REMINISCENCES OF T. B. WYATT
The section of the country from the Wilderness, Fredericksburg,
Guines Station, Louisa, etc., was famous for Yankee
scouting and some big battles. The roads and land were generally
level and the roads composed of sand mixed with clay. Many
wattle fences were to be seen in this neighborhood. These fences
were made with split cedar stakes driven down about two feet
apart and cedar brush wattled in, which made a tight and almost
impregnable fence. These fences were renewed annually with
new cedar brush. The roads were built with reference to saving
distance, but necessarily there were a good many angles.
One evening in early spring, 1863 I heard that the Yankees
were in our section. I started on a voyage of discovery down the
Needwood Road by the Hunters, Vaughan, Grubbs, Peatross,
Moores, Hurts, Seays, Concord Church, Needwood, Bowers Store
and Bethel Church. Then I came into the main road from Mangohick
to Hanover Court House, and there I saw a Yankee cavalry-man
going toward Hanover Court House at full speed. I
could have captured him with his fine horse and accoutrements.
I went back to Taliaferro Hunter's and, firing him with zeal
and enthusiasm at my lost opportunity, he decided to go back
with me and try his luck the next morning. Early the next day
I fixed up my Sharpe's carbine or army gun, from which, owing
to an explosion, eight or ten inches had been taken off. After
pocketing half a dozen home made cartridges of brown paper and
G. D. caps, Hunter and I started out looking for the Yankees and
hoping that we might find a straggler and take him in. We
had not ridden very far before people along the road stopped us,
asked us what we meant by facing in battle array a Yankee
army, and begged us to go back home.
When we had gotten six miles from home, three hundred
yards from Dr. R. T. Wortham's home, "The Grove," we had
come to the end of these wattle fence angles (not "the bloody
angle.") At the front end, within fifty yards of us, were four
Yankees moving in a slow, quiet walk. On account of the wattle
fence we were unable to escape and hastily I threw the old carbine
over the fence, hoping it would escape notice. However, one of
the sharp-eyed Yanks saw it going over and immediately went
after it, while the other three took possession of us and our
horses. They laughed heartily upon seeing my old dilapidated
weapon and its crude worn out condition when compared with
fine arms of the Yanks. When we reached Dr. Wortham's
house, the ladies were sitting on the piazza, and on approaching
I hollered "The Yanks have me."
Our captors then took us to Pamunkey bridge, where their
command had made camp. After loitering there for several
hours, we marched liesurely down the river to Mr. Geo. Taylor's
home, an old time, colonial, fine brick mansion. The Yanks
camped in front of the house and in the midst of a magnificient
wheatfield the extent or size of the field being easily two or three
hundred acres, and the wheat not ripe but in full flower, headhigh,
and the stake so strong that a tin plate would easily be held up
by the stalks. Soon after getting there, Captain Ward, Company
F, 9th or 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry, an exceptionally nice man,
took us up to Mr. Taylor's to get lunch. Mr. Taylor received us,
Taliaferro and me, but showed no friendliness for the Yank.
On getting back to the camp one of the four Yanks who captured
us, came up, pulled out his pistol, pointed it at me and said he
was going to shoot me. He had been drinking and I was very
much frightened indeed. Fortunately, another Yank came along
and made him put his gun up and leave. We were then taken
before Colonel Spears. He asked us what we were doing there.
I told him I heard the Yankees were in the neighborhood and had
come to find the best way to get out of their reach. He said,
"You are a spy. We will have you shot." Hunter said that I
then commenced praying. That night we slept in the woods
with only the sky and the stars for covering, Yankees on all
sides of us.
