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R. M. (Richard Miller) Devens.

The pictorial book of anecdotes and incidents of the war of the rebellion, civil, military, naval and domestic ... from the time of the memorable toast of Andrew Jackson--The federal union; it must be preserved! ... to the assassination of President Lincoln, and the end of the war. With famous wor

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county, whose family were unremitting in
their attentions to the fugitives, conceal-
ing them until Tuesday, when they took
their departure for Frederick, whSch they
reached early in the morning.

The appearance of Geueitd Tyler in
the streets of Frederick created the great-
est surprise. The rebels had boasted that
he had been killed by them, and it was
believed to be a &ct until the loyal citi-
zens saw to the contrary themselves.



Fnilt in Old Ace.

The name of Ishmael Day will long be
remembered in Baltimore county, as that
of one who, without fear of man, but in
the fear of God, used the limbs and Acui-
ties with which God had endowed him, to
the noblest advantage, in his old age.

On Sunday evenmg, July 10th, 1864,
Day heard that Dulaney's valley, Mary-
land, was filled with rebels stealing horses
and cattle, but did not give credit to the
report, thinking they were Federal troops
pressing horses. About sun-down the
same day he heard that the rebels were
on the Hartford pike, about a mile dis-
tant, the people living thereon being much
excited. He went to bed, leaving a lamp
dimly burning all nighty and arose early



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252



THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.



on Monday morning and ran up the glo-
rious old Stars and Stripes rather earlier
than usual, then sat down on the front
porch. About six o'clock A. M., the
sound of horses* feet coming, down the
road was heard, and in a short time two
of them came at full tilt up to the door.
BIr. Day moved down to the lower step
to see if there were any more near, and,
seeing none, resumed his seat.

By this time the foremost one had dis-
mounted, seized hold of the foot of the flag,
jerked it down and broke ^he ro^, cursing
and calling it a * damned old rag.' Day
coolly asked him, ** What do you mean ?
What are you about ? " Without waiting,
however, a reply, he ran inunediately up
stairs, seized one of hi.s two guns, already
loaded in a bedroom. With this gun, he
shot the foremost one of the rebels, direct-



BrigMU»-G«nena Wm. W. AteriU.

ing his shot out of the second story win-
dow, which was standing open. When
shot, the rebel was in the act of folding up
the flag for his departure, but raised his
hands and fell back, exclaiming, ''I am
shot!"

Mr. Day now seized the other gun, and
ran down stairs, when he was met by Mrs.
Day, crying, and imploring that he would
not shoot again or they would kill him.
He hpwever pressed out into the yard to



take a shot at the other marauder, but he
was among the missing, having clapped
spurs to his horse on the &11 of his com-
rade. This was a matter of keen regret
to the old patriot, as it fiuled him of the
opportunity to give- him his dose of me-
tallic hitlers alsa Seeing none of the
squad at the time, he walked up to the
wounded man^ and, in his patriotic anger,
said, " You rebel rascal. I will now finish
you I " Day cocked his gun for that pur-
pose, but the rebel asked for mercy and
surrendered. Knowing that he had re-
ceived the whole charge. Day was satbfied
that he could not live, and therefore did
not shoot agauL, — seeing he would never be
able again to haul down and dishonor the
flag under which Averill ' led to conquer.'

The whole troop was now heard coming
down the road. Day returned forthwith
to his bedroom, got a six-barrelled re-
volver, and with the loaded gun started
for a hiding-place, about two hundred and
fifty yards northeast of his house, — hardly-
doing so before they were all at the house,
at once firing his buildings, sparing only
a small com and hen-house. Everything
was burnt by them, including all the per-
sonal property. At the end of the confla-
gration, which he was an eye witness to,
Mr. Day went to one of his nearest neigh-
bors to get some breakfast, and afterward
to a second one to get his dinner, and was
conveyed to Baltimore the same day. On
the next Thursday, he had his name en-
rolled in the company of the Old De«
fenders, commanded by Captain Childs,
for the defence of Baltimore, and on the
same day obtained a guard from head-
quarters, to bring in the wounded rebel,
whp afterwards died.

