Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 24, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1901 — Interesting War Incidents Recalled. [ARTICLE]

Interesting War Incidents Recalled.

An interesting and tragical history of a Rensselaer soldier of the civil war was recalled by the brief visit here, Monday, of Wm. W. Warner and wife of Cincinnati. He was born in Rensselaer and came here to revisit the scenes of his earliest recollections, and to renew the acquaintance of his relatives, the Wright family. He is now a prosperous buggy manufacturer, and had not seen Rensselaer for 27 years. . At the breaking out of the civil war his father, John Warner owned and occupied the property in Newton’s addition, noto ovfcied by Mrs. Geo. Hoover. He, John Warner, enlisted in the 99th Indiana regiment, and soon developed a great boldness and appitude as a scout, and as such had some of the most remarkable adventures that ever fell to the lot of a citizen of our county. One of these adventures was related many years ago in the Rensselaer Union, the predecessor of The Republican, by Warner’s comrade in arms, Ge". O. Pumphrey, now of our city. It occured in Nov. 1862, near Holly Springs, Miss., but will be only briefly related now. A rebel cavalry man was captur- ! ed, and next day Warner put on : his butternut uniform and went out j foraging several miles from camp. He stopped at a house where, in the supposed character of a rebel soldier, he was fed at the top notch by the old lady and the boys and girls of the house. He could not resist telling them, later, that he was a “yank,” and thereupon the boys and girls took to the woods. There were lots of’rebel soldiers around close, and Warner had not gone far towards camp before six of them came after him on horseback- Be got behind a tree, and as they stopped to open a fence he shot the dismounted one in the arm with his revolver. The others charged after him so fast that they ran clear past, and Warnef rushed out and picked up the wounded reb’s 16 shot carbine. As the others came back, he shot another in the shoulder and he fell from his horse. The horse, a fine gray,

ran clear to the Federal lines, and was captured and afterwards ridden by their Lieutenant Col. of the 99th, Dick DeHart of Lafayette. Warren was soon surrounded and captured. They started him to wards the rebel camp between two guards, One of these guards bad a big bag of gold coins and bank bills, which he said he had taken from a d—d Yankee and this he handed to one of the other rebs, telling him to keep it for him. Warner had not gone far before he watched his chance and snatched a carbine from one of his guards, and got a bead on the other one, making him also drop his gun. Both guards then lit out on their horses. Warren picked up both guns, and hurried back and overtook the two men, one of whom bad the big of money, and made him Laud it over. With this he returned to the federal camp in safety, and found he had captured 12002. Warner’s last and fatal adventure occurred in Feb. 1863, near Summerville, Tenn. His colonel sent him and two comrades 15 miles to investigate a well known meeting place of confederate soldiers. At night dressed in rebel uniform, Warner, leaving his companies hidden onside, went boldly in among a houseful of the enemy. Soon after his comrades heard a terrible uproar in the house, a man, probably Warner, got out and tried to escape but was caught by blood-hounds. The oomradea returned to their camp, and the next day 500 Union soldiers went back 1

to the house, but found only one elderly woman there. f She said the rebels had killed Warner and disposed of his body, which was never found, and nothing more has ever been learned of his fate.

Only a few weeks after his death his wife went up to Gillam Tp. to visit her relatives, the Farises, and was taken with erysipelas and died, and was buried there. About the same time or a little before, the oldest daughter died. The remaining children, two girls and a boy, the latter the Wm. W. Warner above mentioned, were taken to Ohio, by their relatives. The $2,002 was sent here, and Mrs. Warner received word of its safe arrival the very day before she died.