Union News, Union, NY, March 12, 1863
Letter from the Civil War
Winchester Feb. 19th, 1863: Friend Benedict: Dear Sir: I saw in your paper some time since an extract of a letter written by me to my friend M.C.R., and at the end of the letter I saw an article stating I had many friends that would like to hear from me through the News. Friend B., I was not aware I had a great many, but as you say I have, I will give an account of an expedition and scout I was on the 13th and 14th inst.
Our Company was ordered out with two days rations at 6 o'clock A.M. on the morning of the 13th and to report to the Colonel of the 10th Virginia Regt. which we did. When we got there, we found two teams all ready and waiting for us. We received our orders from the col. and the order was to escort the two teams to Capon Springs, a summer resort to get two loads of mattresses for the hospitals. We arrived there at 4 o'clock P.M.; put our horses in the barn fed and got our supers. By the way, I was asked to supper by an old man, and I accepted. After supper, I posted the pickets and went back to the old man's house and was having a social time, when all at once there was a knock at the door and a call for me. I immediately answered the call and found that a young man had come in and had some information about a gang of bushwhackers and horse thieves. He being a stranger, I watched him close. He told me he could go within nine miles and show me where there was four Government horses that had been stolen from our cavalry at Springfield and said the man that lived there was a ringleader of the bushwhackers' party. It was about 9 o'clock when I got this information. I asked him how many men he thought I had better take. He said fifteen. I turned to the men and said I wanted ten men to go on an expedition at 4 o'clock in the morning. I had no trouble in getting the men. Then I went to the Lieut. and told him what information I had got and told him I would take ten men and the young man as guide and go and see what I could find, with his permission. He said he had no objections, but I must be very careful as it was known there were lots of guerillas in these parts and as we were not ordered any farther than the Springs, it was voluntary that we went.
Well, I started at 4 o'clock and we got to Capon River and found it very high, and the guide said the citizens would not ford it when it was so high as it was. I asked him how deep he through it was. Well, he said it would not come up over the horses' backs. Well, I told him to point out the direction the peril was and told the rest to wait until I got across. I started and got across with only myself wet to the seat of my saddle. I told the boys I was all right, come ahead. We all crossed and away we went on the road forwards Wordonsville, a road I have been on once before. We turned off about 3-1/2 miles from the above-named place into the woods and went a path by file about three miles over a very high mountain and went down it into a hollow between two mountains and there we found the place. I dismounted and the men left two with the horses and we made a descent upon the house which was about one hundred rods, completely surrounding it. I went in and they appeared somewhat friendly at first. They supposed us to be Southern soldiers and I got out of him all I wanted to and then told him his mistake. He looked as though he would sink right into the ground. I then went to searching the house and found ten guns, one Springfield Rifle and an old G.S. Musket and the rest cut rifles. I broke them all across a log except one, that belonged to the old man, about 75 years old. He swore nobody never used it but himself and he had had it since a boy. He appeared to be a very fine old gentleman. I let him keep it. I found one horse and saddle, halter, bridle and blanket, belonging to the Government. Those four horses he had sent away by his brother, that belongs to Imboden's command, two days before I got there. I brought him in and turned him over to the Marshall of the City. Since then, I have learned that they pressed a boy about 16 years old and made him go with them at the time he and his brother shot a Sergeant of Greenfield's Company. He saw them do it. I am going after him soon.
The weather is very rough here. It has snowed and rained all this week, but it is warm today and the snow is melting away fast, and we are in mud almost up to our knees.
I am well. Goodbye.
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