Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-06
BENTLEY AND MccLEsKEY.
Something More About Them, and
Also About Hitchcock.

En1tOr keOWee COurfer: l prom
ised to say something more in my
next article concerning Lieut.. Bent
ley, of Baltimore, and Lieut.. McCles-
key, of New York, and / will say
something of A. j. Hitchcock, of
Pennsylvania, also.
/, Bentley was, think, member of
the Fourth Maryland Regiment. He
decoyed me into the Yankee line,
and / suppose he thought If he got
me there l. would desert the Con-
federacy, or he would have me sent
North to prison. | was not ready at
that time l saw he did not like the
Z Nurse I took to get away from
I Jere. Lieut.. McCluskey Cor Nc
Cleskey) told me to send for the
officer of the day, and when he came
Lieut.. Bentley did not have any
thing more to, say to me. When
Adjt. Gen. Earn had me taken back
to the Yankee line he called for the
man that decoyed me to the line,
and / think put him under arrest. |
don't know what the charge they
made against Bentley was. Earn
seemed to be quite boisterous and
did not ask him any questions. He
did not seem to want any quiet talk
with me. and l think he thought he
was too noble to talk to the soldiery
Of his command. | will say l don't
know Of man whose family is un-
der better discipline than the Yam
kee soldiers were under: When the
private soldiers would gather around
me one of their officers would say,
''To your places, men!" and then
they would get away from me at
once.
would like, if McCleskey Cor Nc
I Cluskey) is living, to correspond
with him. He has a green place in
my recollection. have no i'll feel
ing towards Lieut.. Bentley, though
he knows, If he is living, that he
attempted to do me a great wrong,
while If Lieut.. McCleskey is living
he knows he played the part OF a
his ashes! ...... .....
When l received orders from Gen.
Ord that if | was ever caught at or
iusidC OF his line again, l would be
Killed ! did not go any more, only
as the lamented Bob Lee ordered
me, hpL we moved from in front of
Gen. Orrd's army post up the line
to near the Darbytown road. l am
der of that army post, but l formed
acquaintance with Adjt Gen. "A. j.
Hitchcock, of Pennsylvania, We spent
many hours in the woods between
enjoyed social converse and some re-
freshments. At one time, l recollect,
he had some fine drinks with him.
He told me that Lieut.. Bentley had
ranks for decoying ME over to the
Yankee line. He UHitchcock) did
Ahe could to get me to go to his
Brters with him. He brought mes
lyBSS lioii lbi dhu
zion to come and take dinner with
Mem, and they would see that
hme back when / wanted to. / told
ghem, or told him (Hitchcock) to
Nell his general that Gen. Ord had
9told me he would have me killed If
l came there any more. He said that
Ord was not in command Of that
army post. Notwithstanding all of
his promises, which seemed so fair,
l did not 60 with him. l think
Hitchcock was gentleman. If he
is living I would like to know 1t.
l would be pleased to have some
correspondence with him.
I will here say that l saw some
fine fun while in the Confederate
army. The recollection of it fingers
around me yet, even in this late day
of my life. VIM. o. Singleton
Co. B, Palmetto Sharpshooters.
(The State please copy.)