Three Soldiers Captured by a Boy with a ment of the United States. A noble lookCoffee Pot. ing, white-haired man, of very imposing

An amusing instance of the value of a appearance, he nevertheless proved an utready wit and presence of mind occurred ter failure as a military leader, running during the advance of the Second Corps like a coward before the veterans of Curof Federal troops, near Hatcher's Run. tis and Sigel on that bloody day.

A young lad in the Fourteenth Connecti

cut regiment, going with a coffee-pot to get water from the stream, suddenly found himself surrounded by three of the enemy.

Albert Pike.

It was in another sphere, and a totally different one, that Pike was destined to shine; and shine he did. He was a man of extraordinary genius, and had pocketed a hundred thousand dollars as the fees of

With all the fierceness of voice the little fellow could muster, he commanded them to throw down their arms and surrender. a single lawsuit. He had been known, Supposing that the brave youth had com- during a term of court, to meet his brother panions near to enforce his command, they complied, when he seized one of their muskets and marched them into camp in great triumph. This story was related in his camp as the capture of three Johnnies with a coffee-pot.

Career of the "Handsomest Man in the
Southwest."

lawyers for an evening carousal, drink with them till the stoutest was 'laid out' under the table, and then seat himself, and, in the midst of their convivial singing and roaring, draw up a most intricate bill in chancery, without an erasure or interlineation. He would do this same thing in court, apparently undisturbed by the noise of a trial in progress. But, with all his genius and wonderful versatility of talent, he was utterly and persistently wayward in his habits, and half a dozen fortunes passed from his hands-spent in reckless and

Albert Pike is a name which will long be remembered in the Southwest, as that of one of the most remarkable men who have lived in that region. It was not to be expected that he would be otherwise prodigal excesses. Once young, highly than conspicuous in the great rebellion educated, graced with personal accomplishwhich enveloped that section with the rest. ments and a physique which won for him In the battle of Pea Ridge, he led the distinction of being called the "handthe Cherokee Indians, whom he had se- somest man in the Southwest," his magic duced from their allegiance to the Govern- touch had swept the lyre of the gods, com

pelling a busy, din-resounding nation to to be loaded with canister, and in a mostop and listen in enraptured silence.

But from all this eminence, he became an exile from his home, a traitor to his country, the pusillanimous leader of redhanded savages against the valiant defenders of the Union and the noblest flag that ever floated, and, to cap the climax, deserted the savage victims of his own silvertongued eloquence, and ran like a coward in the day of battle!

ment more would have given the intrepid Howard and his little force the benefit of it. But the general who had successfully deceived the enemy, found a way to make himself known to his friends, and so escaped a reception of that kind.

Intrepid Conduct of Two Drummer Boys. Two drummer boys of the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers, while off duty, and while Gillmore was pounding Fort Wag

General Howard on the Wrong Side of the ner, determined to discover the effect made

Battle-field.

upon the fort, and for this purpose borrowed an opera glass and went out a distance from camp, to obtain a favorable site

A short time subsequent to the magnificent charge made on the rebel breastworks, in the midnight conflict at Lookout Valley, to witness the operations. They had proby General Geary, General Howard, tak-ceeded about three-quarters of a mile, ing with him a small escort of cavalry, when they came suddenly upon a burly started for that part of the field where rebel, who upon sight of the boys, snapGeneral Geary was supposed to be. He had not gone far, when he came up with a body of infantry. "What cavalry is that?" was the hail. "All right," responded General Howard, at the same time calling out, "What men are these?" 'Longstreet's," was the reply. "All right

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-come here," said General Howard, The men approached. "Have we whipped those fellows?" asked the General, in a manner to keep up the deception. "No, them, they were too much for us, and drove us from our rifle-pits, like devils. We're whipped ourselves." By

this time the rebels had gathered nearer.

