Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/548

 The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid Against Richmond. 547

company, thirteen years of age at the time, captured the notorious ' Dahlgren Papers.' The name of this boy is William Littlepage.

" Littlepage and myself were at Stevensville when the rangers passed that place on their way to the appointed place of ambush. Being determined to participate in the affair, we set off on foot, hav- ing no horses to ride, and reached the rendezvous a little after dark. The Yankees came up in a few hours, and were fired on. Imme- diately after this fire, and while it was still doubtful whether the enemy would summon up courage enough to advance again, in a word, before any one else ventured to do so, Littlepage ran out into the road, and finding a ' dead Yankee ' there, proceeded to search his pockets to see, as he said, if he might not be fortunate enough to find a watch. The little fellow wanted to own a watch, and, as the Yankees had robbed me, his teacher, of a gold watch a short time before, I suppose he concluded that there would be no harm in his taking a watch from a 'dead Yankee;' but his teacher always discouraged any feelings of this kind in his pupils. Littlepage failed to secure the prize by not looking in the overcoat pockets, and the watch (for there was really one) was found afterwards by Lieutenant Hart. But in searching the pockets of the inner garments, Little- page did find a cigar-case, a memorandum-box, etc.

" When the Yankees had been driven back and thrown into a panic by the suddenness of our fire and the darkness of the night, a Con- federate lieutenant, whom the enemy had captured at Frederick's Hall, embraced the opportunity presented to make his escape, and actually succeeded in getting over to our side.

" We could, by this time.-hear the enemy galloping rapidly over the field, and arrangements were soon made to prevent their possible escape. Our force determined to go down the road towards King & Queen Courthouse, and barricade it.

"But, as before mentioned, myself and the only member of my company I had with me, were on foot, and unable to keep up with the horsemen. It was therefore decided that the prisoners whom we had captured should be left in my charge. In the confusion, how- ever, all the prisoners had been carried off by others, save the one claiming to be a Confederate officer, which he afterwards proved to be and a gallant one at that. But, under the circumstances, I felt compelled to treat him as an enemy, until time should prove h

friend.

"Wishing to find a place of safety, and feeling that it wot hazardous for so small a party to take any of the public roads (for