Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/521

 520 Southern Historical Society Papers.

commissioned officers, and seventy-five men, besides about fifty con- trabands and a number of extra horses.

After leaving Dabney's Ferry, we took the road to Stevensville ; when on a hill between the ferry and Aseamancock Creek we saw a company of infantry in the road, but a charge sent them to the woods. We went on with all the speed we could, and at dark crossed the creek and stopped to feed and rest for about half an hour then off again, and had not gone but a short distance when Lieutenant Mer- ritt, who was still in advance, came back and told Dahlgren he would have to have more men, as the road was stopped with mounted troops, who seemed determined to make a stand.

At this, the Colonel, Major Cook and myself hurried forward, sending an order back along the line to hurry up the men. When we came up, Dahlgren took the lead, and with his revolver in hand rode close up to the men in the road and demanded their surrender. This was answered by a defiant demand on their part for us to surrender. At this Dahlgren attempted to shoot the officer in charge of the Con- federates, but the weapon hung fire. Almost instantly a volley was fired into our left flank along our line by the enemy who lay in am- bush not over twenty feet from the road. This stampeded us for about one hundred yards, every horse in our column turning to the rear. When we pulled up we found that Dahlgren was killed (this some knew before, having seen him fall). Major Cook had lost his horse, but all the balance were all right. We then moved out into a field on our right and waited their coming, but they did not come. We then held a council, and determined to abandon the horses, and all try and make their escape. We succeeded in getting away that night, but on the next were captured.

Colonel Dahlgren's body was mutilated to the extent of cutting off a finger to get a ring he wore. I can name the man who did it, and I was the means of his sister, Miss M. M., getting it after the war. But the worst indignity was having his body taken up after we had him decently coffined and buried at Stevensville and taken to Rich- mond, and then taken out of the city and buried in an unknown grave so he could never be found His sister did find him, how- ever, and he is now lying north of Mason and Dixon's line. This was done on their part on account of the papers said to have been found on his dead body. As to the papers, I don't believe he had any such, as has been claimed by the Confederates. The unfortunate raid cost me and others over five months' close confinement, and treatment such as no brutes should receive.