The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-11-08
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOMr INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whi1ed
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

ling Scenes on the Battlefield.
Our Cavalry Division, under Gen.
Wilson, was sent from in front of Pc
tersburg by water to Washington in
August, 1884, writes Comrade w. A.
Rodgers, First Lieutenant and brevet
Captain Of Cavalry from Pittsburg, Pa,
In the National Tribune, land while at
the Capital we were armed with seven
shooter carbines and marched to the
Shenandoah Valley to join the army Of
Gen. Phil. Sheridan, composed Of the
Sixth and Nineteenth Corps. The pur-
pose of this force was to checkmate the
anticipated attack on Washington by
the army Of Gen. Jubal Early.
I'VE had hot old time Of 1T scat
tering COL Mosby's guerrillas until we
arrived at Winchester, Va, Aug. IL,
where we found the Confederates driv-
ing our men through the Valley. We
were soon trying to stem the tide, but
we were in turn routed, making a final
stand at Harper's Ferry. The battle
Of Winchester, Sept 10, gave us some
prestige, but not complete control un-
til after Cedar Creek, Oct. 10, 1864,
when Gen. Early's victory in the fore
noon was turned into an ignoble defeat
in the afternoon by Gen Sheridan COM
ing up from Winchester, twenty miles
away
Gen. Early's stupidity was mani
fest that day by allowing his army to
break ranks and feast on the Yankee
commissary supplies captured early in
the morning. Sheridan's army rested
on their laurels after that wonderful
victory. Our base Of supplies was Win
chester, that quaint and historical town
whose inhabitants witnessed eighty
four changes In the occupancy OF the
place as the Union and Confederate
forces successfully came and went
from its precincts during the four years
Of the war;"
Comrade Rodgers next describes how
he became the beau of a pretty "Se-
cesh' girl at Winchester by represent
ing himself to be a Southern scout.
The girl had two brothers in the rebel
army. Once while paying clandes-
tine visit to her home he was chased
by Union provost guard, and the fam
lily secreted him in hiding place with
a real rebel Colonel who was hiding
there. He was deeply In love with the
young Virginia woman, and his COM
rades could not understand his love
sickness and called him dreamer"
Soon, however, the scene shifted, and
the Union army, to which he was at
tached, moved up the Shenandoah Val
leys
''The second day out" he says, while
our brigade was on picket, we received
an early morning attack from the ene-
my on Nov. y, 1864, and after spIr-
tied engagement near Wiseganer Mill
lot of us were captured by the John
MES My hope was that our captors
would take us back by way of Win
chester, as I would then be happy.
Our captors proved TO be Gen. Tom
Rosser's Cavalry. Rosser was a fine.
handsome, youthful and gallant SOL
der, but he had some rough, dare
devil .subordinates. A Colonel ir par
ticular we had cause to we'll remem-
Der, for in thunder tones he yelled,
Line up, Yanks, and be quick
about it.
HE accelerated some Of our slow
movements by the expert handling of
his sword. We failed to learn that
Colonel's name In fact, we were afraid
to open our mouths In his presence.
His early piety had evidently been sad
" neglected, as he could pile up more
adjectives-not Scriptural-than any
soldier 1 have ever heard. What that
big, raw-boned. eock-eyed. red-headed
professor of profanity did not sting
with his tongue he would slash with.
his big saber. He would have made a
Spanish Gen. Weyler No. 2. He was
not an American, either, and could not
therefore lay claim to being either
Northerner. or Southerner.
"we never met him after that day
when l resolved mentally IL my life
was spared to again take part In a
cavalry charge there would be a Yam
kee Sergeant looking for that Colonel
with two revolvers.
"Our captors promptly relieved us Of
our horses, also our overcoats, blank
cts. watches and money. The swearing
Colonel rode OF on the fine horse Of
Lieut.. Blough without word of
thanks. My gray charger was appro-
priated by little private whom could
have knocked out in the first round If
but dared. Mounting my horse with
grin, he said, in drawing tone.
Fine boss. Sarjfnt.' Soon after these
preliminaries and reception by the
Johnnies we were lined up and ordered
to Forward-Marchv We were pris-
oners Of war and now on our way to
Richmond.
ION our way up the Shenandoah Val
ley toward the Confederate Capital we
saw many Of Col. Mosby's guerrillas,
who invariably impressed us with the
fact that they were never bothered with
prisoners. This truth was more fully
impressed upon us by knowing that
farther up the Valley, In thicket,
could be seen a dead Yank hanging by
the neck, while five others had been
shot and were still unburied. Our first
days hard march ended between Mount
Crawford and Harrisonburg and our
supper consisted Of fried salt pork,
bareback and water, the Confeds drink
ing our genuine coffee instead Of pea
nut juice" their substitute.
'Sergt. Hoover, my messmate, whis-
pered that he intended to make break
for liberty. 1 expressed my willingness
to follow him. About dark, as the tired
prisoners were curling up in their scant
blankets about the pickering campfires,
TO sleep, If possible, for it was cold and
Il hxa ferf1o o<