeks the fate Of the hundred men
was almost forgotten. Then there was
an investigation ordered from Wash.
ington. and the result was the trial and
dismissal OF Colonel Davis The Fed
erals had been driven ont Of that part
OF Tennessee, and as matter Of fact
they did not regain the ground again
until the close Of the var. Flags Of
truce were frequently resorted g to
gain news Of the missing company and
all prisoners were closely questioned.
but the war came to an end at last and
the mystery mad not been solved.
No move was made until year
later, and then Colonel Davis himself
took up the case He was wealthy
man and he smarted Under the dis