Today in History:

538 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 538 N. AND SE.VA., N.C., W.VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LVIII.

husband had started that afternoon to Maryland to avoid them. The young man, David Light, they took with them. I could learn nothing of him in Smithfield. He had not been brought there by the rebels. The citizens believe he was conscripted and taken in another direction. I could not trace them from Bunker Hill.

I am, colonel, respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY C. INWOOD,

Captain, Provost-Marshal.

Lieutenant Colonel D. S. WALKER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Numbers 12. Report of Brigadier General Samuel S. Carroll, U. S. Army, commanding Second Infantry Division, Department of West Virginia, of operations March 30.

CUMBERLAND, MD., March 31, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report that a party of McNeill's band of marauders, numbering some thirty or forty, last evening shortly before dusk came to the railroad about three miles east of Patterson's Creek; finding a small party of railroad breakement there, they forced them to take up a few rails and turn the track so as to throw the engine of, headed in an embankment. About 7 o'clock, as the train from the east approached, they fired a few shots, when the engineer immediately whistled down brakes, and the speed was slackened enough to prevent a complete smash-up, through the engine and two cars ran off the track. The guerrillas then entered the cars and robbed the male passengers of their money, watches, and, in some instances, overcoats, hats, and boots; opened some of the mail bags, taking part of the contents; they then fired the train and took off, with two captains and two lieutenants that were on board as passengers. They did not have the train in their possession over twenty minutes; no on was hurt. Troops from Patterson's Creek and Green Spring Run arrived on the spot about an hour after the occurrence. I got the information about 8.30 o'clock, by telegram from Green Spring Run, and immediately telegraphed to the command there to send a company out to Frankfort to try and head the guerrillas off; also telegraphed to New Creek for 150 cavalry to start immediately toward the Romney road, for the same purpose. The commanding officer at Green Spring Run had sent a company before he got my dispatch. The cavalry from New Creek started shortly after 9 o'clock. I sent from this place, as soon as the cars could be got ready, 150 infantry on a train with two engines, to the scene of the disaster. They got there about 11.15 o'clock. The passengers were transferred to the passenger cars sent down for them, and got here about 1.30 o'clock. the troops returned shortly after, finding there were as many men there from Patterson's Creek and Green Spring Run as could be sued to advantage in clearing the debris from the track. The guerrillas se the cars on fire, but it was extinguished before doing much damage. The result of the affair is the loss to the male passengers of their money, watches, and jewelry, and, in a few instances, part of their outer clothing; the loss of a small part of the mail, severe injuries to the engine and one passenger and one baggage car, and slight injuries to three passenger cars. Troops from this point could


Page 538 N. AND SE.VA., N.C., W.VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LVIII.