The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-05
PAPERS RETURNED
AFTER MANY YEARS
Tale OF How the Old Soldiers
Fight the War Over
Again.
ONCE ENEMIES; NOW FRIENDS
incidentally Some Very Interest
ing War History Is Brought
to the Surface.
nditcr Of The rimes.pispateh:

Editor of The Times-Dispateh:
sir-1t is with pleasure that ] pay
tribute to Colonel NJ. 3. Birdseyer of
Fayetteville, New York. first became
acquainted t?) with the colonel was
in 1864: he was connected with III"
Harris Light Cavalry. of New Sork,
and ! was Confederate chief of scouts.
NV first Knowledge of him was through
the following tiattering incident;
had presented to q lovely young lady
Miss Gertrude McMurran. restiIng neaf
Skenkers Ford Rappahannock county,
va. n fine horse. Soon thereafter Col
onel Birdseye came along with hi"
troopers. and seeing this animal, felt
somewhat covetous thereof AID was
threatening to decamp Herewith when
Miss Gertrude eNpostulated, and IN
formed Colonel Birdseye that Captain
Shadburnc gave her thaY horse, where
upon the colonel proposed to Hiss Ger
,rude that the captain should bring out
twelve picked men and he like num-
her and fight for the horse. the victor
Incoming possessor thereof. To this
the young lady readily agreed. but the
colonel then assured her that. as
Captain Shadburne had been generous
enough to give her the horse, ne would
he generous enough to allow her to
keep it. together with his protection"
OF this Miss Gertrude informed me, ana
gave the secret request. of winch !
was in no wise jealous. that II j
ever captured the colonel ! should treat
him kindly. which ! assured her would
certainly be done. but the fortunes
of war decreed otherwise and the
my n
which the following is brief MARIA
tive:
In July, 1864, as was my wont. the
enemy's lines were my habitat and
many a scene was there enacted. So
one dark morning, us we We're about
airing from GU rearthy pallets for
another days adventure, we We're star
tied by enemy, who had stoier
upon us all unawairss. and We
were suddenly surrounded and tut
" awakened by the cracks OF rifles
and whizztng of bullets; the enemy
was led by the interchangeable Colone
Birdseye, who had ferrettcd us gu
where and when we thought we we've
most secure and but for the timel.
warning of one of my scouts. Cleel
from Texas he surely would hay
been captured. AS 1T was, my lrlen
and comrade, who slept that nigh
with me in the same blankets, Lind
say, from 9ouln va o'I'.'', .,t,,s,a,, =
and lost my ii"ise "l'u 'sa.as ,,re
and aiGrle p4tr OF olet't 'e'Is.7s'' ~ :,
sent'd J" 'le oS Hils7 ~,
OF Mary s' i1eiSh tst 90 "a -
without my iiilisalS J"on ,,,,s ~,
In my stoeN,iie 80 49,, caIoraI az,
tHSetheF anu pulsS's" - 49,, ,,,;,l
his men some six miles, and was wltI
in a few hundred yards of him Whe
he entered MS oa'iiP
safe, ,ce, ,,.
From thas tli.le' 'u,S' !, 49, -, ~
recently never hl.eM vi a1,,r,,fo.o ~,
SO ruucis u.s'u ,rl,is ,,,It 1,Iy 10u6 foI
uark h''I'il"s' ~, 49, .nieod
ty-t"o years $50 go .e,!,nna NM. ,,,ad
.,lIoes, -.,,,st,,e, of ''Nosl,,;.s men
, ~ Va WAS informed {
~ ~, ayisfnnce Of colonel Birdseye, an
, the, eH NJ Tnsso IS valuable papers
-, sa1t,Irea mat morning. and / {
No. M onansd . norrespondence vii
~, o,Ii.,nr colonel. which resulted
~ re,,1rn 10 me OF those papels, While
are as follows:
.starford County, Va. April 10, 1861.
.snereta1,v Seddon
J4onored slr--I respectfully NAH
application for authority TO organize
company to operate in the ssnemy
lines as scouts for the division, an
To be subject To the orders Of yonrse
and Major General Wade Hampton,
the officer commanding his divisio
That said company be allowed an 9TH
privileges OF AN Independent eommal
whilst detached. That may be alloy
ed eight soldiers lrom General iianiI
gttl'Ss