Lebanon, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga,
Shelbyville, McMinnsviUe, and Freder-
icksburg. At the battle of Murfrees-
boro, where the Union forces were taken
by surprise before daylight, in the morn-
ing, after beating the long-roll, and pulling
the fifer out of bed to assist him, he threw
aside his drum, and seizing a gun, fired
sixteen rounds at the enemy from the
window of the court-house in which his
regiment was quartered; but the Union
men were compelled to surrender, and they
were all taken prisoners, though immedi-
ately paroled, and afterward sent to Camp
Chase, Ohio. Soon as the news came
from the Rappahannock that Bob had lost
his drum in that terrible tempest of fire
and iron, the New York Tribune Associa-
tion promised to make good his loss and
give hun a new drum. If ever a little
fellow deserved both drum and drumsticks,
it was Robert Hendershot, the gallant
little Western drummer boy, whose
^ spunk " elicited the admiration of Bum-
side.
Heavy Fizins^No OauaaltlM: and Why.
It was almost always observed that
when the Confederate and Union troops
were lying near one another for any length
of time, they became quite communicative
and friendly. They forgot that they were
enemies, and a kind of chivalric honor and
courtesy was strictly observed during their
self-appomted truce. If they were com-
pelled to fire during the existence of this
self-constituted armistice, they fired the
first volley in the air, so as to jrive the
others time to get back. The following
incident, which happened in front of the
Fourteenth Corps, at Atlanta, Georgia,
shows how much ticklishness there was
about ' honor ' on such occasions :
j The Federal works were pretty close to
those of the Confederates, and the pickets
nearly met in the centre. There was no
firing along the lines, and it occurred to
the poor fellows on both sides that it would
be pleasant to get up out of their rifle^its,
stretch their cramped lunbs, and have a
little friendly intercourse with their neigh-
bors. So a sort of ventriloquism conver-
sation ensued from the pits, and, all pre-
liminaries being satisfactorily arranged, a
regular truce was agreed upon. They
jumped up, shook off the dirt, and met in
so friendly away that one would have
thought they were the best and most lov-
ing neighbors in the world. Trade was
carried on on a small scale, escapes and
adventures recounted, and home friends
and scenes warmly discussed. In the
midst of all this, the rebels in the rear
called out' to their comrades,
^* Boys, come back, the Major is com-
ing."
Now it happened that " the Major " was
an old, rusty, crusty customer, and had no
hand in the truce at all, so when he came
up he was in a fume, and called out,
** — you, come back here ; and why
the — don't you fire ? "
The men went back, but refused to fire
on the Federals until they had got to their
pits, which set the major in such a boiling
rage that he snatched a gun and popped
at one of the Yankees, slightly wounding
him. A regular cry of indignation at
such a violation of faith was raised by his
men, and five of them actually walked out
of his lines into the Union, owning that
they could not, in justice to their honor,
serve any longer in an army where honcHv
able treaties were so grossly violated.
Their comrades refused to interfere, and
evidently deeply sympathized with their
offended dignity. The Union boys re-
ceived them warmly; even the wotmded
man joined in the welcome. The following
day the rebel picket called out in a quiet
way to the Yankees,
^ Boys, we ain't allowed to hold any in.
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teroourse with you ; but if you attack us
to-night, we ain't going to fight hard."
It was settled to the satisfaction of all
parties that the Federals were to attack
them, and both parties to fire in the air,
and while the firing was hottest the Fede-
ral boys was to capture them. Accord-
ingly at night the Federals made a vigor-
ous attack, and, after some very heavy
firing, captured over one hundred men and
seven officers. What sounded strange to
the uninitiated was—** heavy firing y no ccu-
ualiies"
QeDeral H. W. Stoenm.
♦
Paylnff to have a Hand in the Fiflrht.
In the conflict that took place at West
Point in the spring of 1862, as General
Franklin came on the ground, (late in
the afternoon,) he discovered a soldier
scrambling up the sand bank, and hailed
him. ** What are you doing there, Sir;
where is your regiment ? " thundered the
General "From that transport, yer
honor, and I paid the fellow three dollars
to bring me over, so that I could take a
hand in the fight" ** You're a brave
feltow,** remarks the General, ** and I will
see you caied for.** He was directed to
Ids regiment. The General subsequently
ascertained that the man was so anxious
to take part in the fight, that he had paid
the boatman three dollars to land him, so
that he might take a hand in it General
Franklin sent him a five dollar gold piece,
and promised to reward him for his
bravery.
