by Unknown
By the time I returned the prisoners were securely trussed. “Corporal Jones, take five men and see what is in the warehouse. You two stay with the prisoners and the rest come with me.”
We had to work quickly. So far it had all gone better than we could have expected. Not a shot had been fired. The engineer and the train crew were all tied up and looking less than happy. I decided that the train could be disabled. It would effectively block the line and was quicker than taking up rails. “Get some water and put the fire out. This engine is going nowhere. Release the steam valves. Sergeant Major, detach two men to take these prisoners inside with the others and then come with me.”
I was like a child with a wrapped present as I opened the first of the doors on the railroad cars. To my disappointment it was empty. The second contained boxes and when we examined them we found that they contained tins of beef. It was better than gold. Now we just needed some horses to transport them. “Get these boxes unloaded. See if you can find any horses.”
“Sir!” Cecil raced off. The last two cars also had tinned foods. These were intended for the Union soldiers.
A trooper ran up to me, “Sir Corporal Jones says could you come to the warehouse.”
“Trooper Dawes, take charge here.” As I ran with the trooper I asked, “What has he found?”
“Ammunition sir!”
The day was getting better and better. When I reached the corporal he had a huge grin on his face. “There are just ten boxes sir but they are all full.”
“Well done corporal. Get them taken to the others.” I was just about to order the warehouses to be fired when I heard the wail of an engine. A train was coming into the station. “Better hurry boys. It looks like we have company.”
I ran into the open and looked around. The train was heading from Washington and was about a mile away. Hopefully it would pass through the station without stopping. There were two lines and I hoped that the points were set for the other train to pass. The train we had disabled was on the track the furthest from the platform. I now regretted my order to disable the train. We could have travelled on the train to Brandy Station. Now we might have to fight.
I saw Cecil leading six horses. “Sergeant Major, get those horses under cover and then get all the men into the station; there is a train coming.”
As the men scurried for cover I looked at the station. It looked normal except… there were no guards. I ran into the building. There were four Union jackets hung up. It was a hot day and the men had obviously decided to discard them. I pointed to the nearest three troopers. “Put these on jackets, grab a Yankee hat and then come outside.”
I took a wide brimmed hat from one of the prisoners as I threw a jacket over mine. “Grab a rifle and smile. We are Yankees for the next few minutes.” Over my shoulder I shouted, “Sergeant Major, keep us covered. We do nothing unless we are discovered. If that happens then unleash hell!”
I heard a reassuring, “Yes sir.”
The train began to slow as it approached the station. They sometimes did that when passing through but I had the feeling that this one was stopping. “You three make sure your gun is loaded but do it quietly. We don’t want to arouse suspicion.” I just prayed that this wasn’t a troop train or our war could end very suddenly.
My heart sank as I saw a face wearing a blue uniform peer from one of the cars. There were soldiers on board. The train hissed to a halt. A wall of white steam rose as it shuddered to a stop. The blue uniform I had seen turned out to be a lieutenant. He stepped from the train and strode towards me.
“Where is your officer?”
“He is out the back taking a leak sir.”
He looked me up and down. The jacket looked right but everything else looked wrong. “You boys are a little messy. What unit are you?”
I had to lie. “The fifth Michigan sir.”
He frowned, “I thought they were in the Shenandoah Valley.”
“On detachment sir.” I glanced down the platform. About twelve soldiers had stepped from the train. It was unlikely to be a troop train then.
Perhaps my nervousness and my lie gave me away for he suddenly reached for his gun. I shouted, “Let them have it!” as I swung the butt of the rifle to smash into his jaw. I threw the rifle to the ground and grabbed by Colt. A sergeant was aiming at me with his pistol. I fired as I brought my gun up and he spun around as my ball caught him in the shoulder. There was a cacophony of noise as rifles and pistols blazed away. It was frenetic. More men poured from the train.
I emptied one gun and drew a second. I was firing as fast as I could at anything in a blue uniform. I suddenly remembered that I was wearing blue and, when I emptied my next gun, I discarded the jacket. I hurriedly reloaded one of my guns and looked for another target. As far as I could see and hear the only shots were coming from our men.
“Cease fire!” I checked the troopers who had been with me on the platform. One was dead and Trooper Reed was slightly wounded. It could have been worse. “Trooper Dunn, tie up this lieutenant and put him with the other prisoners.”
Sergeant Major Mulrooney emerged grinning from the station. “Sergeant Major, secure the engine. I have an idea.” As the smoke cleared and the surviving Northerners were rounded up I began to formulate a plan. “Trooper Dawes cut the telegraph wire, you four start loading the boxes on the new train.”
I walked through the carnage of the dead and the dying to the railroad cars. There was one flatbed car with four horses tied to the rail running along its sides. Their white eyes showed their fear. I stroked one as I passed. They would soon calm down. Two of the other cars were empty and the last one held uniforms. My plan might just work.
“Trooper Dunn, bring the prisoners and put them in this car.” I pointed to another trooper. “Go and fetch the horses and put them on the flat car.” I virtually ran down the platform to the engine.
