Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-06
CIVIL WAR INCIDENTS IN
LIFE Of MASON M'KNEW
hls Career Was Ono of Daring, and
lie Had Many Narrow Escapes
From Yankees.
CAPTURED AND IMPRISONED
after Eight Months He Is Exchanged
Tor a Lieutenant Tyler at City
Point, and Serves Until Close
Of War.

ihomas McKnew was an old -time
Maryland squire" who had his kennel
o. foXhounds and his stable of blood
ed horses
Mason Edwin McKnew. his second
son, belonged to cavalry company
which went South at tho outbreak of
inc Civil War. At the battle of Bull
Run they were under Stonewall Jack
SON Lieutenant McKnew was later de-
,alled on special duty. which carried
MN through the enemy's lines, and his
w!fe's home in Prince George County
was repeatedly searched for him.
~ had narrow escapes On one oc-
:ssion' while in country store. he was
toid that the Yankees were coming. He
jumped on his horse, rushed toward
.hem, waved roll Of paper he had in
MS hand. and shouted Halt" Not
showing what force he might have be-
nina him the Yankees paused. Lieu
tenant Mcknew took advantage OF tho
delay, turned his horse aside, leaped
over the fence. raced across the coun-
Try which he well knew. and made his
escape.
In -Four Years in the Saddle" by
Colonel Harry Gilmour (Harpcr G. Bros,
publishers. 1859. on page 26o the au-
thor tells how Lieutenant McKnew
.heiped him escape when the enemy
were nearing the house in which he lay
wounded
Inc fuil story, as regards Lieutenant
Mcknew. is not told. After Colonel
!nmor rode off on the horse Of Lieu
tenant Mcknew. the latter rushed up
10 caValryman, and at the point of his
revolver made him give up a horse he
was leading. on which he made his
escape.
The house OF Governor Letcher of
virginia, with it's contents. was ruth
iessly burned by the Union troops. In
he rat IN
land. the Confederates burned the
mouse OF Governor Hicks. Lieutenant
Mckhew was detailed for this duty. He
informed the Governors family of his
unpleasant errand. and allowed them
70 remove from the house whs ~ ar
they wished.
While crossing the Potomac
night. Lieutenant Mcknew was cay
tured with three others-one OF them
was G.. NJ. Surpell, now a prominent
railroad official in Norfolk, Va. Weight
Ing their packages OF letters with their
revolvers, they sunk them in the river
before their captors reached them
They were taken TO Washington and
confined in the old Capitol prison.
When tried no proof could be found
against them. Later he was taken, with
eighty other officers. TO Johnson's
Island near Sandusky. Ohio. Eight
months after his capture ne was cx-
SHeHS co. DIT lily fOlnt, va, Tor Lieu
tenant Tyler. He served until the end
of the war.
An incident in Lieutenant McKnew's
army life shows the thoughtfulness Of
noted Southern general. He arrived
at General Beauregard's headquarters
with dispatches, after a tiresome ride.
Seeing his exhaustion, the general told
him TO rest on cot. After Rleeping
a while he awoke. and. with soldiers
instinct. clasped his hands to his belt
to see II his pistols were safe. They
were missing. General Beauregard
noticed him. and told him he had re-
moved his pistols SO he could rest more
easily. Lieutenant McKnew expressed
concern for his horse needing rest also.
The general told him he had had the
horse given attention. and asked him
to lie down again and rest.
In THE Maryland Line" by Major W.
w. Goldsoor ough the names of Mason
L. Mckntw and his brother. WILDER
McKnew (wrongly spelled Winery ap-
pear among the officers OF their bat
talon. on pages 1919 and 230.