Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/38

 80 Southern Historical Society Papers.

crossing the Confederate works, but had kept straight on in the direction of the Southside Railroad. When this detached fragment faced about and followed the remainder of the command, a few men dropped out and took possession of an old deserted camp that had been occupied by General Mahone's troops during the winter, and began to prepare a hasty breakfast. Corporal John W. Mauk and Private Daniel Wolford, of Company F, One Hundred and Thirty- eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, did not halt with the rest, but kept on in the direction of the Southside Railroad. These two men were coming back from their independent exploring expedition, when General Hill and his sergeant of courier, George W. Tucker (form- erly of Baltimore, now of Frederick county, Md.), came up with them. Mr. Tucker, in the November (1883) number of the Southern Historical Papers, gave a very interesting, and no doubt, perfectly truthful, account of this meeting and its fatal result.

EXTRACT FROM THE NARRATIVE OF GEORGE W. TUCKER.

We went directly across the road into the opposite field, and* riding due south a short distance, the General drew rein, and for a few moments used his field-glass, which, in my still profound ignorance of what had happened, struck me as exceedingly queer. We then rode on in the same direction, down a declivity toward a small. branch running eastward to Old Town creek, and a quarter of a mile from General Lee's. We had gone a little more than half this dis- tance, when we suddenly came upon two of the enemy's armed infantry men. Jenkins and myself, who up to this time rode imme- diately behind the General, were instantly upon them, when, at the command "surrender," they laid down their arms. Turning to the General, I asked what should be done with the prisoners. He said, "Jenkins, take them to General Lee." Jenkins started back with his men, and we rode on.

Though not invited, I was at the General's side, and my attention now having been aroused, and looking carefully ahead and around, I saw a lot of people in and about the old log hut winter quarters of General Mahone's division, situated to the right of Whit worth house and on the top of the hill, beyond the branch we were approaching. Now, as I knew that those quarters had been vacant since about March I5th, by the transfer of Mahcne to north of the Appomattox, and feeling that it was the enemy's troops in possession, with nothing looking like a Confederate anywhere, I remarked, pointing to the