USA > Indiana > The soldier of Indiana in the war for the union, Vol. I > Part 10
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The old lady made us some corn-cake, and fried some salt pork, to which we did full justice.
This man lived on neutral ground, which neither Yankees nor Rebels frequented, and he seemed to have no opinions him- self; in fact, he knew as little as most of the wild men of West Virginia, - nothing but what some cross-road stump- speaker had said. He knew nothing of the country beyond ; a high bluff near the house he had never been on, and thought there might be a " heap of rattlesnakes" up there. We paid for our dinner, and once more bent our steps southward. The scenery was grand, the valley lonesome, the road and river winding across each other at the very bottom of the nar- row valley. We met no one, and saw but one man, who, of course, knew nothing by nature and less by cultivation, till we came into a little settlement, at Mingo Flats, where we saw three women standing in the door of a rather respectable- looking frame-house. It was near 5 P. M., and we were quite tired, - I, at least. I asked if we could stay all night. They told us that we could find a good place a few miles further on. They asked if we were soldiers, and from which army, and seemed very kind. We asked if any of the Confederates had been there lately. They said, none for two weeks ; they had all gone into camp at Huntersville; and, in answer to our inquiry, it was four miles to the Big Spring, where we - could stay all night.
Bidding them good-night, we trudged on up a high hill, leaving the valley to our left. Our road was over mountain- spurs, and very tedious travelling. Some two miles further on, we noticed the tracks of horses, - fresh ones, too, - and
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
the mark of a pistol-ball on an oak-tree. We now began to look sharply about us, for we knew that Rebel Cavalry had been there.
The sinking sun had now cast the mountain-shadow upon our path, and the way was more gloomy. I was so tired, it was only by slow walking and great effort I could follow, - stopping here and there to listen, or still oftener to drink from the springs which all along come gurgling up from the rocks. A fever seemed working in my veins. My companion and I had talked freely all day, but now both were silent. We had stopped for a moment, when we heard a horseman coming toward us; and, looking up the narrow road, saw a native, with an old horse, and a green hunting-shirt on, coming up. We stopped him and asked the distance to the "Big Spring." He thought it was about two miles. He said he had seen no one on the road ; no soldiers had been in these parts for more than two weeks.
We started on, my companion wishing to go from the road and take to the forest ; but the craggy appearance was unin- viting to my weary limbs, and I said, " No ; let us keep the' path till we come to a more level spot." So on we went. I thrust my staff into the damp ground, wondering if I would take it up again in the morning. The road was beginning a gentle descent ; the last gleams of the sun tinged the high mountain-tops and the clouds before us. A death-like still- ness pervaded the scene around us, broken only by the note of a solitary whippoorwill and the sound of our own steps, which seemed to fall heavy on the damp ground. Directly in front of us, at a distance of a hundred yards, stood a large oak-tree.
My companion came to a halt. " I saw a man move be- hind that tree. Let us take to the woods, and go around." " No; I think you are mistaken. I can make out any form I wish to on dark and shadowy evenings. I think it's imagi- nation."
He fell back near me, and we approached the spot, I almost heedlessly ; and just as we neared the oak, -" Halt! Halt! Halt !" greeted us from every bush, tree, stump, and stone. My companion, who was watching for this very thing, leaped backward, with his revolver drawn, ready for battle.
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CAPTURE.
The ambuscade was well laid, for just here was an open space, where it was much lighter than any place along the road. " What are you stopping citizens here for, in the public highway ?" said I. " Surrender !" said a tall Rebel, who seemed to be in command, and who had a long deer-rifle, with hair-trigger, levelled at my breast. (I could hear my companion saying, in a low voice, "Run, Fletcher, run !") " What do you want of us ? What will you do if we sur- render ?" " Only take you to camp; and then, if you are all right, let you go." "Run, Clark, run!" said I: "I can't." " Just you stand still. If your friend moves, I'll blow you to h-1!" said the tall Alabamian. I looked about me ; bayo- nets and old rifles were looking at me. I felt too tired to attempt a leap into the bushes, and saying, " I surrender !" threw my revolver on the ground. Clark lowered his, which had been pointed at the tall man all the time,* and said, " I'll go with you, then."
