USA > Virginia > King and Queen County > King and Queen County > King and Queen County, Virginia (history printed in 1908) > Part 15
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My brother and myself, whose horses had never failed us, were among the few who continued the march to the end that night; keeping our feet from freezing, and aiding our horses at the same time, by dismounting and leading them for hours. About daybreak we
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reached Taylorsville, found good log tents which some infantry had lately vacated, and which were like pal- aces to us,-roomy, with log chimneys, and plenty of clean straw for our beds. We lost no time in kindling fires and thawing ourselves out, not forgetting to un- saddle quickly our poor suffering horses, and cover them with all our blankets, while the fire and straw sufficed for us indoors.
In such luxurious quarters, we did not then envy the poor fellows who had dropped out by the wayside that night, and who were straggling in until late that day, their horses footsore and limping, themselves half- frozen and famished.
We remained there three or four days, for our horses to rest their lacerated and swollen feet; when in groups of four or five we were ordered to our respective homes in the adjacent counties, to remain and recuperate man and beast for about two weeks, and then return to the vicinity of Taylorsville, or such other place as the com- mand might assemble at; meantime keeping ourselves in readiness to obey any orders for special duty which might reach us, or to return promptly to our command.
When we consider the suffering which had to be en- dured that winter, when there was no place we could call winter quarters, shelterless when moving from place to place, poorly clad, and withal reduced almost to a state of starvation with only about four ounces of bacon and a pound of corn meal or flour for a twenty- four hours' ration,-it might be well to reflect a mo- ment and ask the question, "Who but Confederate soldiers could have been trusted to go to their homes, and return to their commands, only to be better pre- pared to meet the 'overwhelming numbers ' which we all knew the enemy were losing no time nor resources to marshal against us?" Some of the boys said we were only going home to fatten up and return in good "killing order," and there was really more truth than wit in the expression.
The men were simply placed on their honor, and right loyally did they honor the confidence reposed in them. Not only did they, with scarcely an exception,
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return in a few weeks, but many who (for what they considered good reasons) were already absent without leave (for no furloughs were permitted under any cir- cumstances) returned also.
Sergeant C. H. Carlton (noble Christian soldier), my brother Preston and myself were instructed to pro- ceed to our homes in King and Queen County; and after resting our horses a few days my brother and my- self were to scout the Rappahannock and Piankitank Rivers down the south sides, and returning home con- tinue the scout up to the vicinity of Fredericksburg and Richmond,-unless in the meantime some movement of the enemy should render it in our judgment important to report promptly to Richmond.
We executed the first part of the programme, discov- ering no movement of the enemy, except some activity of the Federal gunboats in the lower Rappahannock and Piankitank,-nothing to indicate the landing of any considerable force. We found, however, many of our men who were absent without leave, and told them we were authorized to inform them all that if they would return voluntarily to the regiment within a week or ten days, the army regulations would be suspended and "play quits " as to them. They readily consented to this, as they said it was their intention to do anyhow, and carried out their promise, while our guarantee as to regulations was sacredly kept by the officials.
On our return to our home, where we expected to rest our horses a week or more, we learned that orders had been sent through Sergeant Carlton for us to return as promptly as possible to our regiment, which would ren- dezvous somewhere in the vicinity of Hanover Court- house. Remaining at home about two days for neces- sary rest, because nearly all of our time since leaving Taylorsville had been occupied in the scouting duty as- signed to us, we started to rejoin our command.
Reaching the Pamunkey River we found it swollen over its banks, with a rushing current caused by recent heavy rains. It was perilous to venture swimming our horses, which we would have done under ordinary cir- cumstances, when there were no boats, although the
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stream is usually narrow and high up the river. We also learned that a column of the enemy had been seen on the opposite side that day, which for the time would likely cut us off from reaching our command, if indeed we should be able to escape capture. We therefore de- termined to wait a day or two in hopes that both the river and the enemy would resume their proper places. Accordingly we ventured to our home, about twenty miles distant, which we reached that night.
