Year: 1864

ting august Jtn, describes interestingly


an escape of a colonel from the clutche


Of rebels, after they had surprised, slaugh


tered, or scattered his command. III


says:


Colonel Capron, with his son, you'll
aged seventeen years, and Lieut.. Colkins
of the Sth Michigan Cavalry, arrived il
town this morning, very much to the sur
prise of all who were familiar with th,
details of the surprise, the topography Of
the country through which he came, anc
the numerous bands of guerrilas that in
fest the region of the Chattahoochie II
appears that after the battle of HillsborC
he found his brigade to be composed o
squads and detachments from the whole
command, except Col. Adams brigade
which had remained organized. He was
also alarmed to discover that not more
than one-third was armed. Having left
Athens, he marched day and night, think.
ing by these long aud forced marches to
elude the enemy, who he knew was fol
lowing him.


! The night before the morning of the
attack he made march of nearly forty
miles. His object was to pass all cross
roads, so that when he halted there would
be less danger of an attack, because, when
beyond these, he supposed that the enc
my could only come from the front or
rear. A large number of contrabands
had followed the brigade, and heretofore
at night had slept any where within the
picket lines, but this morning at one O.
clock Colonel Capron 1ruered them to en-
camp together on the left Of the road
The rebels, instead Of coming along the
main road, diverged before they came to
the pickctS, and came in through the
woods on both sides They came upon
the negroes first. Each one had two or
more horses they were bringing through
to our lines. The stampede of the ne
grocs, and hundreds Of horses rushing in
to the camp, frightened by the fendish
yells Of the rebels, was the first evidence
of an attack Here the scene of conster-
nation is described as being terrific
Horses trampling upon our sleeping men,
the armed foe numbering the unarmed,
captains and lieutenants waking, and cry
ing out for the men to form in line.


Captain Lord, after placing an armed
guard in the road in the rear and allow
ing no one to pass, succeeded in rallying
about one hundred men Colonel Cap
ron was on his horse, without saddle, ev-
crywhere shouting to the men not to sep
arate, but to remain together and retire
in good order, but the oyerpowering num-
Der Of the enemy rushed on with all the
momentum Of al avalanche. About this
time Colonel Capr0n found it impractical
bic to ride without saddle, and had just
finished saddling, when a dozen rebels
rushed past, knocking him under his
horse, and firing upon him with their re-
volvcrs. The Colonel, finding that he
WAS unharmed, mounted his horse and
started for the road, where about 80 men
were in line, but before reaching them
another squad dashed against him, using
the most obscene anathemas, and rendlng
the air with those yells which are desert
bable only to those who have heard them.
The Colonel cndeavored to flank them
They saw that he was an officer and pur-
sued him to a creek, into which be i'm
mediately plunged his horse, and reached
the opposite bank in safety. His son fol
lowed him, but the 'Fchivalry" were afraid
to jump the creek During the forenoon
Colonel c. met a citizen who professed to
be a loyal man, and he engaged him to
pilot him to Decatur. He rested awhile
at bis house, when the old man advised
him to leave his horse, as it would be i'm
possible to get through on horseback
This proved true, but the loyal man was
quite pleased to know that it was true
lie went with them until about twelve o.
clock that night, and while the Colonel.
his son. and Lieutenant Colkins, who had
Joined them, were asleep, the very patri-
otic man, who was SO willing to serve his
country, went home to take care of the
Colonel's horses. He, with his son and
the Lieutenant, were now left alone in
the swamp.


Finding himself without guide. the
Colonel resolved to move westward to the
Chattahoochie river This march through
woods and marshes was Notwithstanding.
The women were even scouting the
woods for Federals. They were secuted
and hunted down like beasts. Very Of
ten this trio would find it convenient to
conceal themselves until their matronly
scouts had passed. The only article of
food they could obtain was few berries,
and sometimes biscuit friendly negro
would give them. Finally they reached
ford on the Chattahoochie. As the
Colonel lay concealed in the brush and
underground, he saw party OF about one
hundred rebels, with fifty of our prison
,ers heard their conversation, and saw
them cross the river, and chain the ca
noe on the other side, and move on south.
Just as he was about to emerge from his
ambush, a second party came with more
prisoners. A violent thunder-shower
came at this time, and prevented their
crossing. The Colonel now fully deter
mined to take possession of the boat, and
run the gauntlet by water. His son was


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