Approaching me, he said, in a whisper almost, " What shall we tell them ?" " Truth only, and as little as possible." So, under guard, without arms, we were marched down a wind- ing way, a mile perhaps, when we heard laughter and singing, and soon came in sight of a two-story log house, with steps up the outside to the first floor. We were at the " Big Spring," our intended destination; but this was not our in- tended condition.
" Who is you all?" said a half-dozen voices, and a crowd of homespun fellows crowded around us.
We refused to answer questions except to the commanding officer, who soon made his appearance in the shape of a plain, honest-looking man, Captain Bird, of the Sixth Alabama Regi- ment. " Where are you from, men ?" " We are soldiers from the Federal Army, - were out scouting under orders, - and walked into your ambuscade," I gave also my real name and rank. Turning to Mr. Clark, he asked his name and what State he was from. " I am from Wood County, Virginia. My name is Leonard Clark. I am a soldier in the
* Mr. Clark did not fire, because he knew it would cause my death ; and gave himself up, - " For," said he, "I never could live happy had I left you in that time of trouble."
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
Union Army." " Don't you know, sir," said a Rebel officer who stood by, stepping up in an excited manner, -" don't you know you are guilty of the most damnable treason, tak- ing up arms against your native State, and leading the Yan- kee Abolitionists to our homes, to burn our houses, and rape our women, and steal our niggers ? I'll cut your damned heart out !" and he made a pass at Clark with his drawn sword. " I am your prisoner. I demand to be treated as a prisoner of war." " You do not deserve to be treated as a prisoner of war - but as a black-hearted traitor to your State. Didn't you know, sir, that your State was voted out of the Union ? and you have no right to serve against her."
" I know," said Clark, standing like a statue, firm and fear- less, with an eye fixed on his accuser, which made him fear and tremble, -" I know Virginia - free Virginia - is now said to be out of the Union ; but Virginia is, only ruled by despotism, and was voted out by force." I shall never forget the tableau which ensued after this speech. The crowd which seemed ready to tear him to pieces was only held back by the iron face which showed no change, and the eye that flashed truth and fearlessness. But a pang of sorrow came, for I saw that Clark's position was one even worse than my own ; - he would find persons who knew him, and enemies who would like to condemn him ; but I was unknown, and did not fear meeting any one.
We were taken up the old wooden stairway, and put into the room which was occupied by the soldiers. Captain Bird said they could not give us much to eat, as they had just come there, and their baggage had not come up. Some corn- bread and a tin-cup full of coffee were given us. I remarked I'd rather have Lincoln bread, and took some of our hard bread from my pocket, which amused the fellows very much ; they wanted a bit of it, to keep as a trophy. My papers, map, &c. were still in my pocket, and weighed on my mind. On the fire-shelf was a corn-cob pipe. I filled it, and draw- ing my papers out, stripped them through my hand slowly, as though to make a lighter, and, touching them to the blaze, puffed away till all were burned, without attracting any at- tention. We were surrounded by a crowd of curious ques-
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THE BIG SPRING.
tioners. I talked with the intention of amusing, and created quite a laugh occasionally. Clark was silent.
Two women came in to see the Yankees, - wives of offi- cers, I suppose. They were quite bitter in their remarks. They knew we were spies, and had no doubt our capture prevented our poisoning the spring, and murdering the babes of women whose husbands were gone to the war.
Two guards were stationed at the door. The soldiers threw themselves on the floor each side of us, and all be- came quiet within ; but outside I could hear the clatter of horses and the striking of sabres and stirrups. I saw Cap- tain Bird pass through the room with papers, and heard him order the guard to be doubled, and every man be on the look- out. And then I heard the horsemen dash off. All became still again, except occasional crackling of the dying embers in the huge old fireplace, and the low whispering of the guard at the door. I could hear them speculate as to our future, - whether we were really spies or not, - and if we would be shot or hung. " I would like to put a hole through that d-d fellow in the green jacket," said one. " I'll bet I could whip ten Yankees like that smart fellow that thinks he can laugh it all off. I'll bet he'll swing." Such was the conversation of the night, whenever I roused up from a sleep made hor- rid by dreams. But, thank God, morning came at last. I wanted to be moving. What I dreaded most was time, - like a boy dreading a whipping, - more dreadful by delay. I wanted events to transpire with rapidity.
