Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1910-10-14
SOME WAR STORIES
Romance and Tragedy Mixed.
[ Written by Mr. IRA G.. BUMGARDNER,
OF Sp ripgfeld District, Page
County for The Page Courier.

prisoners than there were men IN the
battalion, Co. + of Page and Shenan
doah being a part OF it The boys
heard of one of Coles men that was
TO be married, and big dance To fol-
low that night. So Warfield Yates
got de tail of 10 men to 60 and cap
ture the Wedding party that night.
They got there, tied their horses, and
then counted the Federal horses, num-
bering 80. Then they made a dash,
Yates leading, entering the hall, when
they cornered the captain, who was
seated by his bride. He attempted to
rise. Yates said, "sit still, CAPTAIN;
you shan't be hurt He then took up
the Captains two pistols, while "the
boys" gathered in those engaged in
the dance, marched them out into the
yard and lined them up. Yates then
said: "Boys, let the Captain go, and
let him stay with his bride" Then
came back the answer, 'all right"
aud the rest of them were brought
back to camp. Some ten years ago,
while on his way to the annual reun-
ion, held that year at Louisville, Ken
tuckey, and while passing through
eastern Ohio, Mr.. Yates noticed
man board his train. Seeing his uni
form, the man said "Well Johnny,
have you any objection to my sitting
by you?" to which Warfeld replied,
"None at all sir" After taking his
seat, MIR. Yates asked him to whose
command he belonged during the war.
"Cole's," was the answer. "WhOse
did you?' asked the stranger.
Whites was the reply. "Well you fell
lows wha ed us like the devil, several
times, replied the stranger. He then
t id of his capture and release, and
of his wife jumping down three steps
at time and throwing her arms ar
olnd the neck of the leader, and thank
ing him for his kindness to her hus-
band. After hearing the man through,
Mr.. Yates said: ! am the man."
Wartield said the man gave him the
hug of his life. They travelled to Gin
cinnati together, took in the city, the
Yankee treating him royalty.
At the battle of Brandy Station,
Yates cut his man down in "a hand-to-
hand encounter, with the saber.
Co. T.. lost more men, killed wound
ed and captured in that battle than
in any other. Our Captain was cap
tured and held in prison until after
Lees surrender. Soon after this our
first Lieutenant (Grubbs) was wound
ed. and then Lieutenant H. NJ. Mon
roe) Strickler had command until just
a day or two before the surrender,
being wounded at the battle OF Trevi-
lian Lieutenant Strickler, with four
men and a country lad OF IL, charged
a squad OF a men who had been cut
off, dashed up to them, called out:
Surrender. Hands upl Right about!
Toward march! Double quick!" run
ming them back into the Confederate
lines without disa rming a man,
There was a boy, sixteen years old,
John Fletcher by naDe) from Lou
doun county, who becoming fired with
patriotism, ran off from home and his
widowed mother, and joined Co. G,
OF the Battalion. When he enrolled,
he was given an order, and told to
"go to the commissary and draw
yourself some ratiOns." After getting
his "rations" he didn't know how to
cook them. Finally he found an old
''black nanny" who fixed them up
for him while there. 1t wasn't long
however, before he found out that
soldering was not what he expected
and he told me he sat down and cried
like a child, and wished he was back
at his old home with his "good old
ma However, he made a good SOL
dier, as you will see. In the fall OF
'64. at the battle of Fishers Hill Ros-
ser's Brigade was operating upon
Early's extreme left wing, when Flet-
cher got cut IF between stone fence
and Federal force They called to
him, saying: "Well Johnny, you had
Just as we'll come along and go with
us, "-but instead of going with them,
he opened fire on them, with pistol
In each hand. Having emDtied his re-
volver, he sought and found a
'.break" in the stone wall, through
which he urged his horse, making his
escape.
Some ears after the war clos' d
while in Washington taking IN the
sights" he boarded an excursions
boat going to Mount Vernon. o. the
way he engaged In conversation with
a man carrying an empty sleeve
After talking some time with the
stranger, Fletcher finally said: 81 see
YOU are carrying an empty sleeve
how did YOU lose your arm.' 10 which
the men replied: 81 lost it at Fisher
Hill In the fall OF 1864. We were op
Grating CT tie extreme right of Shel
dams army A lone Johnny Reb wai
cut of by a stone fence in our front
We called to him, saying: We'll
Johnny, YOU had just as we'll com
and go along with us. but instead o
ldoing so, he opened n US with pis
Itol in each hand, emptied his revolv
ers. and Jumping his horse through
gap In the fence, made his escape
lTbe result OF his work was three mel
killed and four wounded--I being on
OF the latter" MIR. Fletcher's repl
was: 4" pos that boy never kne'
the amount of damage had done, bu
I knew had emptied somc saddles.
The man took his name and post-offic
address, then wrote a detailed as
lcount, had II printed In a newspaper
and sent Fletcher copy of 1t, and