How little did I dream of the impending blow about to fall on me with the first crushing sorrow of my then vigorous and buoyant youth. With the exception of some fatigue from our recent scout and exposure, my brother and myself were in perfect health.
The following morning my brother rode over to spend an hour or two with one of our nearest neighbors, whom he had not seen during the few days he had spent at home. To our surprise he did not return that evening or night, as we knew was his intention. On the fol- lowing morning a messenger rode up and informed us that he was quite sick. My father, not thinking he could be seriously ill in so short a time, immediately went over to this neighbor's and brought him home in a carriage. Never shall I forget my horror and amaze- ment, and the indescribable feeling of despair which seized and almost paralyzed me, when I went up to the carriage to assist him out and looked into his pale face, the expression of which told me in silent but un- mistakable tones that he was already in a dying con- dition.
The nearest physician was hastily summoned and every effort made to revive him,-without avail. He had made his last scout and by some strange destiny had been turned back from reaching his command, where he could be brought home to die that night. He had suddenly fallen into a stupor the day before while sitting with his friends around their hospitable fireside. Thinking it was simply the result of fatigue and exposure, or a chill, they had put him to bed ex- pecting that he would awake refreshed from sleep and well in the morning. It proved, however, that the
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sudden stupor was delirium, from which he did not rally or regain consciousness. This is the short pathetic story of his sudden death, the disease or immediate cause of which has always been and will continue to be a mystery. No language could express my crushing grief and deep despair.
After more than thirty-five years have intervened, my heart almost sinks within me now and bleeds afresh at every pore as memory reverts to that dark, dismal, desolate hour when relentless death claimed the only brother of my soul. He had been all that a devoted brother could be to me. From earliest childhood we had been inseparable, slept together, started to school together the same day, pursued the same studies, in the same classes,-until the school was broken up by the call to arms in the spring of 1861, when the teachers enlisted the larger boys into the company of which they were elected officers, and turned our playground into a drill ground.
We were both too young then for military or serv- ice duty, nor were we separated until the summer of 1863, when my brother, at the age of eighteen, joined the army around Richmond. The following year I joined his company. He was a veteran then and watched over me with the tender solicitude of a mother; nor were we ever separated again until his death .- Two days later, on a bleak, dreary evening in March,-the earth wrapped in snow and ice,-we laid him in the quiet graveyard by the side of our precious mother, with her to await the resurrection morn. Among the thousands of heroes who offered and yielded their lives for our Southland there were none more heroic and chivalrous than he.
Could he have chosen the manner of his death it would have been in his accustomed place in the fore- front of the battle, his gleaming saber flashing inspira- tion to his comrades and defiance to the foe; in obeying his last order and performing faithfully his last duty; not like the galley slave, scourged to his dungeon at night, but as one who " wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams." Alas,
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brother of my soul, that my pen falters and words fail me to pay the tribute due to your noble life! I cannot pen this narrative for my children without this humble and inadequate tribute to your memory, commending to them your noble life as an inspiration and example for them to obey the call of duty.
On the morning after his burial I set out, disconsolate and desolate, to join my regiment, which, on the second day of my journey, about March 25 I think it was, I found at " Old Gary," where it had just camped after some slight skirmishing with the enemy several days before, they having retired to the vicinity of Fort Har- rison without offering battle.
I should be recreant to my duty if I failed now to mention the tender and sincere sympathy with which the members of my company, as well, indeed, as the whole regiment, greeted me. Especially as brigade scout, my brother Preston was well known and esteemed by all; his modest bearing, quiet disposition, kind and sympathetic heart, were no less admired than his dash- ing, intrepid bravery in battle or whenever cool courage and discretion were demanded.
