Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/117

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< -rate plans, and, instead of a small train guard, he had his whole- division behind the wagons. He waited till the attack was made upon the front, when he threw a large force upon the Manor grade, a mad running parallel with the Luray road, and took possession of Chester's (iap, Chapman's line of retreat. The latter promptly attacked the train, when he, in turn, was attacked in his rear. He immediately turned upon the force behind him, determined to cut his way out. The Federals, who had preceded him to the gap, had thmwn a strong line across a narrow defile under the command of a captain or major, who stood upon foot in the middle of the road. Chapman formed his men in column, and boldly charged through this line. In the mele, the Federal captain saw he would be cap- tured or ridden down, and offered to surrender himself; but the press- ure behind the Confederates was too great for them to stop to parley with one man, and some of those in the rear, not understanding the situation, emptied their revolvers into the captain, killing him instantly. The most of Mosby's men succeeded in getting away, but some had their horses shot, and others were cut off. Among these were, Anderson, Love, Overby, Carter and Henry Rhodes, of the Twenty-third Virginia Regiment. Custer determined to wreak summary vengeance upon these men. Rhodes was lashed with ropes between two horses, and dragged in plain sight of his agonized rela- tives to the open field of our town, where one man volunteered to do the killing, and ordered the helpless, dazed prisoner to stand up in front of him, while he emptied his pistol upon him. Anderson and Love were shot in a lot behind the court house. Overby and Carter were carried to a large walnut tree upon the hill between Front Royal and Riverton, and were hanged. The writer saw the latter under guird in a wagon lot. They bore themselves like heroes, and endured the taunts of their captors -with proud and undaunted mein. One of them was a splended specimen of manhood tall, well knit frame, with a head of black, wavy hair, floating in the wind, he looked like a knight of old. While I was looking at them, General Custer, at the head of his division, rode by. He was dressed in a splendid suit of silk velvet, his saddle bow bound in silver or gold. In his hand he had a large branch of damsons, which he picked and ate as he rode along. He was a distinguished looking man, with his yellow locks resting upon his shoulders. Rhodes was my friend and playmate, and I saw him shot from a distance, but did not at the time know who it was.