The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-09-03
CLOSING DAYS OF CIVIL WAR.


bers that Sunday night were cuits
refreshing.
At the break of day we arose
with the hopes Of soon being with
DIR regiment; but to our surprise
, the banks Of the river was lined with
Yankee soldiers. They continued
passing all day, and we were very
careful to keep concealed in the
most obscure part Of that thicket,
iiot caring to be picked of by the
enemy. or taken prisoners. This was
one lonesome day. With nothing to
satisfy hunger and nowhere to go,
we crouched down like opossums in
preference to capture.
AS soon AS the shades Of night be-
gan to fall we crept cut from our
concea!ment, waded the little run
which separated the mainland from
the island, and started up the river
to join Cur command. We had not
proceeded very far before we came
upon a regiment encamped for the
night. The hivo,iac fires were burn
ing brightly on every side, and after
holding consultation, we decided to
change our course and go around
these we had seen. We had rot
gore very far before we realized
chat We had run right into the enc
my, for far ahead of US we could see
the SECOND regiment camping for
the night. This trouble confronted
us on all sides and we were rereats
edly running into camps Of the enc
my; but at last we found ourselves
In the public road, where we soon
heard wagon coming, and by the
light Of the moon we managed to
see the outline Of a tnan driving six
mules. proposed to my men that
we stop the driver, take mule each
and We could soon overtake our
regiment, but this they would not
consent to do, thinking that if we
were caught we would all be killed.
Soon we were forced to abandon the
road, as there were too many wagons
going back for rations. we got
back co the river just before day,
and we're in hopes of getting to cur
as the way seemed all
,lear.
We had succeeded in getting away
from the tramp Of the Yankees, as
ne thought, but about mid day
Tuesday, we heard the quick repo, t
IF a gun in front Of us near the
liver. 1 saw the smoke, then heard
he command, ''HaltT' given. We
we're then taken as prisoners and
marched to the public road where
he cavalry was passing, and there
We heard that General Lee had been
tut off from Danville by Shearidan's
cavalry, who had dispatched General
Mead to bring up his infantry and
he war would soon be over.
The colonel of the passing cavalry
asked this man who had captured
IS, where he had captured those
prisoners. He replied, while he
vas guarding a private house." add
ng that we were guerillas, and that
4 id guerilla had slipped up and
,not him in the leg. The colonel
,aid, "D-m them, hang them to the
irst limb" By that time l began
% grow weak, yes, and scared, too;
out speaking up said, Colonel, we
ire not guerilas; here is my muster
.o!l, this will prove who we are.
Neither 1nor my men shot that man,
and if you will look at his pants you
will find one leg off. Ii you will ex-
anime his pistol you will find one
Of it's chambers empty. He shot
himself and saw him cut the leg OF
his pants off. This he did to gain q
Through, and it was not done by roy
men. Their guns are now still load
ed, so is my pistol" The colonel
then turned upon him and said,
Hanging is too good for YOU" The
soldiers were so excited they were
about to kill the fellow.
We were then sent to General
Mead's headquarters. AS we ar
rived he had just gotten dispatch
by a courier from General Grant,
ordering him to have the soldiers
throw away all surplus baggage,
such as blankets, overcoats and the
ike. and these he would have them
paid for, and to join him as soon as
that if he had infantry
there the war would soon be over.
It was then three, p. m, when
General Mead's army was started on
a forced march, which was kept up
all night. Wednesday morning the
army was almost wild with ex-
element.
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