Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-18


in the Army of the Potomac a portion |
Of my company was detailed to serve
as General Gregory's escort and was |
placed in command. We were sepa- |
rated from the regiment. making our
camps with the headquarters camps, |
and were under the generals direct !
command. We furnished him with or
derlies and messengers, performed any
scouting or other service he required
and while campaigning acted as his
bodyguard.
One day I was directed to report in
person to the general in his tent. He
told me that a company of Confeder-
ates had ridden right into our lines,
thinking we were their friends, and
had been captured. He was in need Of
information as to where the enemy
were. what force they had and what
they were doing. The country people
his only source OF information-were
In sympathy with the Confederates
and utterly unreliable. He had con-
ceived the idea of sending out scout.
ing party right into the enemy's camps,
il necessary dressed in the uniform OF
the captured Confederates, TO bring
him the information he desired and
had sent for me to consult about the
: matter.
Generals don't usually consult with
the lieutenants commanding their body
guard, but a commander cannot order
a subordinate on secret service. For
| that purpose volunteers are called for.
General Gregory asked me If would
be willing to act on his plan. and, al
though I knew that a Yankee soldier
caught within the enemy's lines in
his uniform would be hanged for a
| spy, consented to perform the service.
He sent me back to the escort to call
for dozen volunteers, which had no
| difficulty in obtaining. Then return
| ed to him for instructions.
After an hours talk with the gener-
| al over crude maps of the vicinity
furnished by Union citizens, during
which l was informed that the men
whose uniforms We were to use be-
| longed to the -th North Carolina cav
airy, went back to camp, and the uni
forms and side arms were sent there
by the generals order. chose the
uniform of a sergeant rather than an
officer, since the former is not so prom
inent as the latter and less likely to
be identified. My men all dressed as
privates, using arms marked &C. S, A"
and horses branded with the same let
tiers.
A Union citizen guided us to a wood
ed hill, from which we could look
down on the camp of brigade of Con-
| federates. It was after taps, and the
tents of the enlisted men were in dark
ness within, though they were bathed
in the light of moon that was nearly
full. Here and there a candle was
burning in an officers tent, and clus-
ter of tents standing by themselves,
most OF them containing lights. evil
IDENTIFY constituted the headquarters OF
tie commanding officer and his staff.
remained awake till all the lights
had been put out, then lay down with
my head on the a,ct of tree for a
few hours sleep.
OCiOtC W o uCSNOhoNN
from the hill and rode leisurely along
the road to the camp. waited till
had seen the guard relieved and the
new sentinels were quietly walking
their beats. Approaching the man
whose beat lay across the road, he
challenged us.
"Who comes there?"
Dispatch bearers on our way south
ward" was my reply.
Seeing we wore the gray, he passed
us, and we rode through the camp, at
tracing no especial attention.
/ believed the brigade we had passed
through to contain about 5000 men,
with a battery Of artillery and bat
talon of cavalry. They were evident
ly a detached force, stationed on the
road between the bills to prevent the
passage of an enemy. / charged every
man of my command to remember this.
for no one could tell which of us would
get back with the information.
About a mile south of the brigade the
road turned to the eastward and the
country opened up. The level ground
was covered with different camps OF
the enemy, but we were not obliged to
ride through any OF them and gave
them all a wide berth Whenever we
saw a man or body OF men coming. II
, we could turn out OF their way with
out seeming to do so purposely to avoid
them we debouched. But most OF
those we met did not know US and had
no reason to inquire who we were.
, saw q cloud OF dust ahead and
when couldn't get glimpse OF what
was beneath It made up my mind that
I 1t was kicked up by general and bis
, staff / looked about for wood OF
some other place in which to avoid a
meeting. but there was nothing al
hand. I could not turn aside without
letting down the rails Of fence which
extended on either side. so was
obliged to go forward and run the risk
Of being questioned
Sure enough. those we met were o
general with his staff. He refined in
and asked who we were. told him
. that we were Of the -th North Caro-
lima cavalry. Then he asked what we
were doing away from our regiment
and I told him the company to which