Early morning, and everything seemed like a dream. I was taken out by a guard of three men to the Big Spring, which gushes out of the rocks in a stream as large as a man's body. I bathed my aching head in its cold waters. As the bubbles danced under my eye, I thought, O that I could dance and whirl on the sparkling stream down Cheat River, where I stood two days before with Clark, asking where the Big Spring was. I saw that we were to be closely watched, - three or four guards with each of us wherever we went. I noticed a Rebel lieutenant in the house as I returned, who had been our prisoner a few weeks before; he had been pa- roled by McClellan, and was now here, apparently on duty.
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
After a breakfast of cold corn-bread, we were marched out in front of the cabin, and Captain Bird ordered a squad of men to guard us. " It's customary," said he, " to tie our pris- oners ; but if you will promise not to attempt to escape, you shall not be tied." . " It is not customary," said I, " to tie our prisoners ; your men captured by us were hardly guarded; but if you think six armed and mounted men can't guard us, you must have little confidence in them." After search- ing us, and taking every article from us except a small drink- ing-cup which I had, and our clothing, we were told that we were going to be sent to head-quarters, - that we were cap- tured under very suspicious circumstances.
He (Captain Bird) then charged the mounted guard, who were to take us, to march us between them; not to let us talk; and to shoot us if we attempted to move from the road. Thus we left the Big Spring, - six horsemen, armed with old horse-pistols and double-barrelled shot-guns, as an escort. We found the country very wild, as we went south- ward, and noticed that we were almost constantly descending steep hills, while the day before we were constantly ascend- ing. During the forenoon we met long trains of wagons and hundreds of soldiers, all going on up toward the Spring.
Clark and I both felt our situation was one which would need great patience, for the insulting remarks of many as they passed were almost unbearable. Sometimes we were permitted to ride a short distance behind some of the men. At noon, after we had descended a very steep hill, we came into a beautiful valley, where we found a large camp of about four thousand men. The situation of the camp was most beautiful, and the grounds were kept very clean and closely guarded.
The sergeant marched us around to the south side, where we were halted before the tent of Colonel Lee, - a son of Major-General Lee. The sergeant dismounted, went into his tent, and the Colonel came to the door with some papers in his hand, from which he read, and then looked at us sharply for a moment, while I looked as sharply in return. He was a man of medium size ; hair and beard a little sprinkled with gray. His face indicated great sternness. He gave some
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IN IRONS.
orders to a major, who said to me, " I shall be obliged to put you in irons." At the same time an orderly produced a pair of those unbecoming and uncomfortable jewels, which .
he began to unlock to put on.
" Is it customary to put captured soldiers in irons ?" said I. " You have heard of the battle of Bull Run, haven't you ? Well, these irons were captured by our men from you Yan- kees. You intended to put them on our men and march them to Richmond, but we intend to make every Yankee wear them that we capture."
While I put out my wrist for the cursed fetters, I told the major that I did not believe one word of any handcuffs being captured.
He assured me it was so, and that all the officers of the Yankee army had their baggage marked " Richmond, Va." He also informed us that General Scott was captured, and his fine carriage, etc., etc. All the Southern brag that could be brought up, he furnished on this occasion.
This camp is, or was, known as Edri, - half-way between Big Springs and Huntersville.
After our irons were secure, Clark and I both wristed together, we were taken by a guard to a brick house, which was quite large, and put in an upper room, on the outside of which two sentinels were placed. We sat on the floor some moments, when a man came in with some cold corn- bread and milk. He took off the irons, that we might eat. He then retired.
Soon we heard a noise outside, as though some one was fighting, or trying to get away. The sound grew louder, and our door was unlocked, when a tall, well-dressed Virginian, heavily ironed, was thrown into our room, with apparent force. The door was again shut, and we three sat for a moment in silence ; when our new fellow-prisoner said, " Don't give it up, men! I was captured at the same place you were, last night. I'm not going to back out for these d-d traitors ; it a'n't my way. I've been leading Rosecrans and General McClellan, and I am not done yet! Where are you from, boys ? Don't look down. We'll be even, by -.
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
Come, be social. You don't say a word; you're scared, I suppose."
