One of the Coolest deeds on record.
General Benjamin F. Kelly, of
West Virginia, who died July 16, 1891, near
Oakland, Md., was captured with
General Crook at
Cumberland, Md., during February, 1864, by a detachment of
Neill's
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Rangers, led by ‘
Dr.’
J. L. Vandiver, a veterinarian, who resides at
Millwood, Clarke county.
It was one of the most daring episodes of the war, as
Cumberland was then occupied and surrounded by eight thousand Federal troops.
John Fay and
Sprigg Lynn, who were members of
Neill's command, lived in that city, and had been in the habit of making trips there.
They suggested the plan, which was carried out by
Vandiver, who had under his charge fifty-seven men. The story often narrated by
Vandiver, is briefly summed up as follows:
General Crook had just been assigned to the command of the department which embraced
Cumberland, and had relieved the late
General B. F. Kelly.
General Kelly had not yet left the city, and was stopping at the
St. Nicholas Hotel, while
General Crook had his headquarters at the
Revere House.
On that February night they slept in fancied security without the slightest idea that there were Confederates within striking distance who would be bold enough to make any attempt to enter the town.
Vandiver and his band were about twenty-seven miles from
Cumberland.
The snow, he says, was two feet deep when they started down the valley and crossed the south branch of the
Potomac.
They forded the river in the running ice and slush, and the water was high enough to wet every man. They captured the first pickets with which they came in contact, and, by stringing a German soldier to the limb of a tree by a bridle rein, they secured from him the countersign, which was ‘
Bull's Gap.’
With this pass-word in their possession they moved on down the county road to
Cumberland.
On the way they ran into a squad of thirty or forty infantry, who halted them and demanded that one dismount and give the countersign.
They dashed into this squad and captured them, broke their guns, and, as
Vandiver said, frightened them almost to death by telling them that the city of
Cumberland was surrounded, and that by morning their generals would be captured.
He told his prisoners that on account of the depth of the snow he could not take them with him, but each agreed to take a verbal parole.
They then rode deliberately into the town as cool as though they were Union troops, and, when accosted, informed the inquiring soldiers that they were scouts from
New Creek.
Vandiver himself took the responsibility of securing
General Crook from the
Revere House, and to the well-known
Kuykendall was assigned the duty of securing the person of
General Kelly.
Kuykendall took six men, and at 3:30 o'clock in the morning the scouts dismounted
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and coolly entered the
St. Nicholas.
They found
General Kelly in bed and
Kuykendall, who was known to
General Kelly, having been captured previously, recognized him at once and demanded his surrender.
The General desired to know whom he was surrendering to, and
Kuykendall emphatically informed him that it was to him,
Kuykendall, and him only, and told him further that there was no time for ceremony.
The General accepted the position and promptly obeyed.
Vandiver in the meantime had repaired to the
Revere House, captured the sentinel in charge by pretending to be a dispatch-bearer to
General Crook, and finally succeeded in reaching his bed-room.
He announced himself to the astonished General as
General Rosser, of the Confederate army, informed him that he was a prisoner of war, and told him that he had two minutes to dress.
The General hesitating,
Vandiver told him that his clothes were there, and that he could either put them on or be taken as he was.
It is needless to say that the
General dressed, and dressed quickly.
They took him to the street,
Vandiver mounted his horse, and the
General was placed on the horse behind him. They rode down and were joined by the party who had taken
General Kelly from his bed at the
St. Nicholas, and in a little while they were out beyond the confines of
Cumberland.
The countersign, ‘
Bull's Gap,’ now stood them in hand, and they got a start before the alarm was spread.
They reached
Romney without any trouble, except an exchange of shots with a handful of cavalry that had got together and pursued them.
