Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-03

Another document. not signed de
,lnred: "Once IN the city IL must be
DESTROYED AMI Jcn Davis and Lis
cabinet killed. Pioneers will go along
with coiubusiible material" General
Lee sent Photographic copies oi these
papers 70 General George g Meade.
his opponent on the Rapidan line. ask
ine, IL the acts named I'm them had been
authorized by the Federal authorities.
The replv was that neither the Fed
ernl government nor the army com
mander nor General kilpntrick had
authorized. sanctioned or approved
the burning Of the city of Richmond
and the killing uf Mr. Davis and his
cabinet nor any act not required by
military necessity and In accordance
with the usageS of war" Fitzpatrick
also made sweeping denial.
The Confederate authorities had
good reasons for being nervous over
the captive officers in Libby prison.
The night Of Feb. 100 officers. includ
ing eleven colonies and seven majors.
had escaped through a tunnel CON
structed with wonderful ingenuity and
exhaustive labor sixty or more
reached the Federal lines. some were
retaken promptly. and a few were hid
ing within the Confederate lines when
Kilpatrick'S columns approached Rich
mond.
Cushing In a Night Exploit.
Feb. 2S. 1864. was the date of one of
Lieutenant w Il. Cushing's famous
exploits in Cape Fear river. North Car
olina With twenty sailors in two
boats he pulled past Fort Casweil and
the Confederate batteries ut Bald
Head in the mouth of the river. and
landed at\tSmithicld. where the Con
federate headquarters were located.
Hiding his boats and their crews with
i'm twenty-five yards OF a battery, he
went with two men to the house occu-
pied by General Louis Robert Hebert.
passing through the main street of the
town. Near the house We're 1,2O0 enc
mics sleeping in their barracks. 1t was
past midnight before the house grew
still and lights were put out
Cushing left his comrades on the |
porch and. entering the unbolted door, ]
crept upstairs To the generals room, |
which had been located for him by Il /
negro familiar with the house. With 1
his hand on the door he was startled by |
n crash below and cry from one Of his |
men. Springing down the steps, he /
found that his comrades in overconfi-
dence had alarmed the adjutant gen
eral. who hoisted u window and then
brought il down on Federal revolver
which looked him i'm the face. Gushing
leaped into the room with lighted
taper and dragged from bed a dazed
sleeper. who proved 70 he Hehert's
'hief engineer. Captain Kelley. From
him he CLEANED that the general. like
Lord Erskine during the Battle Of the
Kegs" was lodging away from home.
The adjutant general had fled
through back door after encountering
he revolver at the window. leaving
he drowsy captain as the next best
ubstitute for the more distinguished
prisoner to grace the admirals board
ext morning. The headquarters desks
we're rified of papers and plans. and
while the alarm sounded through the
amp and the drums beat the long roll
n the forts Cushing and party. with
'aptain Kelley under guard. were in
he middle Of the river dropping down
tream as noiselcssly as they came.
When Hebert reached his quarters it 5
ras TO meet Il messenger bringing |
rom a flag of truce the following:
My Dear General-I deeply regret that '
gu We're not home when l called. l in 1
lose my card. Very respectfully. {
w. Is. CUSHING. :
Cushing's Nerve. |
Gushing was not at that date a stran-
,r to the North Carolina waters. nci- a