The engineer and his crew were cowering under Cecil’s baleful stare. “Now you boys are now prisoners of the Confederacy. We are going to drive this train to Bristow and pick up some of my men and then on to Brandy Station.”
Cecil’s eyes widened, “You’re going to steal a train?”
“Can you think of another way to get the prisoners and the contraband back to the general?”
He grinned. “No sir.”
“You stay with them until we are ready to leave and then I will ride the footplate.” I ran back to organise the men. The boxes were all loaded as were the prisoners. The horses were being led on to the flatcar. It would be a tight fit as we had the horses stolen by Cecil but we would just manage it. I grabbed half a dozen troopers. “I want every building burning. Use the coal oil. As soon as they are blazing, jump on the train. We are riding home in style.”
They whooped their pleasure. There is nothing more exciting than being told to set fire to something that doesn’t belong to you. Once back at the engine I said, “Sergeant Major, go back and take charge. When the troopers who are setting the fire are on board then wave and we will leave.”
I looked at the engineer, “When I give the order I want this train to fly. You understand?”
“Yes sir.”
As Cecil waved and the train started to move I heard the crack of gunfire. A troop of cavalry had seen the flames and ridden to the train.”Full speed now!” I stuck my head out of the cab. “Open fire!”
Every trooper fired and we had such a wall of lead that the cavalry was stopped, literally in their tracks. The problem was they knew where we were going and they could ride down the road. Would the train beat them to the station and our men? I just hoped that Sergeant James had his wits about him,
We covered the few miles really quickly. I leaned out and waved my cap so that my men would know it was our train. It was with some relief that I saw my men emerge from the station.
“Get the horses on board and your men too. There will be some Yank cavalry on our tail. Get the flag out and hang it from the side. We don’t want our boys shooting at us too.
”
“Sir.” He paused, “A train?”
I shrugged, “I thought you would be happy sergeant, it gives the horses a rest!”
As we pulled out we saw the blue coats of the cavalry thundering down the road. The Sergeant Major had put the best shots in the caboose and they deterred any further pursuit. The engineer and his crew were no trouble. I suspect that they were just doing what they always had done and I kept my pistol holstered whilst I smiled at them. I glanced back along the train and saw that the flag was flying from one of the cars. It would have been better from the engine but it meant that the guards at the station would, at least, pause before they opened fire.
The engineer brought the train to a stately halt at Brandy Station. The steam hissed and the infantry came out with guns levelled. I stepped from the train. “You can lower your guns boys. This is the 1st Virginia Express from Manassas Junction.”
They cheered as my men stepped from the cars. A major rode up. “Well captain. You have done well. What is the cargo?”
“Twenty prisoners, guns, ammunition, food and uniforms sir.”
“Goddam but you are a sight for sore eyes. What is your name sir?”
“Captain Jack Hogan of the 1st Virginia Scouts.”
He slapped his leg. “So you are Lucky Jack! You live up to your name and reputation. I’ll inform the general of your success.”
“Can I leave everything in your hands sir? My men and I would like to get our horses off the train. They prefer solid ground beneath their hooves.”
He waved an expansive hand. “By all means.”
“Sergeant Major, get the horses unloaded; all of them!” I would keep the stolen horses for us. Our need was greater.
We rode in high spirits towards our camp. Night was falling but we had achieved far more than I had thought possible. Danny stepped from the mess tent as we rode in. “I was getting worried about you. Did you get much?”
As I dismounted I flashed a superior smile. “Just a train, twenty prisoners, guns, ammunition food and,” I waved a hand at the horses Sergeant James was leading in, “horses. And you?”
Danny slapped me on the back as Jed laughed. “We captured ten horses and five Yankees and we thought we had done well.”
“It all counts sir. Where is the colonel?”
“He is not back yet. I will now worry about him. Get Copper seen to while I get you some food.”
After we had eaten and washed it down with some fine whiskey sent by General Stuart we waited for the colonel. Danny was impressed by my success. “You did really well and you only lost one man.”
“Yes sir, I did well but I should have destroyed the other train. Even the Union will struggle to replace two trains quickly.”
“Well we have the engineers and the telegraph is down. I think that is enough.”
Just then we heard the sound of cavalry arriving. We went out of the tent and the colonel and his troop began to dismount. The numbers did not add up and I could tell there was a problem. “What happened sir?”
“We ran into an ambush. Lieutenant Spinelli and five men were captured. It was a disaster.”
The joy we had felt at our success evaporated. Dago was now a prisoner of the Yankees.
Chapter 7
We sat in stunned silence as the colonel told us what had happened. “We headed for Leesburg. I figured that we knew it well. Dago took ten men to scout it out but they must have seen us as we approached it and were waiting for us. There was a fire fight and they were surrounded. I saw at lest four men fall and then they had to surrender. We couldn’t reach them and had to escape the troop of cavalry who followed us. It took us until now to escape.”
“But Dago is alive?”
“Yes he is alive. I saw him hand over his sword.”
I stood, ready to leave immediately. “Then let’s get after him. We can be there by dawn.”
The colonel shook his head.”He is a prisoner and we have to accept it. They will have a close guard on him. it will be impossible. I am not going to send more good men to their deaths.”
