Evening star., 1911-05-28

abled were ordered back to the division
for remount, instead of being mounted
upon the enemys horses. l disobeyed
the orders and hoping to get one OF the
enemy's horses. L led my own and fol-
lowed on foot. l soon lost slgnt OF the
brigade however. but toiled along the
dark and rough road until my morse,
which at first could walk with only the
weight of the saddle, refused to go any
farther.
AS the day was breaking. 1 was ex-
amning and washing the poor creatures
wounded shoulder when l was surprised
by about $50 Confederate cavalry. whose
approach had hailed as that of friends.
At a motion from their colonel, three men
dismounted, the foremost of whom held
out his hand 10 me and cheerfully said:
GOOD morning. sir, / am sorry to say
you are a prisoner"
The other two went toward my arms.
which were piled on the saddle on the
roadside. and. holding them up. exclaimed:
What splendid arms he has,. Surprise
and the novelty of the first mans greet
ing kept me from realizing my position
until saw them take my carbine, saber
and pistol. Then my heart sank.
Those splendid arms had been my
companions for two years. and two
months previously / had been publicly
commended for bringing them with me
through the ensmys ranks when my
horse was shot inside their lines as We
charged upon Jacksons men at Chan
eellorsviile- But such is war, and bade
them sorrowful adeu, as / looked from
them to the faces of my captors, some OF
whom showed sympathy. some indiffer-
ence. while all seemed manly and sol
dierly.
The commander alone took no notice
Of me or my arms; he gazed up the road
through the gray light of the mornini:
as II bent on some bold maneuver. and
then said to one of his men In a loud
voice: Tell Gen. Lee Fritzhugh) that
there Is a regiment of Yankee cavalry
half mile up the road. and ask him il
! shall charge them"
The man gailoped back. and without
waiting for Gen. Lees orders, the colonel
wheeled his men and galloped after him
such a piece of cheap braggadocio as l
had seen displayed by some of our own
colonels.
I was left in the care of two men to
put the saddle on my horse and follow
at a walk. Nl guards were frank. and
in answer to my question told me that
they belonged TO Gen. William E. Jones
brigade. that they had been captured In
the fight near Monterey and had escaped
during the night from Fitzpatrick, who
was more intent in overtakng larger bod
les than in watching the few hundred he
had taken. Between midnight and day.
break the colonel and about $50 men
came together in the woods and fell in
with Gen. Fftzhugh Lee. WHO was then
slipping out between two divisions of our
cavalry.
About noon ] was introduced to about
thirty Union cavalrynien who had been
sent back for horses to the division, and
had shared my fate. We were with
Gen. J. E. b. Stuart's headquarters.
as he was moving in the center of Ills
brigades-they being pushed out in every
direction. trying to keep a road clear for
their infantry and artillery.
Il young Virginian about my own aga.
but with much more suavity and self
complacency than I could claim. intro
dueed himself to me and told me that
he belonged to the King and Queen
~Asalry ust Virginia, ! think, and said