The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-26

Mrs. Bolt was niece OF Commodore
Herndon. distinguished onlcer of tho
old navy. who was the father OF Pres
ident A,rthur's wife
Our party being too numerous to
escape ,noticc. and being DESTROYS OF
not attracting too much attention to
myself. ! suggested the wisdom of n
division into two or more groups. each
to pursue it's own way Captain Conc
and Mn Hart promptly decided to take
their chances with me. and we three
accordingly plunged forward on foot
into the darkness of night and tho
difficulties of All unknown and mirv
road 1T was not long before the
strain began 20 tell heavily upon Cap
tain Gone. whose sufferings were
great aI dafter few miles of labor
ious travel, when We were approach
Ing little village that proved to be
Aliens s Fresh. he was exhausted al
most to the point OF coIlapse He
DracS1 up under my urging and help.
and perhaps also under the stimulus
OF sight of faint light in the dis
lance. When we approa ched the light
1t proved to be in the upper story of
i1dusc knocked at the door sev-
eral times without response, but at
ions;ch an upper window opened. and
a voice challenged. Who IL there7p
Thinking we ought to he nearing
Aliens Fresh. asked for Information
of John Rigdon. The voice came back
Mt once. II am John Rigdon: what do
YOU want?" In response to my state
meaat that / was friend who desired
to talk with him, he came down AT
onCe. took him aside and told him
WE" was. adding that one Of the
sentlcmen with me was disabled
Confederate officer, who stood in need
OF rest and temporary shelter He
proved TO be a friend indeed willingly
taxing Captain Cone under mis- care
and promising to safeguard him MS
far as he could towards his des,ir,-
ton. After obtaining information and
advice from John Rigdon as to our
surroundings and the road ahead Of
US gave him my hearty thanks. and.
being anxious to get forward, Har,
and i plodded ON about three miles
further to country tavern (the name
or which I cannot now recan), which
we reached just as the first light OF
day was appearing. Being pretty we'll
worn out. we decided to rest a while
and. securing bed. we slept few
hours until breakfast. When came
down to breakfast l picked up Raj
timore Sun. the first ncwspaper T
mad seen since leaving Richmond ana
was astonnded to find in II the an
nouncement of the evacuation OF Rich
inond and the retreat OF Lees army
rms news placed me somewhat in the
AR. out out of the chaos of thought
came recognition that the word for
ward was imperative.
At the breakfast table my attention
vas o'a"n TO stranger who appear
ca TO eye me very closely Presently
he engaged me in conversation. and
began TO ask rather pointed Questions
among which WAS ar inquiry as to the
news on the Other side" turned
MS question aside with an expression
o. ignorance. informing him that 1
was stranger looking at some land
apparently lie saw through me. for
after the meal he sought me out and
! bluntly offered any assistance he
could give me. saying that he was a
soldier in the First Virginia cavalry
on Il furlouSh, and that he intended
TO cross the river that night and
eaten up with the army south of Rich
mona. In response TO the information
tnen gave him that desired to
reach Briantown as early as prac-
ticable he undertook 10 20 out of his
way to the stage road and try 10
intercept and hold the stage for us
or falling in that overtake the stage
at Briantown and induce it to wait for
us there. Though he failed in this
Undertaking. l learned afterwards at
Briantown that he had tried to carry
II out. 1t was long tramp to Brian
town. but our incentive was strong
and we thought me could make 1t. We
reached Briantown pretty we'll worn
out, and considerably downcast when
we learned that we had missed tho
stage However. l was partly con-
soled and checred by meeting friends
there. one or two of whom l had pre-
Viously known in Richmond. More
over. l soon learned that in Briantown
] was among friends. the sympathies OF
the people being decidedly with the
Confederacy, loyal in the face of ap-
parent disaster and hoping for turn
in the tide OF fortune. At the hotel
became acquainted. and spent some
time in agreeable conversation. with
DIR. Mudd. who short time afterwards
was cast into the national limelight
With the aid Of friends I here rid my
self of the private correspondence
that had been put in my charge, hav-
ing it deposited in the United States
mail, and after good and much need
ed rest i was ready next morning for
the stage, and departed with the
good wishes of the new friends.
Among the passengers in the stage
was a man who was a bartender or
other employe at the tavern conduct
ed by Mrs. surrat Ali III the stage
were Confederate in sympathy. and
showed clearly by their conversation
that they were greatly cast down by
Lees evacuation of Richmond and re-
treat, and discussion of the situation
was constant and general At the
time 1t dio not make any particular
Impression upon me- but in the light of
after occurring events have fire.
qucntly recalled very emphatic