Show 33 FOOLED BY the confederate guerilla got the federal mid made a lined the man with the coolest nerve I 1 ever met raid colonel A E deitert Seit ert who was in a reminiscent mood was colonel john S mosby I 1 was a high private at harpers ferry when that place was captured by stonewall jackson in 1862 after waiting or some time for our we were ordered down to fairfax court house va were we were on the lookout for mosby one cold clear night in february waa on duty on the warrenton road I 1 had post two I 1 was walking my post almost on the double quick trying to keep warm when I 1 heard a troop of cavalry coming down the warrenton road at a quick trot they were stopped by the min m in on post one all right and then came down on my post when they came close enough tc me I 1 halted them friends with alie countersign counte waa the answer to my challenge one man dismount dismon nt and advance with the countersign was my next command A well dressed officer dismounted and advanced to the point of my bayonet and gave the countersign jamaica countersign correct I 1 shouted shou teu pass on there were about three hundred of them a motley crew in appearance but they were a jolly lot singing talking and laughing they passed on and in adny I 1 was relieved and boon was sound asleen early morning the seargent of the guard roused me up and told me i was wanted at headquarters in charge of an orderly I 1 went when I 1 got there the man who was on post one was ahead ot me he was ushered into he presence of general alexander our commanding officer and wien lie came out I 1 went in you had post two at last night demanded the general 1 I had sir tell me about the troop of cavalry that pasted conr post 1 I told him what had happened well he said grimly you did it and he dismissed me 1 I discovered pretty soon that the men I 1 had passed were command with mosby at their head they hal ridden through the entire camp taken the tent of one of the general officers mounted it on a mule and escaped with it to the confederate lines how did he get the password we found out that afterward at one of the outposts was the rawest kind of a raw recruit while he was on picket duty a man dressed in a captains uniform with the red eash of the officer of the day across his breast approached him he challenged and the officer re officer of the day with the counter ign advance and give the countersign the officer advanced and gave a word which was not the correct one not right said the sentinel and you cant pass after considerable wrangling the ff icer insisted that hia word was right ho exclaimed angrily what word have you got the man said the sergeant of tho guard gave me the word jamaica and nobody can pass without it the officer was no other than mosby himself he had all he wanted and waiting foe night got his men together and made the successful raid for cool nerve it beat anything I 1 ever heard of new york herald |