I began to leave the tent. I was angry and I was not going to let my friend rot in a prison camp. The colonel had been away too long and forgotten our code. “I am going.”
The colonel stood and faced me. “You are not and that is an order.”
Danny stood. He could see how angry we both were. The colonel was not used to us speaking back to him. “Now then boys we are all a little tired. Let’s sleep on it until the morning.” Colonel Boswell’s expression told me that he would not be changing his mind.
I turned and left. If I said anything I would regret it. I was going, no matter what Colonel James Boswell said. Copper would be well rested. I would wait until they were all asleep and slip out. I spent the next hour checking my equipment. I slipped a spare knife into my boot. I loaded my guns and made sure that I had spare ammunition. I left my sword. Finally I donned my deer hide jacket and black slouch hat. I crept to the horse lines and saddled Copper. I was walking away when Copper snorted. Sergeant James and Trooper Ritchie stepped from the shadows. They both had their horses and were armed.
“What are you two doing?” For a moment I wondered if they had been sent to stop me.
“We figured you would want to rescue the lieutenant and thought you might need some help.”
I shook my head, “This might be seen as desertion.”
They both adopted an innocent look. “Not if you order us it won’t be.”
I wavered for a moment. Could I embroil them in my adventure? I knew that, if I went alone, I might not succeed. I would take them and then take the blame if we managed to return. I would not leave any man in Union hands. I had suffered that briefly, and I had not enjoyed the experience. I nodded my thanks, “I appreciate this.”
We left the camp unseen and headed north to the land around Leesburg; the land we had known so well the previous year. As we rode north I wondered what would have changed.
We passed Gainsville in the middle of the night and rested for an hour or so in some woods where we ate a frugal meal of jerky and water. Carlton made sure that the horses were well cared for. We had already given thought to the problem of acquiring horses for our comrades should we succeed in rescuing them. Sergeant James was certain that we could steal some. “There’s bound to be a livery stable or something and they will be good horses too. Those northern boys like fine horses.” He was right the Union supplied their men with the best horses that they could. We had to buy our own.
The late afternoon saw us looking at the outskirts of Leesburg. We found a deserted barn to await darkness. We could sneak around the town in the evening but we would stand out during the hours of daylight.
When we left the barn we took the smaller roads which led into the less busy parts of the town. We knew where the barracks where, we had raided them before and we knew they would be guarded. We had to rely on surprise and ingenuity to get us in. We halted and dismounted about two hundred yards from the main gate. We could see that there was a guard house with at least ten men within. After watching for half an hour we saw that four of them would be on patrol the whole time; they marched in pairs around the perimeter.
We retraced our steps and walked our horses to the other side of the barracks where there was a headquarters building adorned with flags. A half hour observation showed us that there were just two guards outside. While we were watching Trooper Ritchie suddenly pointed to another building just down from the headquarters. There were another two guards but the windows were barred, “Sir, that might be the jailhouse. Do you think?”
“It could be. The problem is that they are within shouting distance of those men in the headquarters building. We will have to do this quietly. Do you two have your coshes?” In answer they both took them out. “Right then here is the plan. You two go around the back streets with the horses. Tie them up on the far side of the jail and then walk slowly back along towards the jail. I will go to the headquarters building and then
the jail. I will engage the two guards in conversation and you two knock them out.”
It was a rough and ready plan but I trusted my two men. The question was could I pull it off? I hoped that my Union slouch hat and deer hide jacket would fool them. I wore a pair of the Yankee pants we had liberated but beneath my jacket I was dressed in grey. They led Copper around the back streets and I crossed the street to the headquarters building. I had learned, when serving as a Ranger, that confidence often succeeded when dealing with sentries. I strode confidently up to them.
“Is Captain Hargreaves of the 5th Maryland Cavalry inside? I have a message for him from our colonel.”
They looked at each other blankly. The older looking soldier said, “There are no Maryland Cavalry officers inside and certainly no captains.”
The younger one nodded. “Yup, Major Blake and Sergeant Davis will be finishing soon anyway.”
I shook my head wearily. “Ain’t that the way though. I hoped he would be here and now I will have to go through every bar in Leesburg looking for him.” I leaned in and spoke confidentially, “He likes a drink. Between the three of us I didn’t really think he would be in here but he is a nice guy and I was hoping.”
They nodded sympathetically. “Sorry we couldn’t help you.”
“Thank you anyway. I’ll try down the next street.” I walked slowly the one hundred yards to the jailhouse. Half way down I leaned against the wooden building and lifted by boot as though I had something stuck on it. I looked under my arm and saw that the two men had gone back to their conversation and had forgotten me. I strode on.
The two guards at the jail looked at me curiously. Behind them I saw Sergeant James and Trooper Ritchie striding towards us. “The two sentries at headquarters asked me to ask you two if you have seen Major Blake. There is a message for him.”
They shook their heads. “No, he isn’t here. I thought he was in the headquarters building.”
“So did they. He must have slipped out. He isn’t inside there is he?” I gestured towards the jail.
“No, there’s just Sergeant McNeil and two guards with those Rebs we caught the other day.”