" We are not very badly scared," said I; " and as I have seen first-class players, real stars on the boards, I can't compliment your acting ; you overdo it; and, besides, we are not trying to make many new acquaintances down here."
This seemed to act like a cold shower-bath. The sergeant (who, with others, had evidently been listening to us at the door) now came in and abused our new prisoner, in all the rough Southern cant phrases, for being a Union man ; and finally took him out of the room by great force, as though to carry him to his execution. " Clark, we won't be caught by stool-pigeons."
About two p. M. we were ironed and put in an old wagon, with soldiers on each side, besides an escort of mounted men ; and thus we travelled down the mountain slopes, through a wild country. We met two or three regiments marching up, and at the crossing of Greenbrier River some large wagon-trains, -all going one way, viz: up towards the Cheat Mountains. At last, just as the sun went down, we came through the pass into the little town of Huntersville, county seat of Pocahontas County.
Our escort seemed at a loss what to do with us, or where to leave us. So, driving up through the streets to the hotel, he gave us a good view of the camp, which was very large, situated all about the village. I think not less than seven thousand men must have been in this camp.
After we had been waiting some time in front of the hotel, where we were the centre of a crowd of curious questioners, and where Clark was recognized by some old acquaintances, we were driven back the road we had come, about a mile, to a camp of the Forty-second Virginia Regiment, Colonel Gilham * commanding ; and here Clark and I were taken from the wagon, and marched off in different directions. I saw no more of him for several days. As for myself, I felt now miserable indeed to lose my companion in trouble. I had little time to grieve, however, before I was ushered into the
* Formerly Major Gilham, U. S. A., " of Indiana," alas! Author of a Manual for Volunteers, &c.
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GENERAL LORING.
presence of Colonel Gilham, who, I believe, was in former years a professor in the Virginia Military Institute. He was a gentlemanly, kind-spoken man, and asked me many ques- tions about the three-months' campaign. He then told me the latest news of the Bull Run battle, how badly we were whipped, &c. He informed me that news of our capture had been sent down the night before, and that we were to be examined as spies. He spoke very kindly ; said he was sorry that one so young should be found in my condition. My only reply to all he said was, "I am perfectly satis- fied, and don't need any sympathy." Colonel Gilham wanted me to tell him plainly what I was doing when I was captured, and what my rank was in our army. I
answered that those who took me could answer his first question, and as to the latter, I had no rank. I was a soldier, on a scouting expedition. It was now quite dark. A storm was brewing in the mountains, and I was in hopes of being sent to some comfortable cell in the jail, but Colonel Gilham ordered a guard to take me up to head- quarters. So a tall fellow, real F. F. V., in a gray uniform, which had any number of yards of gold lace and buttons on, marched on one side, and a soft-clay-eater, from Georgia, on the other. I was marched up to the centre of the town to the hotel, up an old stairway to a large room, where sat an Orderly, who informed some one in the inner room, in rather
a loud voice, " That Yankee spy is here, General." " Send him in : send him in. Put a strong guard at the door, also at the windows outside. Take off his irons, too, and let no one in till I call." I was taken in. At a long table, covered with maps and papers, sat a little man, a Malay in form and complexion, and a demon in countenance; he had but one arm, black hair, and dead eyes looking out from withered ' eyebrows. Placing a large revolver before him, he motioned me to sit down on the other side of the table. I did so. " What is your name, young man ?" I told him, and asked, " Whom have I the honor of speaking with ?" " You, sir, are in the presence of General Loring, late of the United States Army, but now of the Confederate Army."
General Loring kept me some two hours, questioning me
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
and trying to puzzle me; he was particularly anxious to get from me some knowledge of our strength and position on Cheat Mountain, - at times persuading, at times threat- ening. He said, " Before to-morrow's sun goes down, I'll hang you both. Your only hope for mercy is in confessing all, all you know." " General, you have the hanging power, I admit; but wouldn't it set a bad example to our army to begin hanging soldiers who fall into your hands ?"
