Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/344

126 The Revere house party penetrated that hotel without further trouble than disarming the careless sentry and having the door opened by an agitated little negro, who exclaimed: "What kind of men is you, anyhow?" General Crook's room was entered after a courteous knock at the door, and the curt reply, "Come in," from the general. Vandiver, Gassman, Daily, Tucker and others promptly accepted the invitation. With the air of a general in authority Vandiver addressed the surprised Federal officer by saying: "General Crook, you are my prisoner!" "By what authority, sir?" said Crook, who had not yet risen from his bed. "General Rosser, sir; Fitzhugh Lee's division of cavalry," was Vandiver's emphatic reply. General Crook rose out of his bed in astonishment, saying: "Is General Rosser here?" "Yes, sir," said Vandiver without a moment's hesitation; "I am General Rosser. We have surprised and captured the town. " General Crook could not gainsay the bold declaration and submitted at once. He said, in referring to the event at a later day, that Vandiver "looked to him like such a man as Rosser might be," and doubtless he did.

The Rangers now secured headquarter flags, and riding quietly down Baltimore street entered the government stables, and chose several fine horses, among them General Kelley's favorite charger, Philippi. All being now well mounted, the Rangers rode away more rapidly, disarming guards as they went and announcing to sentries that they were General Crook's body-guard going out to fight some rebels. Excited and jubilant, they hastened away over the snow-clad roads, pursued unavailingly by parties of Federal cavalry, and after fighting back their pursuers, or eluding them, reached a point of safety from which their distinguished prisoners were sent to General Early's headquarters. In the twenty-four hours they had ridden ninety miles, much of the time at night, while the route traversed included mountains, hill and streams, upon which lay the snow and ice of winter.