As I rode into camp with my unspeakable grief re- flected in my countenance, the greeting which came from everyone was " Where is Preston ? " I made a supreme effort to answer dead, for I knew at that moment I could only give utterance to that one word. I could not speak, but chokingly leaned over on my horse and sobbed for utterance; they knew too well the answer I was trying to utter and with eyes filled with tears gathered around me, took me from my horse, assisted me to a rude tent, mingling their tears with mine, striving as best they could to comfort and calm my bursting heart, until I could find utterance and relate the sad, simple story of my brother's sudden death. Noble fellows, your sympathy for me was sincere and heartfelt, but your tears and grief were your best and spontaneous tribute to the noble young soldier, whom you so much loved and who would now return no more. It was unusual for those veterans to give such visible expressions of sorrow at the death of one of
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their number. They had often seen their comrades fall so thick and fast that they would become discouraged, and lose their spirit for the grewsome work which duty demanded of them in active warfare.
General Gary sent me a message of sympathy, and expressive of the loss he had sustained in the death of his trusted and chivalrous young scout. In the fall of 1863, when Preston first received his " baptism of fire," General Gary had been impressed with his dashing bravery and gallant bearing in battle, and selected him for some important duty requiring the highest order of courage and discretion. This speedily resulted in his appointment as independent scout, with credentials to go and report at will; he knew the peril and responsibil- ity of his mission, which he promptly accepted, pro- ceeding at once to spend most of his time in the enemy's line and around their outposts.
He frequently captured the enemy's couriers with their dispatches, which of course he promptly reported. At other times, eluding the hostile pickets (generally at night), he went into the enemy's camp, thus keeping informed as to their movements, strength, etc. It may be interesting and instructive to my children to mention one or two of his experiences as illustrative of the perils of a scout.
On one occasion in the fall of 1864 he, with two other scouts, crept between the enemy's pickets at night, after first hiding their own horses in a convenient thicket, and cautiously crept into the enemy's camp. Their purpose, as well as I remember, was, if possible, to capture a certain Federal officer in his tent.
They approached close to the coveted tent (which they had previously located) without being detected, but found to their disappointment that it was surrounded by a strong cordon of guards (something unknown with us), which it would have been supreme folly to attack in the midst of their camp with any hope of making the coveted capture, even if they succeeded in capturing the guards, as it would have aroused the camp and resulted in their own capture or death.
The next thing to do was to withdraw and escape
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as quickly as possible. Although everything had been quiet up to that moment, they suddenly discovered some movement from a part of the camp, which made their position perilous, if not for the moment hopeless. As they stealthily approached the main road leading through the camp, watching for a favorable moment to dart across it unobserved, a loaded wagon drawn by four large mules approached. Detection seemed cer- tain then, for they could not retrace their steps and they only had a few moments to determine what to do, but it was enough; their only hope was to pass out with this wagon, which they (in a whisper) decided to do. Crouching close by the roadside, as the wagon came up with their revolvers in hand they sprang up, one on each side of the driver, who, before he could realize the situation, was warned in a whisper, emphasized with two pistols at his head, that if he spoke or moved it meant death. Of course he was "struck dumb." He was then ordered to let his team proceed, and in this way they passed the camp sentinels, who did not hail them, thinking doubtless that the wagons were moving under orders.
A short distance beyond the guards, and before any other wagon or troops came up, they ordered the driver to turn his team into an opening in the woods; pro- ceeding in the woods a short distance, until out of view from the road in the darkness, they quickly and quietly unhitched the mules, threw some of the contents of the wagon (they did not know then what) across their backs, and led the mules with their prisoner through the woods to the track by which they had entered the camp and which they now followed back to the spot where they had left their horses. By this time it was day, and, hurrying to elude pursuit, they reached camp in due time, hungry and sleepy, but with four large sleek fat mules and a Yankee sutler prisoner, who for the first time fully realized " where he was at."
The capture proved to be a sutler with his stores, which he said he was moving to another location; of course without the faintest idea of locating his wagon and wares at a secluded spot in the woods, his mules in
KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA 201 the hands of the " rebel " scouts, and himself in Libby prison.
