The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-14
PERILOUS ADVENTURES
 OF SCOUTS ON UNION SIDE

In Harper's for June W. 0. Beymer gives a vivid picture of the perilous life of one of the Union scouts in the civil var. His story of the capture of Row and the famous scout, and his escape shows the sort of courage this hazardous calling required. The story is given in RoWand's own words.
 We'll he went on, T was captured that raid-for the first and last time Four of us were started in the late after noon, about dark, to get through Breck- enridge's lines and bring back General Duffie. whose brigade had been sent to go around Lynchburg We did not know then that Hunters scouts had tried to get through and had been driven back. We rode for some hours, and then, about 108o spied a light in a house; we rode up and asked for something to eat-offer- ing to pay. There was a woman sitting up with a sick child; she looked at our gray uniforms; then, her eyes shining, "Pay?" she said. "I do not charge our boys anythingi" The other two were, left outside to watch Townsend and I went in The woman gave us bread and cold meat. and milk to drink; we thanked her and went out to take our turn at watch ing while the others ate. The men were gone There was a fence about 12 feet from the house. and from behind the fence came the order to surrender; 1t was
 
 heads above the top of the fence and the geam of the levelled carbines.
 Are you Tanks? I called.
 "'NoP
 "'Oh'-as though relieved. That's all right, them we surrenderp They came in and took away our revolvers. Then re- membered that in my pocket there was a pass, naming me as scout and passing me through the Union lines at all times; I managed to get the small pooketbook. and by flip of my fingers shoot 1t up my sleeve and held 1t in the hollow of my arm. Then they took us in the house and the inquisition began
 'See,' he said, getting to his feet and moving swiftly about the room. Here Is the fireplace. a big one, and there Is a wndow-there where that one is; and there another one, and here Is the door Into the hali-open, and there Is one into the next room that Is closed. And here am I with the light strong on my face, so that they could see the flicker of an eyelid or the twitch of a muscle and the captain, with his back to the light, sits facing me, with our chairs close together Townsend and a scout. close facing too are over there more in the shadow.
 Townsend and I never even glanced at each other, but each strained his ears for the others answers. If we had been examined separately, we would have con- tradicted each other in something, and been hung But we kept our stories straight. Townsend was in grave danger, because he was deserter from the Con- federate General Jenkins command, and the man who was questioning him was one of Jenkins scouts: but that very fact saved him, for he was well posted that he quickly allayed suspicion.
 We were couriers from McCausland T told the captain-with verbal mes- Thx1r hnu nf ? -aQ c lr McCausland that! As to what the mes sages were that was different; they were for General Breckinridge at the Rockf1sh Gap, and could not be told to any captain met in the road who asked for them. De- scribe General McCausland? Certainly and the number of his regiments and the number of guns-(that was easy; I had been in his camp two nights before)
 "'The scout examining Townsend called over, ''This man is all right. captain ' But the captain shook his head over me he was troubled; something did not ring quite true. Where are you from?' he sharply asked. Lewis county-West Vir- ginia,'' I told him Tn Weston? Yes; I know Lawyer Jackson, and old Doc Hoff- man, and Describe them? Sure! CYou see, we had been camped there in August and September, '62)
 My name Is Hoffman, the captain said. Lee Hoffman, of Hampton s Legion. He was still looking at me with frown of perplexity, and l laughed in his face. You think I am a deserter" I asked. No, I don't. l. don't understand you-you puzzle me. You are south erner-you are no Yankee, am sure of that Then to make sure what we are. you had better send us under guard to Breckinridge's headquarters.' It was that that shook down his last doubts. I have a letter he said, abruptly. for General Breckinridge. Take 1t and get through as quick as you can. Hurry :" sHurrYp sneered. well need toi-