Ironton Register 15 Sept. 1887 – John T. Jones belonged to the 5th West Virginia and was a faithful, cheerful soldier. The Register reporter took him in charge the other day and made him tell of his experiences.

He started to tell us about his dressing in reb clothing and going to find Tom Charlton, an account of whose capture and escape the Register gave a few weeks ago, and how he was captured as a rebel by some Union soldiers and brought to camp, and to his captain, who gave him a good kicking for fooling them – “but don’t say anything about that,” said John, “and I will tell you another one.”

“It was on the 3rd of September 1864 at the Berryville fight. The rebs had retreated – though they were – point to give us a fight, we encamped on the evening of that day with the assurance that we were several miles away and we could rest quietly and safely on the field. Now this assurance was particularly interesting to me, for my three-year enlistment was up on that day, and I didn’t have to serve any longer, so I naturally didn’t want to be killed very badly.

“So, we hustled about to rig up our dog tent and cook a little supper. John Charlton and I were putting up the tent, Tom Charlton was off after straw, and Charley Myers was just ready to pour out the coffee and dish up the bacon when the bugle sounded.

We were thunderstruck, but it wasn’t a moment until we learned that the rebs were right on us. Then, there was confusion and hurrying pell-mell to get out of there. It was nearly sunset, and a big storm was coming up to add excitement to the scene.

“We fell back, I should judge, about a mile, where there were woods, where we formed and made ready to resist the enemy. At the edge of the woods was a stone wall of some kind. Behind which we rallied and awaited the coming of the rebs, and we had not long to wait.

We had been ordered to fix bayonets and reserve our fire until they were right on us. This we did, and when we rose and fired, the rebs ranks tumbled in dismay and then we charged right on them. It was a scaly time, especially, I thought, for a fellow whose time was out. This, in fact, intensified by the hissing shells and zipping musket balls so influenced me that I jumped behind a smokehouse but the next moment a shell struck that house and so I jumped out and kept up the charge.

“And then it occurred to me an interesting circumstance. I captured a reb the first in my three years of experience. When I charged forward, I spied a reb, a big fellow with a musket clubbed, apparently ready for me, when I charged bayonet on him and demanded, ‘Surrender you son of a bishop,’ and sure enough, he did surrender, contrary to all my expectations, but very happening to me nevertheless. He dropped his gun and I took him in charge. When he stretched up, he was a six-footer. You better believe I was happy, happy as a girl with her first sawdust doll.

“Our charge soon ended, and we fell back, probably three-quarters of a mile, when we laid down in the line of battle, after drawing 80 rounds of ammunition apiece. While lying there I got pretty cold and seeing a fire back a short distance, I went there to warm up. A lot of officers were there about the fire, most of them lying down and sleeping. So, I laid down right among them, and was soon sound asleep; so sound that I did not wake up till daylight the next morning for I was very tired.

“Imagine my surprise, when I looked around and saw no one, anywhere. I jumped up and looked for where I had left the boys in line and saw no one; there was not a soul in sight. I then made up my mind that the boys had advanced. When I went back to the fire to warm up, I left my gun and accouterments right in line. So, I went back there and sure enough, the gun and cartridge box was on the ground just as I left them. Then I moved forward thinking I’d overtake the boys in a few moments, but the first hello I saw was a reb vidette. Then I scampered back.

“I had not gone far when I came across two of our medical officers lying on the ground asleep. Their horses, tied to their wrists, were quietly grazing. As I ran by, I gave these officers a kick and awakened them. They looked up astonished, but soon took in the situation, mounted their horses, galloped back, and were soon out of sight. When they got to our pickets, they were taken charge of and brought to Gen. Crook, to whom they told their story; at the same time, telling of an infantryman who was still back of them and probably captured by this time.