Gen. Battle and a Stolen Yankee Colt

Being a Confederate Veteran's Answer to the Query of
How the South Would Have Acted Toward the North in Victory

By M. S. Watts
As related to Jack Burgess
By H. W. Battle

[Editors, note: This tale is unfolded here for what is believed to be the first time. It was intrusted to the son of General Battle by one of the principal actors, and as death has now taken all of those directly concerned, he releases it as Soldier Watt's answer to the "Lady From Tennessee."]

It was in a mixed company, several years after Appomattox, in that period when the hurts of war had not yet healed sufficiently to permit of it as a common topic for frivolous conversation.

Perhaps it was the number of veterans who were present at this particular gathering that accounts for the talk's eventual turn to war episodes, but it was in one of those lulls in general conversation that the lady from Tennessee asked the question which instantly crystallized the attention of every one present.

"Do you not believe that had the South been victorious in its struggle that it would have imposed more grievous terms on the North, than the North did on the South?" her clear voice queried.

"For a while," says Mr. Battle, "I am told that no one answered, and then in a sort of bustle of expectancy a youngish man replied with this story which I am giving out now. It was Mr. Watts, and in these words he began:

"It was during Early's campaign in the Valley of Virginia in the year 1864. General Hunter with his army had passed through the valley with the torch and sword, laying waste the land, burning and destroying public property and private alike; mills, barns, private dwellings and public institutions, including the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington," reminisced Mr. Watts.

"At Lynchburg, Hunter was met and turned back by Early, in command of 8,000 troops. This was about the twelfth of June. Hunter retreated back into the valley and thence into the mountains of West Virginia; leaving his smoky trail open from Lexington to the Potomac.

"Through the holocaust of smoke and ashes, Early marched into Maryland and drew up his line of battle in front of the fortifications of Washington. When the big guns on the parapets had belched forth some of their heavy missiles and some reinforcing divisions from Grant's army had been observed, Early found the atmosphere unwholesome, and in the afternoon of the second day of occupation began a retreat to Virginia.

"Nelson's battalion of artillery, to which I belonged, had been parked on a farm with a large Dutch barn. The residence, small and ordinary, was vacant, but with every sign of recent occupation. The stock with the other portable property had been taken away and were then most probably behind the fortifications that threatened us.

*          *          *

"Orders to march had been given; our infantry was moving ahead and the artillery falling in behind. When about to take my place as a cannoneer one of my messmates approached me, exclaiming "Watts, there is a very fine colt in that brick barn and I would like to take it with me to Virginia, but I need some help to capture it"; I readily offered my assistance.

"I was not aware at this time that an order had been made and read publicly to our army forbidding the interference with private citizens or any molestation of their property. My friend and myself were most probably foraging at the time this order was read; for it must be confessed that these fat Dutch dairies were very attractive to men who had so recently left the parched and withered Valley.

"When approaching the barn my friend explained--"the Yankees when near Lynchburg took several of our farm horses, and we need them; this Dutch gentleman doubtless has a surplus or he would have taken this colt with him.'

"Our task proved more difficult than we had anticipated. The colt was in a large room and we had no means of confining it. An hour or more had elapsed when we led out our captive. Our troops were far ahead and the rear-guard column was passing. We were on a line parallel with the rear-guard and about 40 yards distant when a very distinguished looking officer left his command and approaching us on horseback demanded--"Where did you get that colt?"

Mr. Watts recalled the following dialogue:

"My friend being a little embarrassed, I answered, 'From that barn, sir,' pointing back to the building.

"Did you impress it or just take it?" the officer asked.

"We impressed it, sir!" said I.

"And on whose authority?" demanded our inquisitor.

When I replied--"Our own, sir!" The officer turned abruptly in his stirrups and called--"Captain -----, send me a sergeant and four men."

To the sergeant he said--"Have two men take the colt back to that barn; the other two will put these men under guard!"

*          *          *

This distinguished looking officer, with his erect figure smooth grey uniform, guild buttons, gold braid, brilliant stars and yellow buckskin guantlets made a deep impression on me and I knew that I would never forget him, and perhaps never forgive him.

For the remainder of the day and much of the night we marched under guard; and when we lay down at night under the cold Northern stars, we were criminals in charge of the Provost Guard, to be tried by a court-martial and maybe shot for stealing a colt from an enemy.

No rations had been issued to us, and our breakfast was some cold bread found in the havresack of my frugal friend. We were making a forced march, anxious to cross the Potomac before our enemy, who had been reinforced, should overtake us.

About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of that warm July day, we recognized Lieutenant Harris--a messenger from Captain Kirkpatrick, in command of our battery. Harris brought an order from General Battle, whom we now knew to be our distinguished captor. This order required the captain of the guard to release his prisoners to the messenger; identifying us as the captives who had been caught stealing a colt.