On another occasion, after having satisfied himself of the route which the couriers of the enemy were in the habit of taking, my brother crept into their lines and selected a favorable spot near the roadside, where he secreted himself at night and awaited the passing of the first fellow whom he might take to be the bearer of dispatches. He said experience had taught him that couriers usually rode alone, and at greater speed than the ordinary soldier, especially at night; thus enabling him to spot them. On this occasion everything was so quiet as the night wore on, and he became so benumbed with cold, that he was about to leave his hiding place, and retrace his steps through the pickets, when he heard the footsteps of a horse rapidly crossing the pontoon bridge which the enemy had made across the James River for communication between their forces on the north and south sides of the river. He was confident that the rider was the dispatch-bearer for whom he had so long been shivering in the cold, and that he would take the route past the spot where he was secreted. He accordingly left his hiding place and crouched close on the roadside. The rider approached, lowly humming a tune, and increasing his speed after crossing the bridge. As he was passing the spot Preston sprang in front of him, and seizing the bridle stopped the horse, while with the other hand he covered the rider with his pistol, and ordered him to throw up his hands, and dismount quickly and quietly. The horseman obeyed without the least controversy, and the next moment was marching from the road, a prisoner with his hands up in front of his captor, who led the horse a short distance, then halted a moment to disarm the prisoner, and proceeded to a place of safety, where he could be searched for the coveted dispatch. Imagine the scout's chagrin and disgust when instead of the dispatch he found the prisoner's pockets full of chips, or devices used by gamblers. The prisoner had been over the river indulging in a game of cards with some of his chums on that side until the "wee small hours " and
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was returning in happy mood when captured. The captor, in relating the incident to me, said he felt so thoroughly chagrined and disgusted at his "water haul," that his first impulse was to release the poor fellow, whose repining at fate had excited his sympathy, and content himself with keeping the fine horse, arms and accouterments, as a reward for the night's work; but this would never do, as the prisoner, if released, would of course reveal to the enemy the story and location of his capture and thus enable them to guard this road, so as to defeat future attempts on that line; whereas if held as a prisoner his fate would be as pro- found a mystery as the identity of the fellow who "hit Billy Patterson." The horse, however, was a fine ani- mal, with splendid saddle, bridle, etc .; the arms of the best,-patent repeating carbine, revolver, etc. The prisoner's uniform and splendid equipment indicated clearly that he was more of a " sport " than a soldier.
After being kindly treated, he agreed, as he was being taken to prison, to exchange his magnificent long cavalry boots with his captor, as he would have little use for them in prison.
These two incidents, of many, are related simply to give some idea of the life and perils of a scout, whom the enemy made every effort to capture, and who knew from their threats which reached his ears that if cap- tured he would receive no quarter.
THE EVACUATION
Sunday, the second day of April, 1865, dawned bright and clear; which was welcomed and appreciated by the men after the protracted cold and wet of the winter and early spring, as they were but scantily protected by the improvised tents, so-called, at old Camp Gary," to which they had returned less than two weeks before, as already related.
About midday it was so warm and bright that Apollas Luck, who in the tenderness of his brave soldier heart had striven in every way to comfort me by his constant presence and companionship since the death of
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my brother, proposed that we take our horses out under the hills about a mile distant in the direction of Rich- mond to nip any grass which they might find.
While our horses were strolling along in search of anything they could find to eat, we were lounging on the hillsides. Richmond was in view, and everything as calm and quiet as a zephyr. We were impressed with the serenity of the surroundings, and talked about the absence of everything resembling war or the des- perate struggle which for four years had continued around the environments of the devoted city. Truly it was the ominous calm preceding the storm.