A short time previous to this occurrence,
Mr. Day, on being asked if he would keep
his flag floating in case of an invasion by
the rebels, said, emphatically —

<<Tes, and FU shoot the first of them
who attempts to take it down, if it oosts
me my life the next instant ! "



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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HBE0I8M,,ETC



258



Hooism of Bhermaa on the Battle-fl^ld of

At the battle of Shiloh, a cavalry officer
having occasion to report personally to
Greneral Sherman about noon of the first
day at that place, found him dismounted,
his arm in a sling, his hand bleeding, his
horse dead, himself covered with dust,
his face besmeared with powder and blood ;
he was giving directions at the moment to
Major Taylor, his chief of artillery, who
had just brought a battery into position.
Mounted orderlies were coming and going
in haste ; staff officers were making anx-
ious inquiries ; eveiybody but himself was
exdted. The battle raged terrifically in
every direction. Just then there seemed
to be universal commotion on our right,
when it was observed that our men were
giving back, General Sherman said —

^ I was looking for that, but I am ready
for them."

His quick, sharp eyes gleamed, and his
war-begrimmed face beamed with satisfac-
tion. The enemy's packed columns now
made their appearance, and as quickly the
guns which Sherman had 90 carefully
placed in position began to speak. The
deadly efiect on the enemy was apparent
While Sherman was still managing the
artillery, Major Sanger, a staff officer,
called his attention to the (act that the
enemy's cavalry were charging towards
the battery. The General's quick reply to
this was —

^ Order up those two companies of in-
fantry."

The Greneral coolly went on with his
guns, and the cavalry made a gallant
charge — but their horses carried back
empty saddles. The enemy was evidently
foiled. Our men, gaining fresh courage,
rallied again, and for the first time that
day the enemy was held stubbornly in
cheek. A moment more, and he fell back
over the piles o£ his dead and wounded.



OloM of XbFhanoiii'fe Hoble Oaveer.
General McFherson's Grand Division
held the left of the line in the fighting be-



fore Atlanta, on the day when his death
occurred. About noon, the General re-
ceived a report from one of his officers
that the enemy were approaching upon
the left — the extreme of his line — ^in
heavy force. Arrangements were imme-
diately set in motion to meet the expected
attack, but as the blow was delayed, ap-
prehension for a time was luUed. The
Greneral had ridden from left to right in
superintending the advance of his skirmish
line, and was returning again to the right
He was alone, or had with him only one
of his orderlies, a ^thful sergeant Not
being aware of the presence of the rebels
so near him, he came upon a party lying
in ambush, who, running from their covert
between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
corps, cried out wildly —

" There they come ; give 'em hell !"
A volley accompanied this, and the
General was shot through the breast, the
ball entering his right side and lodging in
his body. He fell from his horse. A
party of half a dozen rebels ran out frt>m
the woods, and coming up to where the
sergeant was already bending over the
body, they snatched a handful of papers
from the Greneral's side-pocket, took his
gold watch, and, calling to the sergeant to
follow them as a prisoner, were starting
oS, The sergeant feigned to be wounded,
and was left to care for the dying General
Immediately afterward, officers and order-
lies meeting Colonel Strong, Inspector-
General, and Captain Buell, both of Gen-
eral McPherson's sta£^ accompanied by a
few orderlies, Telated the whole circum-
stance. Colonel Strong instautly drew the
party into line, and ordered a charge.
This handful of brave and impetuous men,
regardless of the foemen in front, dashed
gallantly ahead, and drove off the thieving
enemy. But the thieving was wt all
done by the enemy. Improving their
chance, two Federal soldiers came up and
took the General's pocket-book, containing
three hundred dollars in money. One of
them expressing a wish to see that it was
safely kept to be restored, asked the othei



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264



THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.



his name, at the same time giving his own.
The only reply he received was to let him
see the pocket-book, which the miscreant
took, extracted the money, and then throw-
ing the pocket-book down, ran away.
General McPherson all this time was still
alive, but unconscious. While Captain
Buell, with his revolver, kept the enemy
at bay. Colonel Strong, as8i>ted by the or-
derlies, lifted the nude body, stripped of
every article of clothing save a glove and
a sock, to his own horse, and bore it safely
from the field. Beneath the light glove
covering the left hand was a diamond ring,
which the vandals failed to discover. All
this occurred in less time than it takes to
describe it, and the daring and determined
charge made by Colonel Strong for the
body of his noble and loved chief formed
one of the most gallant episodes of the
war.

The General's body was conveyed in an
ambulance to the head-quarters of General
Sherman at Howard's house, where the
officers who had heard of the sad event
hurriedly assembled, to take a farewell
view of their honored General The body
was still warm. General Sherman, who,
up to this moment, had appeared unmoved
by the untoward events of the hour, and
by all the alarming reports brought to
him, became deeply moved at the sight of
the dead body of the General He rever-
ently uncovered his head as the corpse
was brought in, all present doing the same,
and gathei-ed around the body. The noble
features were as placid as if the dead were
reposing in calm sleep. Officers and men,
and the servants and orderlies of the de-
parted, mingled their tears over the lifeless
form of the great and good man who lay
before them. Thus closed the noble career
of one of the most brilliant officers in the
national cause.



