Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-06-10
N III ~
RENEGADE
Why n Southern Officer Of
the Union Army Was
So Considered
BY F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1e1I


When It became necessary I'm 1851
for the officers of the United States
regular army hailing from southern
states to choose between the Union
and the Confederate causes those who
were fully in sympathy with the seces-
sion movement went gayly over with
out qualms OF conscience or regret
But those who believed the movement
was wrong, I'll advised and doomed to
failure stood between two fires. II
they remained where they conceived
their duty held them they would be
condemned as renegades, as traitors,
by those they loved and who loved
them at home.
In 1851 / served In Virginia with
my battalion OF the -th U. 8. cavalry.
One Of our officers was Lieutenant
Harold Claybourne, premature grad
uate from West Point, nineteen years
old say premature. because his
class had been graduated far ahead of
its time in order to furnish officers. SO
greatly needed. Claybourne had been
appointed to the academy from vir-
ginia and was now serving in his
native state against his own people.
Unfortunately for these southern
officers who fought on the northern
side, there was always an element of
distrust concerning them. This prob
ably arose from the fact that many
southern civil officers held positions
under the United States government
till long after hostilities commenced.
all the while aiding and abetting the
Confederate cause. Young Claybourne.
suffering at being obliged to fight his
own people. was unhappy and morose
We, his brother officers, knowing him
to be a man Of tender conscience and
that his heart was really with his
own fesh and blood, sympathized with
him, but our intimate knowledge of
him prevented any suspicion Of his
fidelity to the cause with which he
had cast his lot.
These were The days when the Army
of the Potomac on the one hand and
the Army of Northern Virginia on the
other were facing each other day after
day and month after month, the Con-
federates waiting for General McClel-
Ian to move upon them The division
to which our battalion was attached
remained encamped in the same corn
field for months. One night Lieuten-
ant Waters, the adjutant. made spe-
cial detail. placing Lieutenant Clay
bourne in command Of twelve men for
reconnoitering purposes. On going to
his tent to notify him of the order 1t
was found vacant.
There was nothing to do but detail
another officer. The adjutant did not
report the matter to the major COM
handing, nor did he speak of 1T to any
one else. Waters was curious to know
the cause of Claybourne's absence.
But, being a man prone to proceed de-
hberately, he kept his own counsel,
not even speaking to the absentee
when he next saw him Of not finding
him in his tent when wanted.
Waters after this kept some watch
over Claybourne and found that on
certain occasions when the command
was asleep Claybourne mounted his
horse and rode away. Where he went
Waters did not know. But, remem-
bering that Claybourne was Virgin
ian. the adjutant became suspicious
that he was communicating In some
way with the Confederates.
We were all very young In those
days and not always inclined to take
the right way of doing things. Wa
tiers, instead of questioning Claybourne
or reporting his singular conduct at
headquarters, chose to speak or 1t one
day at the mess table.
II don't blame any southerner," he
said, "for siding with his native state
or section, but I do blame him after
he has once chosen his side for riding
out nights carrying information to his
friends"
What induced Waters to take such a
course ! can't conceive. saw at once
that Claybourne would take 1t as an
insult which any southerner would
consider could not be washed out ex-
cept In blood. shall never forget his
expression. There was nothing Of an.
tagonism In It; the principal feature
was pain. 1t seemed to me that
Waters shaft struck home. ! was
sure Claybourne would not do any
thing that he conceived to be dishonor-
able, but feared that he was engaged
in something that would tend to injure
the Union cause.
'There are only two of you fellows
here, besides Waters and myself"
said Claybourne, (which Is lucky. You
must know that no man can charge
me with what Waters has charged
me without having to fight. We can't
fight openly. but there's way we
can fight without being generally
known. We can ride out beyond our
yedettes. have It out and, returning. rr
port that we've had brush with the
tnemy's pickets."
Lieutenant Thorpe and were the
two officers present besides the princi-
pals, and we both endeavored to
smooth the matter over. Waters said
that If Claybourne would explain his
absences he would apologize. Clay
bourne declined to explain and said
that such a charge to an officer of the
army did not admit of an apology.
Thorpe and labored all that day to
settle the matter amicably. but Clay
bourne would not explain. and with
June I3-r4-Biennial convention
of Vermont jurisdiction, Catholic