Lieutenant Harris explained to us that we had been guilty of a very grave crime and that General Battle had delivered us to Captain Kirkpatrick with the understanding that he would either punish us according to the demands of the law or commit us for trial by a court-martial.

When still under guard, we were brought before our judge; he being a lawyer of renown, explained the nature of our crime in relation to the order of forbidding interference with the property of private citizens in the enemy's country. Our captain now informed us that General Battle in releasing us had stipulated that we might either accept such punishment as he--the captain--might dictate or submit to a trial by court-martial. We were a little stubborn about it, but to save our families and friends the mortification of a public trial and disgrace we accepted the captain's terms.

Our sentence was, to stand two hours each day, one hour in the morning and one in the afternoon on a metal top caisson in the delightful July sunshine, and fully exposed to the view of our camp. And our crime was to be published as "The Stealing of a Colt."

*          *          *

Early's army reached Virginia safely and went into camp near Martinsburg, with the exception of two minor engagements, one at Snicker's Gap, the other at Kernstown with detached troops, we were undisturbed for several weeks, whilst Sheridan reorganized his army south of the Potomac.

This rest was much appreciated, as we had been on the march almost continuously since we left Richmond on the twelfth of June. It was now the twenty-second of July. Our days in camp were occupied with patching the old shoes, doing some laundry work and exterminating cooties.

Sheridan who had succeeded Hunter on seventh of August did not begin active operations against his adversary until about the middle of September. On September 19 with 50,000 troops he fought Early at Winchester with 14,000. Here Early lost 4,000 troops, or 30 percent of his army, whilst the enemy had lost 5,000 or only 10 per cent of his force.

Three days later Sheridan renewed the battle at Fisher's Hill. Here Early's army realized its weakness, now only 10,000 strong. His battle line reached from the river to the mountain, the turnpike running through the center, the only road across the ridge known as Fisher's Hill.

It was a strong position for the Southern army, yet a brilliant manoeuvre on the part on the part of the Federal commander came near to being a knock-out blow for Early. Early in the day Sheridan started a strong force up what was known as the back valley on a road across the mountain and parallel to the Valley Pike. This force was expected to cross the mountain in the afternoon and just at the right time strike Early's left flank.

Believing his flank to be fully protected by the mountain, Early concentrated his force along the right and left pike. Battle's brigade on the left reached the foot of the mountain and was supported by Kirkpatrick's battery, and along a rail fence up the mountain side was a thin line of cavalry, dismounted.

During the day there had been heavy skimishing at different points along the line, but there had been no action on the left until about 4 o'clock when the Federal commander threw a heavy skirmish line in our front.

For half an hour or more there was a constant fire along a ravine that separated the two lines of battle, but no general engagement. Our battery had not yet been brought into action.

The sun had nearly reached the mountain top when a Yankee yell rolled down the mountainside that made the forest tremble. Our cavalry rushed down like the swine with an overdose of devils. To their credit be it said, they reformed their line in rear of our artillery.

Our battery was faced to the left with orders to shell the woods with double-canister. Colonel Nelson, from the right dashed up with Massie's battery to reinforce Battle's brigade. Captain Massie commanded the Fluvanna artillery, Nelson's battalion and he was killed the next day on the retreat up the valley and First Lieutenant C. G. Snead was promoted to captain the battery. The alabamians were fighting in two directions and in imminent danger of being crushed by the closing sides of an acute angle. Looking along this line I again saw the distinguished looking officer with the buck-skin gauntlets, and gold braid. In his hands now was a cedar stake which he had pulled from the fence. Where a nervous man swerved from the line he appeared behind him, crying "Close-up! On your life!"

*          *          *

While that column of Southern chivalry quivered in the smoke and held two opposing lines at bay our battery was firing the double-canister; and in some instances one gun was trailed over another and our men on the left seemed in danger of being shot by their own guns.

The sun was now behind the mountain and the little cove at the base of the hill was dark with smoke. Suddenly the firing ceased. The flanking column had not dared to emerge from the woods. And the battle of Fisher's Hill was over.

In the twilight our artillery began to withdraw, followed soon by the infantry, leaving only a rear-guard.

Sheridan followed our retreat up the valley completing the devastation begun by Hunter. In the language of General Fitz-Lee---"The beautiful Valley of Virginia was a barren waste, and from the mountain's breast was reflected the light of 2,000 burning barns. 70 mills filled with wheat and farming utensils, while in front of the victorious army were driven thousands of heads of stock."

Such was the prospect of the inoffensive citizens of the Valley as the winter of 1864 approached. And this was my answer to the Tennessee lady who had asked if the South would not have imposed harder terms on the North?