Mi— iTig their Booty.
A narrow escape was that of Major
Hale's, who was paying the troops sta-
tioned between Nashville and Murfi^es-



boro*. He was, however, not doomed to
* fall by the sword,* nor yet by the rifle.
The Major had been to Lavergne, and
paid the Union troops there, and was on
his way to Stockade No. 2, six miles from
Nashville, in an ambulance, accompanied
by a Lieutenant and two or three men.
Before arriving at the stockade he sent
the men forward to recoimoitre, feeling
that such a precaution was necessary.
Suddenly, half a dozen guerrillas made a
dash on his ambulance, — ^the Major seized
the safe key and took out all the large
bills, and fled with them to the bushes.

The Lieutenant took a Henry rifle with
him, and fled also. The horses attached
to the ambulance immediately took fright,
and had gone but a few rods when the
safe fell out on the ground ; at this the
marauders dismounted, one of them ex-
claiming with gusto, " Here is what we
are afler ' " They at onee threw doym the
guns, and were about helping themselves
to the money, when the Lieutenant, who,
with the paymaster, was secreted in some
bushes near by, fired and wounded one of
the men. A comrade immediately went
to his assistance, when a second shot
brought the fellow to the ground, a corpse.
The others, warned by this example, then
fled without securing any of the coveted
booty.

Li the dead guerrilla. Major Hale re-
cognized a nian who was at Lavergne that
very morning, trying to get a pass to Nash-
ville as a loyal citizen !



Anderson and his brave iittle Oompazqr
leavlnir Fort Snmter.
Having defended Fort Sumterfbr thirty-
four hours, until the quarters were entirely
burned, the main gates destroyed by fire,
the gorge wall seriously injured, the mag-
azine surrounded by flames, and its door
closed from the effects of the heat, fbar
barrels and three cartridges of powder
only being available, and no provisions but
pork remaining, Major Anderson accepted
, the terms of evacuation ofiered by Gen-



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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HEROISM, ETC.



25b



end Beauregard, and marched out of the
fort Sunday afternoon, April 14th, 1861,
with colors flying and drums beating.

The terms of evacuation were, that the
garrison should take all their individual
and company's property with them ; that
they should inarch out with their side and
other arms, with all the honors in their
own way and in their own time, and that
they should salute their flag and bear it
away wiUi them. Beauregard previously
had asked Major Anderson if he would
not accept of the terms without the salute.
Major Anderson replied, " No I " It was
late on Saturday night when the terms
demanded were Anally agreed to ; and then
Beauregard sent word to Major Anderson
that he would furnish the Isabel, or any
other vessel at his command, to convey
him and his men to any port in the United
States he should choose.

On Sunday, therefore, the Isabel came
down from Charleston, and anchored near
Fort Sumter, and the little steamer Clinch
lay alongside the wharf to transport Ma-
jor Anderson and his men to the larger
vesseL

When the baggage had been all put on
board Uie Clinch, the soldiers being inside
the fort under arms, a number were de-
tailed to salute the United Siates flag. At
the fiftieth gun the flag was lowered and
the men set up a loud cheer. In firing,
however, this last discharge, a premature
explosion took place which killed one nmn
instantly, seriously wounded another, and
injured less seriously ' two other men.
These were the only casualties of moment
daring the whole conflict

The troops, havuig now been formed,
were marched out, while the band played
merrily ** Yankee Doodle ** and «* Hail to
the Chief." Remaining on board the Isa-
bel during the niglit, in consequence of
the state of the tide, Major Anderson
and his men were transferred next morn-
ing to the Baltic, and during the evening
.of the day after sailed for New York.



Safb AoroM the Siver.

The escape of a portion of the Massa-
chusetts Twentieth, at the Ball's Bluff
struggle, constituted one of the most mem-
orable of the events connected with that
awful tragedy.

After all was finished, and the frag-
ments of the regiment were brought to-
gether on the water's edge, it was deter-
mined to push upward along the shore
with the uncertain hope of finding some
means of re-crossing to the Maryland side.
In the event of meeting the enemy, how-
ever, it was decided to surrender at once,
since any contest under the circumstances
would be a useless sacrifice of life. Afler
progressing a mile or so, the ofiicers (Cap-
tains Bartlett and Tremlett, and Lieuten-
ants Whittier and Abbott,) discovered a
fnill surrounded by cottages, about which
numbers of persons were seen moving.
Here it seemed that they must yield them-
selves. The officers ordered a halt, and
directed the men to cast all their arms
into the river, so that the enemy should
gain as little as possible by the surrender.

