Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-06-15
How One Man Ran Union Soldiers
Out of Berryville.


known to his acquaintance as Lo
Maddox. He was passed military
age, was Of easy-going manners and
enjoyed the goodwill and respect of
a large circle and withal was a
strong sympathizer with the South.
On the morning of May oath, 1862,
he came to Battletown, where he met
some of his cronies and doubtless in
dulged in several glasses of John Bar
leycorn.
At this time General Banks, with
the Federal army, was at Strasburg,
and Winchester was his base Of sup
plies; Charles Town was occupied by
a small provost guard.
Shortly after Maddox reached Bat
tle;own, he learned thar federal Ser
geant, with seven or eight troopers,
LEAKING horses, was 10 pass through
the town from Charles Town to Win
chester. Without making his purpose
generally known he borrowed a gun,
both barrels Of which he loaded with
care, and took position on the Charles
Town road not far from its junction
with Main street. He had not long 10
wait-the Sergeant appeared riding at
the head of his men. Maddox stepped
into the centre of the road an order
ed him to halt. "By what authori-
ty," said the Sergeant, "do you order
me to halt ?"
"By this" replied Maddox, slapping
he butt of is go, with his nand
and raising his gun he fired, killing the
Sergeant instantly.
The men with the led horses turned
them loose and wheeling started on a
mad flight for Charles Town, but in
wheeling they grouped themselves and
Maddox fired his second barrel, the
shot with which it was loaded taking
effect on four or five of them. Away
they dashed, pell nell, and made their
way as fast as they could ride until
Charles Town was reached; arrived
| there they doubtless gave the Provost
Marshal wild and excited account
OF the condition at Battletown, where
one man put the entire crowd to flight.
He at once dispatched Lieutenant Yer
non with two companies of cavalry,
numbering about one hundred and forty
men, with orders to proceed to Battle
town and report the situation he found
there
The writer of this article, then a lad
not quite sixteen years of age, and who
had been i'll for several months, had
on the day Of the occurrences, to which
the foregoing account relates, for the
first time since his illness been able
to take a ride on horseback, and about
three o'clock Of the afternoon caught
the distant sound Of artillery. He at
once concluded that General Jackson
was on his way down the Valley and
had encountered General Banks. Sup
posing that information might be OBJ
tanned in Battletown he determined to
go there. He had reached a point
about mile and a quarter north of
Battletown, when to his surprise and
dismay he found himself in the immed-
late neighborhood of Lieutenant Yer
non and his cavalry; at that time the
hillside up which he was riding was
GOV cred with timber, and Liuutr, art
Vernon had moved his command TO
the side of the road in the timber
which concealed the men. From the
top of the hill one could see a dis
lance of half mile or more in the
direction Of Battletown.
Lieutenant Vernon with several of
his men was on the top Of the hill,
concealed by the trees and earnestly
locking in the direction Ct the tcwn,
a perfectly safe and harmless operation
when it is considered that there was
not Confederate soldier within many
Mics of the ioyn, and that the Lieu
tenant could have gone alone into the
town with perfect safety. Even Lo
Maddox had left the town and vicinity
some hours before and absented himself
from the county until the war was
over.
AS soon as the redoubtable Lieuten-
ant saw the writer he ordered him to
halt and asked him where he was going.
He replied that he was going to Bat
tletown, that he had been sick and had
ridden out to get some fresh air. To
this the Lieutenant replied that the air
was quite fresh in the other direction
and that the writer would nccnrnna.