The Washington herald., 1914-11-01
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago
November l. lS64-Capt Henry Burage Of the Thys Massaehu
Volunteers Was Captured While Attempting Exchange News
papers Between the Lines PebugAn Interesting Sequel
written expressly for The washington Herald,

Fifty years ago today Capt Henry S,
BurraGe. Of the Thirty-siXth MasSachu'
Setts Volunteers of Curtins' Brigade, Sec
ond Division of the Ninth Corps, was
captured by the Confederates while at
tempting to exchange newspapers be
tween the lines at Petersburg.
The capture OF BurrsEe was in itself
an unimpOrtant and almost unnOticed in
c!dent Of the great siege. but its sequeI
was OF far greater Importance. Il was
to involve not only Capt. Burrage. but
Gen. Parke. Of the Ninth Corps; Gen.
Meade. Gen. Grant. President Lincoln
and former Gen. Roger \. Pryor, of the
Confederate army.
In both the Confederate and Federal
armies at Petersburg orders had been
issued prohibiting the informal truces
which were arranged daily between the
opposing pickets. when newspapers were
exchanged, or various articles of food
or dress traded by the Federals for the
tobacco which the Confederates possessed
in plenty.
The Confederate officials realized that
these truces gave their men an Oppor-
tunity to desert. The Federal command
ers saw that the greatest evil of tn"
practice was the transmission Of war
news to the enemy by the exchange Of
papers.
In spite of repeated orders and warn
ings Of their superiors, the soldiers de-
clared their truces. and newspapers and
camp commodities were exchanged.
Fifty years ago today Capt. Burrage
was on duty as brigade officers of the
day He was making the rounds in COM
pany with the division officer. when he
observed a Confederate officer waiting 10
exchange papers. He left the division
officer and walked half way to the UppO-
site lines, there receiving three Southern
newspapers for one New York paper,
which he happened to have with him
He promised to bring the Confederate
two other papers later in the day.
Comrades Vow Vengeance.
In the afternoon he again made the
rounds. this time carrying with him the
two newspapers He expected to see
the Confederate officer waiting for him,
but the latter did not appear. Capt. Bur-
rage walked toward the Confederate lines
waving the papers above his head. the
signal that always preceded an exchange
Instead of greeting him in a friendly
manner. as was usual. the Confederates
jumped up on their trenches. and, level
ing their rifles at him, commanded that
he come into the works. There was no
alternative but almost certain death. and
Capt. Burrage submitted.
His capture aroused the anger OF his
men. who vowed they would capture a
Confederate officer in the same manner
as soon as opportunity presented itself.
For nearly a month they waited. and on
November q the chance for reprisal
came to them.
A member Of the Twenty-second Maine
Regiment, E. A. Morse. Of Company d.
on picket duty. having finished reading
a newspaper, began idly waving 1t to
and fro. He was surprised, in view of
the orders not to exchange, which had
been strictly enforced since Gen. Sher-
man had Opened his march through
Georgia, a fortnight before. to see a
Confederate come out of the lines, waving
a paper in reply.
At that moment, Capt. Hollis o. Dudley
Of the Eleventh New Hamtsi1ire Regi-
ment, in charge Of the picket line. came
up to the spot He at one determined