" Shall we be accountable if we throw
them away?" asked one or two.

" Guess not, if an ofiicer orders us,"
said others.

So everything went over. Lieutenant
Whittier went on in advance with a white
handkerchief tied on his sword, to be used
when occasion should demand. The first
person met was an old negro, who, though
greatly terrified at encountering so large
and unexpected an assemblage, contrived
to reveal that an old boat was stored near
the mill, which might be bailed out and
used to convey the fugitives across the
river. A gift of five dollars insured his
services, and the boat was in due time
launched and ready for use. It was small,
and only a few could pass each trip, but

they were all transferred in safety.

^

Hoax upon Babel Sharpshooters.
One morning, some boys of the Fifteenth
niinois, who were doing duty in the rifie-



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256



THE BOOK OP ANECDOTES OP THE REBELLION.



pits at Vicksburg, manufactured an imita-
tion soldier and accoutred him in the reg-
ulation imiform. When the bogus imita-
tion was completed, they raised it up slight-
ly above the work, when whizz — whizz —
whizz — went the rities of the rebel sharp-
shooters, and two bullets penetrated the
spot where the brains ought to have been.
Dropping him down, they soon exposed the
figure again, and repeated it several timea
to the great amusement of the soldiers,
who were delighted to see the rebels so
completely humbugged into wasting their
time as well as powder, in firing at a log
of wood. The hoax was at length discov-
ered by a lynx-eyed rebel, who, in clear
clarion tones which were distinctly heard
in our lines, shouted out, "Oh, you —
Yankees, no more of your infernal wood-
en nutmeg and white oak cheese jokes.
They are played out, and be — to
you



]»



(Generals Qrant and ICeade in Ckmaultatlon
before Bichmond.

When the first terrible climax of the
battle between Grant and Lee was over,
Grenerals Grant and Meade established
their personal head-quarters on the site of
Cold Harbor. The great question was:
Will the assault be renew^? To those
looking into the face of General Grant for
an answer to this query, there was no leg-
ible response. His is a face that tells no
tales — ^a face impassive in victory or de-
feat ; face of stone ; a sphinx &ce ! Not
of him can it be said, as Lady Macbeth to
her lord : " Thy face, my thane, is as a
book, wherein one may read strange
things." Rather is it a palimpsest, whose
ob. cured characters escape the scrutiny of
the keenest-eyed searcher.

Nothing, indeed, could be more striking
than the contrast presented by these two
commanders, as they stood in consultation
on that bare hill, with their &ces turned
Richmond-ward. The small form with the
slight stoop in the shoulders, sunken gray
eyes, still, reserved demeanor, impassive



face and chin as of a bull-dog or dose-set
steel trap — ^that is Grant ; the tall figure,
with the nervous, emphatic articulation
and action, and &ce as of antique parch-
ment — ^that is Meade, — and the antipodes
could not bring together a greater con-
trast.

Whether it was that General Grant hun-
self was in doubt as to the path which
should be pursued, or that he felt Uie need
of seeing for himself the actual situatioQ
— for from the thickness €i the woods
everything was hid as by a veil — ^is not
known, but he suddenly mounted his hoi-se,
and rode rapidly down (an occasional shot
or shell passing over his head and falling
around at head-quarters) to the head-quar-
ters of General Hancock, and afterward
to those of General Wright ; and when he
came back it was plain there would be no
renewal of the Imttle, for they all rode
leisurely again to the old camp occupied the
ni^ht before.



Frlendflhip's Stronsest Teat.
In the terrible engagement at Fort Don-
elson, an oiaderly sergeant, seeing a rebel
point a rifie at the Captain of his compa-
ny, threw himself before his beloved of-
ficer, received the bullet in his breast,
and fell' dead in the arms of him he had
saved. The brave fellow had been reared
and generously treated by the Captain's
father, and had declared, when enlistmg,
that he would be happy to die to save the
life of his benefactor's son& The affection
shown by Damon and Pythias did not ex-
ceed that of this nameless soldier on the
battlefield of his loved country.



Four Strappinflr Oonlbderates Bairsed by a
Union Captain.
One night in June the rebels about
Vicksbui^ came out in force, and by mak-
ing a long detour got in the rear of three
companies which had been sent out to pro-
tect the men at work in digging Vmao
rifle-pits. They killed, woundedand cap-
tured upwards of one hundred of oia



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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HEROISM, ETC.