♦
Zgnoble End of a Waahington.
The death of John A. Washington cre-
ated quite a sensation throughout the
whole country, on account of his identifi-
cation vrith the great name and fiunily of
the Father of his Country. He fell, on
the afternoon of September 15th, 1861>
about seven miles south of Elk Water
camp. It seems that, in company with
three other Rebel officers he was approach-
ing the Federal fortifications with a view
of making a reconnoissance. Secreted in
the bushes, by the road-side, were a num-
ber of the Seventeenth Indiana regiment,
and, as Washington and his companions
came up the road, the Indiana boys rose
from their concealment and fired. Wash-
ington fell from his horse, on the first
round, having received three bullets, two
of which passed entirely through his body,
entering at the right breast One of the
other officers was also hit, but the two re-
maining unhurt managed to get him away
by supporting him on his horse.
The body of Washington was conveyed
to the quarters of Ck)lonel Waggoner.
He lived for the space of half an hour,
and never spoke save to utter once, ** O,
my God ! " The next day his body was
sent to the rebel camp, under a flag of
truce. In the pockets of WasBington
were found one hundred dollars in United
States gold currency, and a splendid gold
watch. His dress was new, and of the
most elegant make, broadcloth coat and
pants, and a white satin vest. His shoul-
der-straps denoted him to be a Colonel.
He early paid the penalty of treason to
that Government, in defence of which he,
above all other American citizens, ought
willingly and proudly to have raised his
arm and pour^ forth his blood, instead of
fatuitously following the lead of such men
as Letcher, Wise, and other Virginia high-
priests of treason and bluod. To Wise's
example and threats,' in especial, is due
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THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.
the sacrifice of the noblest blood of the
Old Dominion, for to none more than to
him did the chivalry of Virginia look for
their political cue.
Shade of George Washington*— po-
ter patricR — alas !
Oen. Henry A. Wise.
Determined Capture of a Texan Battte-Fla«,
On the 9th of October, 1862, Colonel
Fuller, commander of the First Brigade,
Second Division, of the Mississippi Army,
forwarded to Governor Tod, of Ohio, the
battle-flag of the Sixlh Texas Regiment,
which was captured by a private of the
Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry, at the bat-
tle of Gorinth, October 4th. The history
of the capture of this flag is most inter-
esting.*
The rebels, in four close columns, were
pressing with gallantry, amounting to
recklessness, upon the Ohio Brigade, with
the evident intention of breaking our lines,
when the terrible and incessant fire of our
men drove them back in the utmost con-
fusion.
The Sixth Texas bore down upon the
left centre of the Twenty-seVenth Ohio,
with this flag at the head of their column,
and advanced to within six or eight yards
of our lines, when Orrin B. Gould, a pri-
vate of Company 6, shot down the color-
bearer, and rushed forward for the rebel
A rebel officer shouted to his men to
^ save the color," and>at the same moment
put a bullet into the breast of Gould, but
the young hero was not to be intimidated.
With the flag-staff in his hand, and the
bullet in his breast, he returned to his
regiment, waving the former defiantly in
the faces of the enemy. After the battle,
Colonel Fuller visited the hospital, and
found young Gould stretched upon a rot,
evidently in great pain. Upon seemg the
Colonel, his pale face was instantly radi-
ant with smiles, and pointing to his wound,
he said, " Colonel, 1 don't care for this,
since I got their flag,"
Captain TOden'e lAioky Escape.
Captain Tilden, of the Sixteenth Maine
regiment, was taken prisoner in the fight
for the Weldon Railroad, in August, 1864,
and carried on the way to Richmond about
four miles from Petersburg, when he
slipped from a car and escaped. Having
on a light colored and broad brimmed
Kossuth hat, and a rubber overcoat, was
unquestionably his bodily salvation. The
fact that it rained nearly all the time he
was a prisoner gave no look 6f strange-
ness or ground for suspicion in his wear-
ing his rubber poat, while his broad brim-
med beaver gave him tlie air and tone of
a true southerner " to the manor bom."
At all events, he walked freely through
detain TUden'i Lucky BBoape.
the Streets and public places of Peters-
burg, piddng up much valuable informa-
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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HEROISM, ETC..
