A Summer in Maryland and Virginia; Or, Campaigning with the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.: A Sketch of Events Connected with the Service of the Regiment in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley, VirginiaPerkins, George
History
A Summer in Maryland and Virginia; Or, Campaigning with the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.: A Sketch of Events Connected with the Service of the Regiment in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Perkins, George
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories -- Ohio; United States. Army. Ohio Infantry Regiment, 149th (1864)
I will not go into detail in regard to the capture of Philip Frank of my
company, and myself, by a body of rebel cavalry, and taken back to
Frederick, but will relate one incident. The cavalry who had captured
us, met the infantry, who demanded of them, that they turn over the
prisoners to them because they had done all of the fighting, and were
entitled to take charge of the prisoners. A fierce quarrel arose, they
drew guns on each other, and a fight was about to take place, when a
cavalry officer rode up, ordered the infantry to march on, and the
cavalry to take us to the rear. After marching a short distance they
halted us and said that they would have to give us up soon, and that we
would be searched when they turned us over, and that as they had
captured us, we were their prisoners, it was their first search. They
began, and took away what we had, that they wanted, combs, knives and
some silver money that I happened to have, but they did not get rich,
for we did not have much for them to get. We marched back to Frederick
City, and were halted in the main street, where we were turned over to
the infantry. While there, some of the loyal ladies of the town came
with a basket of food, and gave some to us, which tasted very good, as I
had only two hard tack and a pint of coffee that day. They would not
give our guard any of it so they became angry and drove them away.
While here, more prisoners were brought in, and we marched through the
town, and went into camp for the night in a field outside the limits.
The next morning we marched back through the town, and on about four
miles to Monocacy Junction. We passed through the battle field, where
the dead and wounded were still lying on the ground, where they had
fallen. At the junction we were joined by five hundred prisoners, who
had been captured and brought there the night before. These men had
drawn two days’ rations from the rebels, but we did not get anything.
However, there was no help for it, and we started on the Rockville road
toward Washington, passing through part of the field of Monocacys battle
of the day before. Some of the wounded were lying by the road side, and
begged us piteously for water. My canteen was filled with water, and I
stepped out of ranks to give the poor fellows a drink, but a rebel guard
drew his gun on me and swore he would shoot if I did not get back into
line. I told him I only wanted to give the wounded men a drink, when he
said let some of the Yankee citizens round here give them water. At
that, I took off my canteen and threw it over to the wounded men. My
guard at that said, “I was a fool, and that I would need a canteen
before I got one.” This was true for I never had another, but often
needed one.
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