The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-01-06
GENERAL JONES' RAID OF 1868
Through Garrett County [[F oNH

! w aIlace ana Cne successful resistance
at Rowlesburg.
Oakland was at that time garris-
oned by Co. SOP, of the 9th West Vir-
ginia, Preston county company, COM
manded by Captain Goodwin, of King
wood. The Federals were completely
surprised and offered no resistance.
Two soldiers of Co. 80" were Cornelius
johnson and Solomon Sines, both of
whom later resided at Sang Run.
Johnson was on guard at the Totten
farm on the road leading south from
Oakland, over which Captain Hartman
led his men into town. johnson fired at
the rebels, then ran through the field
toward town, but trooper jumped his
horse over the fence, caught Johnson
and brought him into town on his
horse, prisoner.
AS the Confederate advance party
came into town it met Peter Helbig,
the baker, near his house across the
Little Yough. A soldier ordered Helbig
to halt, but the baker-rather reck-
lessly-threw a handful of gravel into
the troopers face, then ran into the
bakeshop by his house and hid himself
in the oven.
The Confederates rode into Oakland
at HOO a. M, Sunday, April Goth. The
previous evening they had been de-
layed by the Federal resistance at
Greenland Gap. Why did no one ride
ahead of them to Oakland and warn
the Federal garrison? We do not
know.
When the enemy arrived at Oakland
the Federals are said to have been at
tending church services, which then
began at 1000 a. m. Others were
hunting groundhogs. The picket, Pri-
vate Johnson, appears to have fired
the only shot. The Rebels quietly but
swiftly rounded up 81 men and the
two officers of Co. 90" at the houses
in which they were quartered or where
they were lounging on the streets.
! There was some hurried hiding of
money or other valuables by the peo-
pie of the town, but private residences
were not molested. Church services
were not interrupted, but when the
worshippers came out they found the
town in possession of Col Harman's
men. Considering the surprise and the
large number of the enemy, the Fed
eral soldiers cannot be blamed for
making no resistance.
Oakland Station Seized
One of the first points in Oakland
seized by the Confederates was the
railroad station and the telegraph of
fee, which was Immediately put out
of commission. A squadron of troops
hurried down the railroad to the
bridge across the Youghiogheny where
it surprised and captured the guard,
then burned the bridge Solomon
Sines, one of the bridge guards, said
that he and a companion were off duty
but in sight of the bridge. When they
saw the rebels ride up, unable to reach
their muskets, they hastily event
fishing" down the river and were not
captured.
Once secure in the town, the Con-
federates seized forage for their an
imals, took food for themselves from
hotels and stores, ate their dinner and
rested awhile.
George D. White, then a boy of ID
years, saw the Rebels come into town.
His father operated the Rowan White
Hotel on Second street where the
Nally building is now located. While
the unlimited guests were helping
themselves to the food in the hotel,
Mrs. White, his mother, saw her roam
mare among the horses tied outside.
The marauders had taken the ami
NAL from the Frazee farm, near Table
Rock. Mrs. White pleaded for her
horse and an officer ordered it re-
turned to her, but when the column
marched away the roam mare was
taken along.
Before leaving town the Federal
muskets were destroyed and the pris-
oners were paroled, i. e., they were
left in Oakland after signing a pledge
not to serve again during the war
until regularly exchanged for Con-
federate prisoners.
Leave Oakland Happy
Refreshed and happy over their
easy victory, Colonel Hartman and his
men soon marched to Terra Alta. The
road then went west on Liberty street
and crossed the Little Yough just be-
low town. The bridge there they burn
ed after crossing. Capt. McDonald's
squadron appears to have arrived
from Altamont, and to have joined
Hartman before he left Oakland.
Newspaper Report Inaccurate
In 1868 Oakland had no newspaper
and the accounts of Jones' raid, pub
lished in the Baltimore papers, are in
accurate and incomplete. The Balti-
| moro SIM of Nav 3 said. "Rev r v