843
tion, which he after^rards imparted to the '
Union oommanding generals. When he
first struck the rebel lines with a' view to
get through them, he was fortunate enough
in his plan of concealment and oJbservar
tion to hear a Confederate soldier remark
to another: "The yanks will have hard
work getting through our three battle
lines here, but down below, where there is
only a thin skirmish line, it ain't so safe, I
reckon." The Captain thought he would j
take a look after that " thin skirmish line,*
and he found it. The heavy storm and
dense darkness of the night enabled him
to get through the line. He did not get
through any too quick, for two shots were
fired at him while between the Confede-
rate skirmish line and his own. He finally
came upon the pickets of his own brig-
ade — a piece of good fortune pleasingly
agreeable, and quite as rem^kable as
agreeable.
you can't flap that bastard flag in these
lines.. Who's got another?" That was
the last of the flag insults.
A Milesiaai's Flnoky Defenoe of the Fla«.
The transport of the Confederate prison-
ers from New Orleans, to Baton Rouge, on
board the steamer Empire Parish, elicited
many a merry incident In the saloon of the
steamer there was noticed a lubberly rebel
with a little flag, to which he seemed de-
sirous to attract attention, as he occasion-
ally flourished it, with remarks disparaging
to the Union cause. An under-sized
Union soldier was on guard, apparently
indifierent to what was going on ; but the
sequel proved that, though his mouth was
shut, his ears were open, for suddenly he
dropped his musket, and, quick as light-
ning, " let go his left mawley," and the
frontispiece of the rebel color-bearer being
in the way, there was a collision, in which
the frontispiece got the worst of it, its
owner trying the while to secure his flag
by hiding it in his bosom. He was foiled,
as the plucky little Milesian (for he proved
by his brogue that he was a " broth of a
boy,") went down after it, secured it, and
flipping the well-earned trophy in the face
of his foe, remarked, ^* You bloody ribil,
As Good as a Captured Otm.
There was an odd character among
Berdan's Sharpshooters, near Yorktown,
known as " Old Seth." He was quite an
* individooal,' and a crack shot>— one of the
best in the regiment. *' His " instrument,"
as he termed it, was one of the heaviest
telescopic rifles. One night, at the time
of roll call, Old Seth was non est. This
was somewhat unusual, as the old chap
was always up to time. A sergeant went
out to hunt him up, he being somewhat fear-
ful that the old man had been hit. After
As good OB a Captured Oon.
perambulatipg around in the advance of
the picket line, he heard a low " Halloo ! "
"Who's there?" inquired the sergeant.
" It's me," responded Seth, " and I've cap-
tured a secesh gun." " Bring it in," said
the sergeant "Can't do it," exclaimed
Seth, . It soon became apparent to the
sergeant, that "Old Seth" had the exact
range of one of the enemy's heaviest guns,
and they could not load it for fear of being
picked ofi^by him. Again the old man shout-
ed, ^ Fetch me a couple of haversacks full
of grub, as this is my gun, and the cussed
varmints sha'nt fire it agin, while the
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844
THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.
scrimmage lasta.*' This was done, and
the old patriot kept a good watch over
that gmi. In &ct it was a captured gun
—or as good as that
Pemberton's Anestioin abont Grant
Answersd*
In one of the assaults upon Vicksburg
Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, of the Twen-
ty-second Iowa infantry, was taken prisoner.
This officer, with three companies, had
gained a position in the ditch in front of
the rebel works. Sending for spades, he
commenced to throw up traverses to pro-
tect him from an enfilading fire, and thdn
sent for reinforcements. The Lieutenant-
Colonel, however, had barely time to con-
gratulate himself on the security of his
QwL John C. Pemberton.
position, and the fact that the colors of
the Twenty-second had been planted on
the parapet of the fort before them, ere |
an awkward turn was given to his reflec- '
tlons, by the ingenious enemy. ^ Unable
to reach our men with musket, bayonet or
artillery, they resorted to the effective'
mode of lighting the fuses of shells and
dropping them over the parapet into the
ditch below. Unable to either run or stay,
our men took a middle course, and surren-
dered.
The party was conducted to the county
jail, with the exception of Colonel Gra-
ham, who was taken before General Pem-
berton. The rebel commander propounded
the following questions :
" What regiment do you b3long to ?**
"Is the Twenty-second Iowa an Abo-
lition regiment?"
" How many nigger regiments have you
fellows got out there ?"
" What is that fellow Grant trying to
do?"
" How many men have you got in your
army?"
The answers of the indignant officer at
these interrogatories can be readily imag-
ined ; assuring Pemberton that " that
fellow Grant " meant to and would take
Vicksburg, and receiving the reply, *' No,
by , he won't!" Colonel Graham
was sent to join his friends in the prison.