Intrepid Conduct.

eral H., in a stern voice. The men sur-ped his gun at them, which however did

rendered.

not explode, the piece not being capped. Taking his prisoners in charge, General One of the boys at that moment, thrusting Howard proceeded on his way. He had the glass into the case which hung at his not gone far, before another party of rebel side, the rebel thought he was drawing a infantry called out, "What cavalry is revolver, and immediately threw down his that?" "All right," was the response gun, crying out, "I surrender!" The again, of General Howard, as he proceed- boys immediately sprang forward, seized ed. On approaching the position occupied his gun, and at a "charge bayonet" drove by Geary, that officer had observed the the big fellow into camp. When he disadvancing horsemen, and infantry, as he covered that the only appearance of a supposed the prisoners to be, and taking weapon in the boys' possession was an them to be rebels, he had ordered his guns opera glass, he was much incensed, declar

ing he could not be held as a prisoner of war. The fact was witnessed by the Colonel of the regiment, who highly commended the intrepid conduct of the boys.

Bob, the Spunky Drummer Boy. The battle of Fredericksburg was attended by many memorable instances of individual heroism. It is known that, for several days a curtain of thick fog rose up from the waters of the Rappahannock, completely hiding from view the artillery that crowned the opposite hills, and the infantry that crowded the sheltering ravines. But the preparation for the great fight, so hopefully commenced, was continued amid the thunder of cannon and the eruptions of exploding batteries.

a deadly fire upon the Federal engineers and bridge-builders.

In this dilemma it became evident that the bridges could not be laid except by a bold dash. Volunteers were called for to cross in small boats; forthwith, hundreds stepped forward and offered their services. One hundred men were chosen, and at once started for the boats. Robert Henry Hendershot was then a member of the Eighth Michigan-acting as drummer boy. Seeing a part of the Michigan Seventh preparing to cross the river, he ran ahead, and leaped into the boat. One of the officers ordered him out, saying he would be shot. The boy replied that he didn't care, that he was willing to die for his country. When the boy found that the Captain would not permit him to remain in the boat, he begged the privilege of pushing the boat off, and the request was granted. Whereupon, instead of remaining on shore, he clung to the stern of the boat, and, submerged to the waist in water, he crossed the Rappahannock. Soon as he landed, a fragment of a shell struck his old drum, and knocked it to pieces. Picking up a musket, he went in search of relics, and obtained a secesh flag, a clock, a knife, and a bone ring. On opening a back door in one of the enemy's houses, he found a Confederate wounded in the hand, and ordered him to surrender. He did so, and was taken by the boy-soldier to the Seventh Michigan. When the drummer boy recrossed the river from Fredericksburg, General Burnside said to him, in the presence of the army:

The hazardous work of laying the pontoon bridges was frequently interrupted by the murderous fire of Confederate sharpshooters, concealed in the stores and dwelling-houses on the bank of the river. "Boy, I glory in your spunk; if you To dislodge these men, and drive them out keep on this way a few more years, you of their hiding-places, seemed an impossi-will be in my place." ble task. At a given signal, the Union Robert is a native of New York, but batteries opened with a terrific fire upon moved with his parents to Michigan when the city, crashing through the walls of he was an infant. His father died, leaving houses and public buildings. But in this the mother in destitute circumstances, and storm of shot and shell, which ploughed with a family of four children to support the streets and set the buildings on fire, and educate. Bob went from Jackson (Michthe sharpshooters survived, like salaman- igan) to Detroit, with Captain Deland, in ders in the flames, and continued to pour the capacity of waiter in the Ninth Michi

gan. With that regiment he went to The Federal works were pretty close to Louisville, West Point, Ky., and Eliza- those of the Confederates, and the pickets bethtown, Ky.,-at the last named place nearly met in the centre. There was no being appointed drummer boy. Subse- firing along the lines, and it occurred to quently he was in six battles, namely, the poor fellows on both sides that it would Lebanon, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, be pleasant to get up out of their rifle-pits, Shelbyville, McMinnsville, and Freder- stretch their cramped limbs, and have a icksburg. At the battle of Murfrees- little friendly intercourse with their neighboro, where the Union forces were taken bors. So a sort of ventriloquism converby surprise before daylight, in the morn-sation ensued from the pits, and, all preing, after beating the long-roll, and pulling liminaries being satisfactorily arranged, a the fifer out of bed to assist him, he threw regular truce was agreed upon. They aside his drum, and seizing a gun, fired jumped up, shook off the dirt, and met in sixteen rounds at the enemy from the so friendly a way that one would have window of the court-house in which his thought they were the best and most lovregiment was quartered; but the Union ing neighbors in the world. Trade was men were compelled to surrender, and they carried on on a small scale, escapes and were all taken prisoners, though immedi- adventures recounted, and home friends ately paroled, and afterward sent to Camp and scenes warmly discussed. In the Chase, Ohio. Soon as the news came midst of all this, the rebels in the rear from the Rappahannock that Bob had lost called out to their comrades, his drum in that terrible tempest of fire and iron, the New York Tribune Associa. tion promised to make good his loss and give him a new drum. If ever a little fellow deserved both drum and drumsticks, it was Robert Hendershot, the gallant up he was in a fume, and called out, little Western drummer boy, whose "spunk" elicited the admiration of Burnside.