Late in the evening we bridled our horses and re- turned to camp, where we gave them their scant feed of corn, and blanketed them as we thought for the night. I gathered up about half a dozen canteens and proceeded to the spring, a few hundred yards distant, for the water supply of our mess for the night and for picket duty at daylight the following morning, as was our custom, while Uncle John Flippo, as we called him, started the fire to cook our morsel of bread; which, however, was never cooked. On my way to the spring, just about sunset, a horseman dashed by at headlong speed in the direction of brigade headquarters; I took no special notice of him at the moment, thinking it was some fellow who had spent the day in the city and was returning with a full stomach and lighter heart than the rest of us. In about fifteen minutes I was returning with the canteens filled, and as I reached the top of the hill was amazed to see everything in confusion, the improvised tents pulled to pieces, men mounted and rapidly forming by companies. I hastened for- ward, saddled up as quickly as possible, and in a few minutes was in line, just as the order to move forward was given, with no time to inquire the meaning of it all. Nor did anyone know that we were ordered to move.
We marched two or three hours east in the direction of Fort Harrison, and crossing the nine-mile road, if I remember correctly, halted about 9 P. M., dis- mounted and formed into line of battle, with orders
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to make no noise. About midnight we were permitted to lie down in our tracks, keeping in line with hands on our carbines. Thus we remained on the wet ground, shivering as the night grew cold, until about the first streak of dawn, when we mounted noiselessly and pro- ceeded in nearly a direct line towards Richmond.
While in line that night we whispered our respective opinions of the meaning of the movement, the prevail- ing opinion being that the enemy was advancing in our front and that about dawn we would rush forward to attack and surprise them.
No one thought for a moment, or ventured the sug- gestion, of the evacuation of Richmond. The one and only thought we permitted ourselves to entertain in this connection was that it was our business to defend the beloved city, around which still clustered the hopes and destiny of the Confederacy. Just as the sun rose clear and bright we reached the outer earthworks below the city, when to our horror and surprise we saw a white flag on the top of the parapet by the roadside, two persons in citizens' dress standing by it, and a carriage near by. At the same moment a glance westward brought the city in full view except as it was enveloped by the dense smoke, which seemed to be rising from its every section; it needed no words to reveal to us that the hour of its doom had come.
The white flag, the citizens, the carriage, meant that Mayor Mayo was only awaiting the advance of the enemy to surrender the city, if indeed,-from the ap- pearance of the conflagration and desolation,-anything of the devoted city would be left to surrender. For the first time during four years did the hearts of its heroic defenders sicken and sink in despair, at the desolate, hope-wrecking sight.
Our column halted a moment, then passed by the mayor and the white flag, turned into the road, and at quickened gait headed straight for the doomed city.
As the regiment passed on to the city, Jack Yar- brough, Gatewood Burnett and myself were ordered to proceed down the road in the opposite direction, with orders to keep in view of the regiment, which we were
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to signal, and retreat as the enemy advanced, keeping a sharp lookout to avoid capture by a flanking force. As we proceeded cautiously in the direction of the ad- vancing enemy, three Confederate infantrymen came walking rapidly to meet us with their muskets at shoulder. When about fifty yards from us they halted, dropped their guns, and holding up their hands shouted their surrender to us. Riding up to them and asking what they meant, they answered that we were Yankees, and that they might as well surrender without ceremony, as they were hopelessly cut off; at the same time point- ing to the enemy on their right and rear, from whom they were vainly attempting to escape. We assured them that we were friends, and bade them hurry for- ward and follow the track of our regiment.
This they did, remarking, however, that it was use- less as they would be captured before reaching the city, and warning us that we would share the same fate if we did not retrace our steps immediately,-pointing to a force of the enemy on our right, which had not be- fore been seen by us.
We retired slowly at first, and as the enemy advanced we rapidly passed these poor fellows, whom we were reluctantly compelled to leave to their fate. We sig- naled the enemy's advance and hurried on to avoid be- ing cut off, reaching the rear of our regiment just as the head of the column was stopped for the time by the mob which had massed in the streets, a way through which was forced only with the use of the sabers.
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