The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03
4 LONE SOLDIERS
 DEED OF DARING A Dare Devil Member of Mor-
 gan's Raiders CAPTURES WHOLE COMPANY Single Handed, He Takes an Entire company of Federal Soldiers In ln- diana-DissoIution of the Fa-
 nous Morgan Raiders.
CAPTURES WHOLE COMPANY
rom the New orleans Picayune.

From the New Orleans Picayune.
 In England the story is still told that during the peninsular war lone British soldier held stone castle in the Pyrenees against a whole company of French in- fantry for two days, and only surrendered upon condition that he be allowed to leave the fortress carrying his flag and his arms and rejoin Wellington's army down in the plains. The feat of this Eng lishman, and it was afterward duplicated by a Frenchman in the Franco-Prussian war, was a very brave and meritorious one, but it pals into insignificance when compared to the bit of daring of an Irish soldier, who was one of Morgan's raiders during the great civil war. This jolly Irishman, single handed, captured whole company of Union soldiers, and the way he did the trick is very interestingly told by B. R. Forman, the well known attorney at law, who was himself mem- Der of Morgans dashing command.
 According to the way MT. Forman tells the story, the raiders crossed the Ohio and invaded Indiana to create diversion that was intended to draw Rosecrans' army away from the points it was threatening. The raiders numbered 2OO0, and carried with them two mountain howitzers, which were added to after the river had been crossed by several pieces captured from the Yankees, who were dislodged rom the bluffs and put to flight.
 The raiders advanced on Vernon, and the real facts connected with the little pickering that took place at that town are quite at variance with the report deh. Lew Wallace afterward sent the war de- partment. General Wallace, from sate place of refuge he had found, wired that Morgan had crossed the Ohio with S000 men and eight pieces of artillery, but m the fight at Vernon his forces had been repulsed, and they were retreatlng east- ward
 The truth of the matter was that the federals fled in terror from Vernon upon the approach of the Confederates, and Morgan's men put in half day in break ing the Union rifles against trees and burning warehouses, where stores ana supplies were kept. They paroied all the prisoners they took not wishing to be hampered with them, and headed east, but not in retreat.
 It was just after the battle of Vernon that the Irish cavalier, the hero of MT. Forman's story showed his true mettle. The Irishman was Charlie Burke, ana like many of his race who took to war as a trade, he was a daredevil Tn every sense of the word, and ready Tor any d Morgans men were fighters; the federals dreaded them as they dreaded no other body of men, and Burke was considered even a little bolder than the average of his fearless companions.
 The Raiders, after chasing the enemy from Vernon, destroying the arms and burning the storehouses began thelr march from the town and cantered leis- 1lrely up the country road on tne1r wllllns horses Burge rode in the vanguard-he was always there in the thick of the fray or on the march-and either Tn opeylng an order from one of the ofncers, or Iol- lowing an inclination of his own to pc the first to sight any remnant Of the enemy, or new force of Northerners' he spurred his horse and galoped In advance of the troop to reconnolter Burkes mount was good one-ail the Raiders had fine horses, for they were constantly recruiting their live stock from spells taken from the enemy-and in a little while he was some distance ahead of his companions
 The road Burke was following was lined on either side by thick woods, and an occasional bluff loomed up, cutting the line of trees on one hand or the other. and adding wldness to the scene Rurke's horse was going at rather fast gallop and the pound of the steed s hoofs on the hard earth prevented the rider from hearing any sound that might serve as a warning of danger
 Burke. glancing ahead, saw the line or trees on the right fronting him, as the road described an abrupt curve, and he made the turn on lope, without having paused to investigate. Burke then saw, but all too late, that he had ridden into a iran. Just beyond the curve the road froadened and on the left hand the woods ended and level field stretched away in a wave of rich green grass, to a timbered ridge about a mile distant. In the field close to the road was a company of sol diers-at drill under command of regu- lar army officer,
 The soldiers, when the mounted man galloped almost into their midst, were greatly surprised, but they speedily took account that the rider wore gray uni form. and instantly about a score of car hines were leveled at the Irishman. and the hoarse command was given him by the officer in charge to surrender.
 Burke quickly pulled up his horse, and the animal so suddenly checked, reared back on his launches and paved the air with his fore feet, but even while the horse was settling on the ground and being ouieted, the Irishmans active brain was at work.
 Here's lot of country pumpkins, who hardly know there's a war being fought, he thought; ''perhaps I can fool them." In half minutes time-and he pre- tended to be checking the horse, when the animal was ready to stand still just