- General Loring was unkind, insulting, abusive, with noth- ing of the gentleman or soldier in him. Late in the night he ordered the guard to take me back to camp. Tired, foot- sore, and hungry, I reached Colonel Gilham's quarters, where he ordered a negro to give me some corn-bread and meat. After eating, I fell asleep. I was roused up by falling from a log on which I had been sitting. I found three men guarding me, and the rain pouring down. How long I had been asleep, I can't tell; but a new guard came on duty, and brought an old tent, which they put up for me; and into which they thrust me. Without straw or cover, I lay on the soaking ground.
Since the days of the deluge, I do not think it has stormed so hard and long; rain either fell by night or day, for the next six weeks; seldom more than two or three hours of sunshine, till the torrents came down. Colonel Gilham's camp was in what had been a cornfield, and the water came pouring down the old furrows, and through the tent above. I was most terribly cold all night, the more so as my feet were tied with a rope, which was held by the guard at the door. The night was passed in as great mental as physical agony. In the morning, at about ten o'clock, a negro brought some corn-bread and fried pork, which made me very sick. Crowds of men stood there in the rain, look- ing in at me and making all sort of remarks about my per- sonal appearance, and conjecturing what my feelings were. None could talk with me, except officers who got permits from General Loring. A few came in, only to provoke me into saying something by abuse, as by reading the outrageous lies about Bull Run.
The topic which all the officers and soldiers seemed in-
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GENERAL LEE.
clined to talk about was, when, how, and where we were to be executed.
The second day at Huntersville, I was taken again before General Loring. This time General Robert E. Lee was in command; he had arrived that day. General Loring began by asking the direction in which we had come, and many of the same questions asked before. General Lee then said, -
" Young man, how long have you been soldiering ?"
" Three months, General."
" Were you persuaded to go into the army, or did you choose it ?"
" I went in because of the cause."
" Have the people of Indiana confidence in Governor Mor- ton ? Can he get those six regiments into the field again ? "
" General, what I say to you, I know is true. Governor Morton had to turn off thousands and thousands of men, at the first call for Volunteers. The six regiments have gone home, to be sure, but it is only to be better armed and equipped, and to spread the fire, the military patriotic contagion, into every heart."
" How many men from Indiana are in the field ? "
" As I said before, General, I was a three-months' man. I do not know how many are in the field now; but if the men of Indiana were to see me here in irons, and then re- member the treatment of prisoners at Cheat River and Lau- rel Hill and Rich Mountain, a hundred thousand men would be in arms to-morrow, and Governor Morton at their head."
" I shall not let you talk so," said General Loring.
" Remember, you were not taken in battle," said General Lee; "if you were, you would not be in irons."
After a long conversation about Generals McClellan, Rose- crans, Morris, and Reynolds, in which he desired a minute personal description, he said, -
" Young man, we will have to keep you very close, very safe, until we can get the evidence of those who captured you."
When I was marched back to the tent, a mile off, I got a good view of Huntersville; and if a sheep-skin, just taken
9
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
off, were spread on the ground, with the tail southwest, the head northeast, it would convey a very good idea of the shape of the valley in which the town is situated. The mountains rise on all sides, leaving but four gaps, through which pass the roads. It is impossible for any one to come into or go out of the town without going through these passes, or climbing the rough mountains. The town con- tains a few old frame buildings, one church, now used as a hospital, (in fact, every house almost was a hospital at this time,) also a brick hotel, now head-quarters, a brick court- house and a jail, two-stories, side by side, and not unlike.
In the valley, and up the mountain-slopes, were camps ; and every day new men were coming in. Alabama had two or three regiments; Tennessee had the Seventh, Four- teenth, and Sixteenth ; Virginia, the Forty-second.and others, -I could not get the number; Georgia, the Sixteenth and others, - number not ascertained ; also the Rockbridge Cav- alry, and a company of Mississippians, mounted as Rangers. In all, my estimate of General Lee's forces amounted to over eleven thousand men. This knowledge, and the fact that General Reynolds had but a handful at Cheat Mountain, with his works unfinished, made me fear that Lee might advance immediately ; but, thank God, our capture had this one good result, of delaying his advance for more than six weeks.
Both Clark and myself had refused to answer questions in regard to our numbers and our artillery force, except that we admitted having seen some ten or twelve large guns, and a few howitzers, but knew nothing of the number of infantry, beyond " some ten regiments which we saw on the road."
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