The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-06-10
JEFFERSON DAVIS LIFE IN JEOPARDY
A Dastardly Attempt Upon the Life of the President
of the Southern Confederacy
Bv Col. D. A. Dickert.


the feetest horses that could be found
in Ohio and the blue grass regions
of Kentucky. This was to be a test
Of speed and endurance, as against
force and numbers. This morning IN
June Dahlgreen, with his horsemen,
three hundred in number, was ready
on the north bank of the river. There
"Ironsides" did not pray nor slng
psalms before marching, but each
bound himself, to the other with an
oath, that they would follow their
leader to the very gates of death, and
to know no such word as surrender.
Dahlgreen sat his horse like a cen
taur, and as he looked along the lines
of his daring troops, a smile wreath
ed his manly face, desperation and
strength showing in his every Inca
ment. The signal is given, and they
are off. Plunging through the blue
waters of the Rappahannock, they
were on the unsuspecting guard on
the Southern side, before they knew
or realized a foe was near. They cut
their way through, without much de-
lay or difficulty, and like a thunder
bolt, took the road for the capitol.
They passed large bodies of cavalry
men, lying lazily in caI4p, on either
side Of the great thoroughfare, none
imagining the meaning of this body
of seeming phantom horsemen, riding
like the wind through their midst,
then soon miles away, troop after
troop of cavalry was dispatched in
haste, in pursuit. On they fled, the
pursued and pursuers, speed against
numbers, now Swimming by a skirt
Of wood, then an open field, none
looking to the rear, each keeping dead
ahead. But speed in this contest pre-
vailed. Army messages we're then
carried by signal flags, stationed on
hilltops, and now orders were flashed
by these waving flags to old Gen Win
der, the commander of the post at
Richmond, and the surrounding coun-
try, to make ready to meet, with what
force he could collect, these mad rid
ers. AS I have said, there were NJ
regular troops in Richmond, but Cen.
Winder ordered out the old men, the
boys, and soldiers from the Hospitals,
to man the works on the north side
of the city. With such crude weapons
as they could find in the armories, the
old men, and boys, with such soldiers
as. were well enough to do emergency
duty, swarmed to the inner works,
and manned them. Some few went
to the outer trenches to delay the
enemy long enough, till a rude barri-
cade could be thrown across the
street, an opening in the breastWorks
being left for travel. The citizen SOL
diery were armed, some with smooth
bored muskets, others with rusty pis-
tolls, but they were as determined as
their coming enemy. Soon beyond the
outer fertilization, a cloud Of dust
told of the coming Of the flying whirl-
wind. The Federals cut their way
over the outer works without much
opposition. The citizens and crippled
soldiers had barely time to throw
across the roadway, a fimsy barrl-
cade, when the enemy was upon them.
Here took place a hand to hand con-
test, the equal in ferocity, was sell
dom euualled throughout the war. In
stead of the old men and boys being
panic stricken by this apparition OF
wild horsemen, they stood as firm as
the wall around them. Dahlgreen and
his men rushed their horses madly
against the barricade, to be repulsed
with great slaughter. Again and again
did they come, till Dahlgreen fell,
pierced through the heart and body
with several bullets. His second in
command, Capt. Carter, tried to make
a breach in the works to the left of
the road while Capt. Nelson tried to
force his way to the right. Both were
killed, Captain Carter and his horse,
falling over the breastworks among
the Confederates. Being now without
leaders, and the most of the men hay
ing fallen, the remaining few took the
only avenue Of hope left them. Turn
ing to the left they made for the pen
insular, then under the protection OF
the Federal gunboats. But Gen. Ros-
ser, who was guarding the lower ap-
proacnes having been apprized of the
desperate straight of the city, rushed
to the rescue of the men and boys,
that we're there unknown to them
selves, fighting for the life OF the
" D--nn- -oo+ Tho rOmn9nf