Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-07-03
THE CAPTURE OF
THE SCOTT SISTERS
A Talk With the Elder of the Sisters
by Joseph A. Burrows.

of the United States senate, and q
| veteran OF the Second Connecticut
| three months troops.
These girls, about seventeen and
| nineteen respectively, lived short
| distance outside our lines and were in
| the habit of visiting the camps ire
| quently. Eeing fair SAMPLES Of Vi
ginia girls they were welcomed by the
young officers (they would have moth
| ing to do with privates), who often
visited them at their homes.
Their mother was a widow and
their only brother was with the south
ern army AT Centerville, about fifteen
/ miles away. 1t sometimes happened
| that friends from the confederate
| camp would ride through the woods
| back of the house, and result would
| be that the Yankee officer would be
| captured and taken to headquarters at
Centerville, and from there to Rich
mond, to stop for while at old Lib
1T was on June 81. just one month
before the battle OF Bull Run, that
| Capt A. G. Kellogg of Company B,
| with a squad of men, out ablshing
| a new picket line. came upon the girls
| in the woods. This was his first meet
| ing with them, although they were
| known by reputation to about all of
| the troops in camp. He questioned
| them as to their reason for being
within our lines at that point. They
| said they did not know that the lines
| had been changed, that they lived in
| the neighborhoo1 and were not do
| ing anything wrong, and invited him
TO go TIC the house with them and see
| if they We're not telling the truth. He
| directed his squad to follow on and
| told the girl to lead the way ON the
walk through the woods they talked
pleasantly together and before the
| house was reached the captain was
II hat h.
ing wrong with these pretty girls.
The Scott home was a double house,
or two houses connected by a covered
and floored passageway, built of logs,
and located in a notch in the woods
with heavy timber on three sides and
the turnpike in front a quarter of a
mile away. The mother of the girls
met them at the door and told the
captain he had better return to his
men. whom he had left at the bars,
she had seen some southern SOL
diers in the woods back of the house,
but he said he was tired and would
stop and get a drink of water and rest
a bit. He removed his belt. to which
was attached his sword and revolver
and leaned it against a tree. A black
boy was despatched to the spring after
some fresh water ard on his return he
had just handed a gourd full to Cap
tain Kellogg when two young confed-
crates with pistols aimed al his head
commanded the CAPTAIN TO march right
in the house, and there was nothing
for him to do but follow directions.
He was taken down through the gar
den, put upon a horse and was soon
on his way to join the others in Libby.
THE sergeant who had been left in
charge of the squad at the bars be-
coming tired of waiting, started up the
path toward the house and was met by
one of the sisters, who told him to
run as the captain had been captured
by the cOnfederateS Instead of run
ming away the sergeant called on the
squad to follow him. ran to the house
and made a thorough search of the
buildino and grounds. They found
where the horses had been hidden in
the woods back of the house and one
of the men found a rude map of the
region with " marks. showing where
each union picket was posted. This
they took with them when they re-
turned to camp and reported to their
colonel. They would have taken the
girls, too. but while the soldiers were
searching the grounds for trace Of
their captain, they had fled.
Colonel Terry at once sent out
squads to search the country round
about and ordered that the girls be
found and brought before him
1T was the morning of July / that
the squad of which | was a mem Der
pike came to an old house standing
back from the road. On the porch sat
a very old man who, when ne saw our
gray uniforms eve still wore the uni
form of the state militia. greeted US
with as much of cheer as he was ca
pa BILE Of giving. The lieutenant in
charge, l forget his name, but he was
from New Haven rode up to the old
man, who said. .You-uns be the first
southern sogers [ have seen in uni
form The lieutenant asked him for
the news and also that some water be
given his men. The old man said that
he was too old to get about much, but
that he had a son that knew where
all the Yankee picketS We're, and that
he had two little rebels up in the gar
ret that the Yankees we're looking for
for getting Yankee officers captured.
He was told to produce all Of them.
They We're called, the son appeared
first, who gave much Information as
to the location of the union army. The
girls had beer dressing in their best
as they thought they nigh meet their
frienCs among the southern soldiers
who they thought We're waiting for
them. AS soon us they came down
stairs they saw their mistake and tried
to run back but were stopped by the
soldiers. They knew us, as we wore
the same sort of clothing as Captain
Kellogg The old man and his son We're
very much surprised to learn that
their visitors were the hated Yankees.
The girls and their cousin, too, who
knew too much to allow him at large,
were taken to camp and turned over
10 Colonel Terry. and We're afterwards
sent to the old Capitol prisan at
Washington
Mrs America Virginia Scott Darne.
the elder of the sisters, was found liV-
ing with her daughter in this city She
corroborated the story of the capture
of Captain Kellogg and OF their own
capture fifty years ago tomorrow Her
sister Artemicia was dead She never
married: her young man was killed
about three weeks after we were cap
tured. at Bull Run. She always lived
at the old home where all these things
happened.
She said: Uncle never could for
give himself at The way he had given
us away, but we were glad of it, as we
were tired of hiding all the time, and
did not think they would do very
much to us for what we had done
The lieutenant in command of the
party asked me if we were the Scott
sisters. | said we We're, and he said
he must ask US to go to headquarters
with him. He also took our cousin,
as they said he knew too much to
allow him to remain between the lines.
We We're taken down to the camp and
before Colonel Terry and the lieuten-
ant, l think his name was Stewart or
Stevens, ,old him how he had found
us. We We're held several days at
the camp. sent over to Washington and
finally through the lines to Richmond
where we remained until after the.