The National tribune., 1909-07-15

Breaking up the rear guard and captur-
Sng nearly 800 prisoners, and four pieces
OF artillery fell into our hands. My own
Captain (my unclei being wounded in
the first charge (Shot in right lung),
was taken to a wagon shop, not expect
ported not over four hours-) The fight
being over. a detail was made for the
squadron to go on picket duty. l was
on the first relief under Corpl George
H McNorth, of Co. E. I was number
four, the front rank, but when we came
Co where the Corporal decided to place
the first post on the pike (Hagerstown),
he ordered me to ride out and take the
position. / had not been on post more
than five minutes when a farmer came
out of field and leisurely walked to-
wards me. ! motioned him to approach
more quickly, and he hastened in. I
Baid:
What can do for you?"
"a - good job. If you send a
squad of men you can capture five
Johnnies who have just left my barn
and have gone out the pike"
Seeing he was so eager to have the
Job done. / sounded him, ana FOUND
him a thoro Union man, and told him
10 skin away home, and would attend
10 il as soon as the Corporal returned.
He at once complied. In some 10 min
alSS lne IHdUc d
proper request and he took my post,
riding out some nine rods to a clump
Of bushes, dismounted and disappeared.
Soon / resumed my search, and located
the five men some half mile distant,
teisureIy jogging out the pix near the
approach of a hill. Tying my rein close
TO the neck of the horse, jumped him
over the fence, and, riding unobserved
thru skirt of woods, jumped back
On the pike some seven rods in their
rear with yell:
Come on, boys; here they are Sur
renderi'
Instantly every gun was on the pike.
7 rode up and demanded them to fall
back from those pieces (I0 reet).
Are those pieces loaded?" Receiv-
Ing "a negative reply, said:
ANY cartridges?"
''YeS: 40 rounds each"
"Unhook your boxes and throw them
ever the fence tseven rails On right"
This was done.
then asked the man on the left to
reach me the gun first on the left. Find
Ing it empty i had IL returned. and in
Bpected the others. and finding them all
empty, commanded:
Forward! Take arms, About-facei
BY file, three feet apart! March!"
They had not marched more than 30
or 35 feet when the second man from
the head. turning his face towards me,
exclaimed:
Where is the rest of you aIl?"
Pointing my left revolver at his face.
said in no uncertain tone: Right
here; and if anyone puts up any more
talk some one viii drop"
FOOTBALLS were the only sound TO no.
tice, until passing a barn some Il feet
from the pike. out walked a Johnny
with a gun on his shoulder and another
mounted Turning my revolvers in
their direction, / commanded them to
fall in line, the mounted man in the
rear. Feeling was boss of the situa-
tion as il was, / did not PROFOUND the
arms or cartridge question, as ! had
two nice reviewers and my carbine all
freshly loaded. The march was re-
sumed without incident until reaceed
my post, where the Corporal was, when
he demanded me TO come and stand my
post and he would take the prisoners
in l made no response TO his order,
and there was no halt; only the man
that had made the inquiry stopped, but
the command Forward" was instantly
obeyed. Then inside the Union line
about so rods / noticed fly tent erect
ed some is rods from the pike on the
left and commanded a left oblique to
II. and, nearing the tent, recognized
Private Shurtleff, of Co. b of my own
SQUADRON. asked for Capt j. G. Smith.
who was then in command of the squad
ron, and he, hearing the question,
walked out. Hastily narrating the cir
cunlstance to him and also the demand
made by McNorth to me when L came
in. he replied in his own peculiar style:
LET him stand the post. 1t won't
hurt him. You are excused from furth-
er picket duty and detailed to take a
squad of prisoners to the Provost-Mar-
shal and turn them over, and then you
can remain with your uncle (Capt
Elisha S. Kelley, wounded thru right
lung that morning) tonight, and join
the command in the morning"
Starting on again in single file and
about half mile on our way. / met
Col. John F. Farnsworth, accompanied
BY two Majors and the Adjutant. pro-