Emptying a Hawk's Nest.
At one point in the battle of Chatta^
nooga there was a lull — at le&st it had
gone rhnttering and thundering dorni the
Ime, and the boys were as much **at
ease " as boys can be upon whom, at any
moment, the i^tomi may i-oU back again.
To be sure occasional shots, and now and
then a cometary shell, kept them alive ;
but one of the boys ran down to a little
spring, and towards the woods where tliC
enemy lay, for water. He had just stopped
and swimg down his canteen, when, *tick !'
— a rifle ball struck it at an angle and
bounded away. He looked around an
instant, di^^covered nobody, tliought it was
a chance shot — ^a piece of lead, that goes
at a killing rate without malice prepense ;
and so, nowise infirm of purpose, he again
bent to get the water. * Ping !' a second
bullet cuts the cord of his canteen, and
the boy " got the idea " — a sharpshooter
was af^er him — and he went to the right-
about on the double quick to the ranks.
A poldier from another part of the line
made a pilgrimage to the spring, was
struck, and fell by its brink. But where
was the marksman ? Two or three boys
ran out to draw his fire, while others
watched : ' Crack I ' went the unseen piece
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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HEROISM, ETC.
845
again, and some keen-eyed fellow spied a
smoke rolling out from a little cedar.
This was the spot, then, where the rebel
had made him a hawk's nest — ^in choice
Indian, a Chattanooga in the tree — ^and
drawing the covert aromid him, was taking
a quiet hand at ^ steeple-shooting ' at long
range.
A big, blue-eyed German, tall enough
to look into the third generation, and a
sharpshooter withal, volunteered to dis-
lodge him. Dropping into a little runway
that neared the tree diagonally, he turned
upon his back, and worked himself cau-
tiously along ; reaching a point peiilously
dose, he Avhipped over, took him as he
lay, and God and his true right hand
"gave him good deliveranc:*." Away
flew the bullet, an instant elapsed, the
volume of the cedar parted, and, " like a
big frog," as the boys described it, out
leaped a gray-back, the hawk's nest was
empty, and a dead rebel lay under the
tree. It was neatly done by the German
man grown. May he live to tell the story
a thousand times to his moon-faced grand-
children.
Polk, the Beverend General, in the very
TiffhteetPlaoe.
An English officer, Colonel Freemantle,
who served for some time in the rebel
army, and lived long enough in the South
to make the acquaintance of a number of
the prominent men there, afterward pub-
lished a book relating his experience.
In this book he tells the following story,
as it was told him by Lieutenant-General
Polk : — Well, sir, it was at the battle of
Penyville, late in the evening — in fact,
it was almost dark, when Lindell's battery
came into action. Shortly afler the arrival,
I observed a body of men, whom I thought
to be CJonfederates, standing at an angle
to this brigade, and firing obliquely at the
newly arrived troops. I said, " Dear me,
this is very sad and must be stopped ;'' so
I turned round, but could find none of my
young men, so I determined to ride my-
22
self and settle the matter. Having can-
tered to the Colonel of the regiment that
was firing, I asked him, in angry tones,
what he meant by shooting his own friends.
He answered with surprise,
'^ I don't think there can be any mistake
about it ; I am sure they are the enemy."
** £nemy ! Why, I have only just lefl
them myself. Cease firing, sir. What is
your name ? "
"My name is Colonel , of the
Indiana ; I pray, sir, who are you ? "
Then I saw, to my astonishment, that I
was in the rear of a regiment of Yankees.
Well, I saw there was no hope but to
Gen. Leoaidaa Polk.
brazen it out ; my dark blouse and the ih-
ci'easing obscurity befriended me ; so I
approached quite close to him, and shook
my fist in his face, saying.
" 1*11 show you who I am, sir 1 Cea«e
firing, sir, at once !'*
I then turned my horse and cantered
slowly down the line, shouting authorita-
tively to the Yankees to cease firing ; at
the same time I experienced a disagreea-
ble sensation, like screwing up my back,
and calculating how many bullets would
be between my shoulders eveiy minute*
I was afraid to increase my pace till I got
to a small copse. When I put the spurs
in and galloped back to>my men. I went
up to the nearest Colonel, and said: " Colo-
nel, I have reconnoitered those fellows
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THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLIOK.
pretty closely, and there is no mistake who
they are ; you may get up and go at them."
And I assure you, sir, that the slaughter
of that Indiana regiment was the greatest
I have seen in this war.
