Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-21
Bright Stories by Members of the Club
= HOURS OF HERETOFOIE W.
WRITTEN HISTORY.
THE wHEK's PRIZE WINNER.


/, was one dark might in the time
OF our civil Wa: tina; eleven young
Confederate soldiers (who were eleven
OF ms daring and brave boys as ever
l!Ved) met on the west shore Of the
Chesapeake Bay. TO he exact. &, was
on milford Haven. inlet from tho
Chesapeake Bay. Mathews COUNTY. Va.
I These boys. 'or they were youths
started across the bag that dirk and
drehry night In "A small and open
canoe. and landed or tn" other side
or the hay near where chcriton IL now
Just before daybrcak. where they
hauled the little canoe up among the
tall gall bushes that lire the Chcs-
arcake Bay shores in profusion. Here
they turned the little canoe upside
down. crawIed under and waited all
day long until about 10 o'clock the
next night.
Now dear boys ana girls OF the
!. y. G. e. | am going to tell you
something that really and truly hap
pened-and that was never holder
and drawer act ever carried Gu. in
any age. These eleven boys marched
toward Cape Charles. picking their
way az they tramped along. no,
knowing what minute they would
n.
for the Northern army was controll-
ms the Eastern Shore OF Virginia
nj THAI time. When they reached
point short distance from Cheri-
ton they met young man coming
from his girls house. who they or
dcrcd to lead them To tho right road
that would take them 10 Cape Charles
which was only fow miles from
where they FIRST landed the carly
morning OF the same day. when they
got within short distance Of Cape
Charles they allowed this young man
to go. and then Immediately formed
u half circle and elected "comman-
dor" who. in turn. divided the other
zen In ave couples. when the march
began on the enemy. who were the
Union guards. telegraph operators,
etc Before the hnal march started.
Of courre, each couple had a full un-
dcrstanding what his fun duty was.
Now, boys and girls. YOU can i'm
aKinc the thriii Of a whole lifetime
was due them now Zach t!mepiece
was set 10 tho very minute ard each
couple was TO act tho very same time
TO the very minute. Two were a, tho
telegraph Office, cutting the wires and
also making prisoners Of operators;
two we're with the leader. making
three together, who bounced down on
So bH"'b6' h'cuSille lutin from tne4r
sleep and making the whole bunch OF
them prisoners almost before they
could say seat" Now by this. which.
altogether, was space III just "a very
Few minutes, every Union man at
cape Charles. though not many at
the time. We're prisoners III these
eleven Mathews County boys
! have written all az this. dear
boys and girls OF the I. d c. c..
without, telling you, 50 far tn" real
object Of these boys, which actually
and truly happened
The very important mail steamboat
from Old Point. Va, was due =; cape
Charles AT midnigh; with very inn
portant dispatches and mail that was
ON its way to Washington.
Now the time had arrived when
this important mail and dispatch
steamboat was due. and, in tn" mean
Time. these eleven boys took the
uniformed Union uvcrcoats off their
prisoners. in order TO disguise them
selves. so they co,fad successfully
catch the lines from the boat with
out creating any suspicion Soon as
the boat was tied to the dock they
Immediately rushed aboard. some Ia
INC pilot honse. some to the engine
room. until every man on tho bout
was also made prisoner
Immediately thereafter. All the
prisoners from The dock wer.
marched on board. and tho lines east
on, and strict orders to the prison
ers from the pilot house, and the
engine-room 10 proceed. M full!
speed NO." Hhcn thcy had gotten
away. only about one hundred yards.
the United states cavalry. who had
been notified b% one lone negro. who
made his escape at tho first arrival
OF the Confederate boys. nunlbcr!ur
about 1000. rushed down ON their
horses 20 try To catch them. In;
alas II was too late
With the United states nag stu,
flying at the mast head of this boat
which they had not had time to haul
down and put a Confederate nae in
its stead they were proceeding IN
the bay. entering the Piank!tnnk
River, which is just a little south o
tic Rappahannock River. If you VIII
look At your map: going up this,
river far as F'reeport. Va. where thev
landed their prisoners and burnt Thu
important Union boat to the water.
edge. and marched these prisoner
clear to Richmond. where they were
imprisoned.
All Of this. boys and girls. don
with only one life being lost. AN,
who. the engineer of this Steamboat
who broke ranks during tho mnr.l
TO Richmond and while trying ."
make his escape, had Ia lie shot
Now. finally. boys and girls
bear me out in the truth Of ihi:
story, IL YOU will take a trip down
to Frecport. on the beautiful Plank.
tank River. YOU viii! be able to still
cast your eyes on the old hulk of this
very boat buried in tho sand. not SO
far from the shore, there.
Yours very truly,
HELEN ADCOCK
4 cow.