267



soldiers, and got bock to their works just
before daylight, with small loss. Captain
G — ^ discovering that they were complete- j
ly snrroonded and that there was no chance
of escape, contrived to climb a tree, and
there he remained midiscovered until the
rebels retreated, when he came down and |
started towards our lines. He had gone I
but a short distance when he suddenly
came upon four rebels armed with rifles,
who at the same moment saw him. Itj
was a critical situation, but the Captain
was equal to it. Marching directly up to
th^n he said : " What the devil are you
doing here?" The secesh were rather
taken aback by his authoritative and bold
manner, and never doubting for a moment
that his Company were at hand, unhesita-
tingly laid down their arms upon his order-
ing them to do so. Soon after, our troops and
pickets were greatly puzzled by the sight
of four strappmg Confederates marching in
line in the direction of camp .with a Fed-
eral officer immediately behind, a revolver
in one hand, his sword in the other. It
was detain G — , marching his four pris-
cmers to head-quarters.



ant ?" To which he replied, " Very com-
fortable ; but I feel as if that stump of a
leg you cut off was on again and the toes
were cold." The Captain said it made
him shudder to hear William speak so
coolly, and he turned his head so as to look
in hb foce. As he gazed at him he thought
his eyes looked strangely. At that mo-
ment William sat up, and in a voice which
never sounded louder or clearer, shouted
to his men, " Forward — ^march!" and feU
back dead. ,



''J'orwttrdt Karoh t "-Last Woidi of a Fed-
end IJaatanmnt at Newbenu

A touching scene on the battle-field is
the following, which occurred at Newbem,
North Carolina; The Lieutenant was in
advance of his men in the bayonet charge,
when a volley from the enemy shattered
his right leg and the Captain's left. They
-wrere both removed and laid side by side,
when William called to the Surgeon and
said, ^Surgeon, you must amputate my
leg, I cannot stand this." The Ciqptain
tried to persuade him not to have it re-
moved, but he was determined, and said it
mu^t be done. The surgeon then admin-
istered chloroform and amputated his leg.
As soon as the operation was performed,
William called for a cigar, and smoked it
very leisurely until the fire was near to his
lips. The surgeon then came along, and
inquired, *^ How do you feel now, Lieuten-



Py a ye ra fbr tha President by a 3>yiaff Sol-
dier.

The attack on Lee's Mills, near York-
town, by the Fourth and Sixth Vermont
regiments will be long remembered, and
there was at least one incident connected
with that attack which proves how much
stranger is truth than fiction. In the sum-
mer of 1861, a private was court-martialed
for sleeping on his post, out near Chain
Bridge on the Upper Potomac. He was
convicted, and his sentence was death ; the
finding was approved of by the Greneral,
and the day fixed for his execution. He
was a youth of more than ordinary intelli-
gence ; he did not beg for pardon, but was
willing to meet his fate. The time drew
near ; the stem necessity of war required
that an example should be made of some
one; his was an aggravated case. But
Uie focts reached the ears of the Presi-
dent ; he resolved to save him ; he signed
a pardon and sent it out ; the day came.
" Suppose,*' thought the President, " my
pardon has not reached him.'' The tele-
graph was called into requisition ; an an-
swer did not come promptly. ^ Bring up
my carriage," he ordered. It came, and
soon the important State papers were
dropped, and through the hot broiling sun
and dusty roads he rode to the camp, about
ten miles, and saw that the soldier was
saved. He perhaps forgot the incident,
but the soldier did not. When the Yei^
mont regiments charged upon the rifle-pits,
the enemy poured a volley upon them.



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THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.



The first man who fell, with six bullets in
his body, was William Soott, of Company
K; His comrades caught^ him up, and as
his life blood ebbed away, he raised to
heaven, amid the din of war, the cries of
the dying, and the shouts of the enemy, a
prayer for the President, and as he died
he remarked to his comrade that he had
shown he was no coward and not afraid to
die.



Wigs on Bebel Majors.
Colonel A. K. Johnson, of the Twenty-

Using the text of ebook The pictorial book of anecdotes and incidents of the war of the rebellion, civil, military, naval and domestic ... from the time of the memorable toast of Andrew Jackson--The federal union; it must be preserved! ... to the assassination of President Lincoln, and the end of the war. With famous wor by R. M. (Richard Miller) Devens active link like:
read the ebook The pictorial book of anecdotes and incidents of the war of the rebellion, civil, military, naval and domestic ... from the time of the memorable toast of Andrew Jackson--The federal union; it must be preserved! ... to the assassination of President Lincoln, and the end of the war. With famous wor is obligatory