Horey** Brllllaat Oluuve-tba Preaohen'
Beffixnant.
One of the most brilliant and daring
operations in the fight at Vicksburg, was
performed by General Hovey, at the head
of several of his regiments. He had met
with varied success all the morning — some-
times gaining a little, and again being
driven. The heights were steep, the ene-
my numerous, their positions almost inac-
cessible and protected by timber, while
fn>m every crest on the heights their bat-
teries rained hurricanes of death upon his
thirsty, weary col-
umn. Finally, about
noon, the General
arranged a storming
party, and heading
them in person, mov-
ed directly up a gorge
in the hills,every inch
of which was swept
by the musketry and •
artillery of tlie enc- j
my. Two four and
one six gun batten
commanded the
gorge, and on both
sides of it were mass-
ed heavy supports of
infantry. On went the storming party,
and in twenty minutes the gallant rem-
nant of those who started were hurrah-
ing over the possession of all the guns,
the crest of the hills, and the total rout
of th,e infantry. In this charge the Twen-
ty-fourth Iowa — a regiment made up
largely of clergymen, and hence known
as the " preachers' regiment " — was fore-
most, and was nearly i^mihilated. No
more gallant ithing has been done in the
history of gallant e9b|:^
1
Ahead of his Troops.
During the fog and darkness of the
night on which Decatur was taken, Gen-
eral Dodge, Colonel Spencer, of his staff,
and a few others, thinking that the troopF,
who were to cross at another point, had
quietly occupied the place, started in a
little boat to row directly across to the
town. The fog was so close that it was
impossible to see anything. As tHe boat
neared the Decatur shore, a sentinel on
shore heard it splashing and hailed, "Who
goes there?" Thinking it to be a Union
soldier, the Greneral sang out, " General
Dodge.*' Bang! went the gun of the
sentinel — ^he was a rebel picket. The
boat was instantly put to the right-about,
and got safely away, although fired at
by all the guard. The General wisely
Ahcud o. hid Tn ops-
determined not to take Decatur without
the aid of troops, and waited until he
knew they had made a landing.
_ ♦
liSe's Oreat Army Suxrendered and ths Be-
belllon in its Final Oasp.
The first week in April — ^immediately
following the evacuation and surrender of
Richmond to General Grant — General
Lee found himself in a position from which
he could not possibly extricate himselt*.
His army lay massed a short distance west
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GREAT CONFLICTS, INDIVIDUAL HEROISM, ETC.
847
of Appomattox Court Hou8e; his last
avenue of escape toward Danville on the
southwest was gone; Mead was in his
rear on the east and on his right flank
north of Appomattox Court House ; Sheri-
d m had headed him off completely, by
getting between him and Lynchburg;
General Ord was on the south of the
court-house, near the railroad ; the
troops were in the mot enthusiastic
On receipt of this. General Lee at once
dispatched another, requesting a personal
interview for the object named in General
Grant's previous communication, viz., the
surrender of the entire rebel army. A
flag of truce proceeded to Appomattox
Court House shortly after noon, and at
about two o'clock the two generals met at
the house of Mr. W. McLean. Greneral
Lee was attended by General Marshall,
his adjutant-general;
General Grant, by
Colonel Parker, one
of his chief aids-de-
camp. General Grant
arrived about fifteen
minutes later than
General Lee, and en-
lered the parlor where
the latter was await-
ing him.
The two generals
greeted each other
with dignified courte-
sy, and after a few
moments conversation,
Samnder of CKm. Lee and hi. Army to Gea. Oraut. pi-OCeedcd tO the busi-
ncss before them. Lee
spirits, and the rebel army was doomed. , immediately alluded to the conditions
Lee's last efibrt was that of attempting to named by General Grant for the surren-
\
I
cut his way through Sheridan's lines, but
it totally failed.
On the seventh, a correspondence, look-
ing to the surrender of Lee's army, com-
menced between himself and General
Grant, the purport of General Lee's first
note being to ascertain the best teitns on
which he could surrender his army. Gen-
eral Grant's reply not being to Lee's mind,
the latter communicated to General Grant
a request for a personal interview at a
certain place, at ten o'clock on the morning
of the ninth, to arrange " terms of peace."
As this was changing the que.-tion at issue,
and under discussion, and one which Gen-
eral Grant had neither the inclination nor
the authority to decide, he replied in a
note which admitted of no misconstruction,
and which virtually ended the negotiations.
der, characterized them as exceedingly