Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1877 — A False Guide’s Fate. [ARTICLE]

A False Guide’s Fate.

Lieut. Robert Black, in the Philadelphia Times, relates the following incident of Col. Dahlgren’s famous raid around Richmond: “We now learned we were about three miles from Dover Mills and ten miles below Columbia Mills. Our guide, the negro spoken of in the first part of this narrative, and who had been assigned to this expedition, misled us during the night, and, to obviate the delay of retracing our steps, Col. Dahlgren, on the representation of the guide that an excellent ford was to be found at Dover Mills, concluded to cross at that point. After two hours’ halt we again moved on and reached Dover Mills, but only to meet disappointment. The negro had 'deceived us; no ford existed at this point, nor was there any means of crossing the river. He then stated that the ford was three miles below; this was most obviously false, as the river was evidently navigable to and above this place, as we saw scows and a sloop going down the river, and it would seem impossible that he should not know that no ford existed in the neighborhood, where he had seen vessels daily passing. Col. Dalhgren had warned him that if detected acting in bad faith or lying we would surely hang him, and after we left Dover Mills and had gone down the river so far as to render prevarication unavailing, the Colonel charged him with betraying us, destroying the whole design of the expedition and hazarding the lives of every one engaged in it, and told him that he should be hung in conformity with the terms of his service. The negro became greatly alarmed; stated confusedly that he was mistaken; thought we intended to cross the river in boats, and finally said that he had aone wrong and was sorry, etc. The Colonel ordered him to be hung; a halter strap was used for the purpose, and we left the miserable wretch dangling by the road-side. His body was afterward cut down by the rear-guard.” Why is a man who has got up an hour after 7 like a man with a vegetable time-piece ? Because he has got a potato clock (got up at eight o’clock).