The Women of the ConfederacyUnderwood, J. L. (John Levi)
History
The Women of the Confederacy
Underwood, J. L. (John Levi)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Anecdotes; Women -- Confederate States of America
On hearing this Lola Sanchez stopped her work and listened. After
hearing of the road the foraging party would take and gaining all
necessary information, she told Panchita to entertain them until she
returned. Stealing softly from the house, she sped to the horse lot,
and throwing a saddle on her horse rode for life to the ferry, a mile
distant; there the ferryman took her horse, and gave her a boat. She
rowed herself across the St. Johns, met one Confederate picket, who
knew her and gave her his horse. Out into the night through the woods
she rode like the wind to Camp Davis, a mile and a half away. Reaching
the camp, she asked for Captain Dickinson, (afterwards General
Dickinson) and told him the Yankees were coming up the river Sunday
morning and that the troop from St. Augustine would go out foraging in
a southerly direction. Then leaving the camp, Lola Sanchez rode for
her life indeed. She knew she must not be missed from home. Giving the
picket his horse, she recrossed the ferry, then mounting her waiting
animal she struck out for home. Dismounting some distance from the
house, she turned her horse loose, and reached home in time for supper
and pleasantly entertained her guests until a late hour.
That night Captain Dickinson marched his men to intercept the
Yankees. He crossed from the west to the east side and surprised
them on Sunday. A severe fight ensued. The Yankee General Chatfield
was killed and Colonel Nobles wounded and captured. On that same
Sunday morning the Yankee gunboats went up the St. Johns to surprise
the Confederates. They were very much surprised in turn. The
Confederates were ready for them, disabled a gunboat and captured a
transport; also many prisoners were taken by the Confederates.
The foraging party lost all their wagons, and everything they had
stolen, and again many prisoners were taken, and Captain Dickinson
sent for the three sisters to be at the ferry (the one Lola Sanchez
crossed) to see the prisoners and wagons that had been taken.
Time and again this daughter of the Confederacy aided and abetted the
Southern cause. Some time after a pontoon was captured, and renamed
"The Three Sisters" in compliment to these brave young women. The
pontoon was coming from Picolata to Orange Mills. Mr. Sanchez still
languished in Fort San Marco, however, and Panchita grieved
continuously over her father's unjust incarceration. The old man was
truly innocent, his daughters were the informers, but he did not know
this. Panchita determined to obtain his release if possible. After
some time spent in applying, she got a pass to go through the Yankee
lines, and boarding one of their transports, this young woman went
alone to St. Augustine, and gained her father's freedom, taking him
with her back to the old homestead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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