"Boys, come back, the Major is coming."

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

the

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you, come back here; and why 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 Heavy Firing-No Causalties: and Why. rage that he snatched a gun and popped It was almost always observed that at one of the Yankees, slightly wounding when the Confederate and Union troops him. A regular cry of indignation at were lying near one another for any length such a violation of faith was raised by his of time, they became quite communicative men, and five of them actually walked out and friendly. They forgot that they were of his lines into the Union, owning that enemies, and a kind of chivalric honor and they could not, in justice to their honor, courtesy was strictly observed during their serve any longer in an army where honorself-appointed truce. If they were com- able treaties were so grossly violated. pelled to fire during the existence of this Their comrades refused to interfere, and self-constituted armistice, they fired the evidently deeply sympathized with their first volley in the air, so as to give the offended dignity. The Union boys reothers time to get back. The following ceived them warmly; even the wounded incident, which happened in front of the man joined in the welcome. The following Fourteenth Corps, at Atlanta, Georgia, day the rebel picket called out in a quiet shows how much ticklishness there was way to the Yankees, about 'honor' on such occasions:

66

Boys, we ain't allowed to hold any in

tercourse with you; but if you attack us and promised to reward him for his to-night, we ain't going to fight hard."

ualties."

bravery.

It was settled to the satisfaction of all parties that the Federals were to attack Ignoble End of a Washington. them, and both parties to fire in the air, The death of John A. Washington creand while the firing was hottest the Fede- ated quite a sensation throughout the ral boys was to capture them. Accord- whole country, on account of his identifiingly at night the Federals made a vigor- cation with the great name and family of ous attack, and, after some very heavy the Father of his Country. He fell, on firing, captured over one hundred men and the afternoon of September 15th, 1861, seven officers. What sounded strange to about seven miles south of Elk Water the uninitiated was-" heavy firing, no cas- camp. It seems that, in company with three other Rebel officers he was approaching the Federal fortifications with a view of making a reconnoissance. Secreted in the bushes, by the road-side, were a number of the Seventeenth Indiana regiment, and, as Washington and his companions came up the road, the Indiana boys rose from their concealment and fired. Washington 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 remaining unhurt managed to get him away by supporting him on his horse.

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The body of Washington was conveyed to the quarters of Colonel Waggoner. Paying to have a Hand in the Fight. He lived for the space of half an hour, In the conflict that took place at West and never spoke save to utter once, "O, Point in the spring of 1862, as General my God!" The next day his body was Franklin came on the ground, (late in sent to the rebel camp, under a flag of the afternoon,) he discovered a soldier truce. In the pockets of Washington scrambling up the sand bank, and hailed were found one hundred dollars in United him. "What are you doing there, Sir; States gold currency, and a splendid gold where is your regiment?" thundered the watch. His dress was new, and of the General. "From that transport, yer most elegant make, broadcloth coat and honor, and I paid the fellow three dollars pants, and a white satin vest. His shoulto bring me over, so that I could take a der-straps denoted him to be a Colonel. hand in the fight." "You're a brave He early paid the penalty of treason to fellow," remarks the General, "and I will see you cared for." He was directed to his 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, example and threats, in especial, is due

that Government, in defence of which he, above all other American citizens, ought willingly and proudly to have raised his arm and poured forth his blood, instead of fatuitously following the lead of such men as Letcher, Wise, and other Virginia highpriests of treason and blood. To Wise's