Tom Charlton Interesting War Experiences
Narrow Escape #37
Ironton Register – July 28, 1887
Submitted by Shirley Reed
“Did you ever hear of Tom Charlton’s capture?” Gen. Enoch asked us one day later.
“No, but he is in town now, and if there is anything in it, I’ll try to get it,” said the reporter.
“Well, sir,” said the General, “it is the funniest and, at the same time, the most thrilling _______ I know of. Be sure and get him to tell it to you.”
Mr. Thomas Charlton, with ___________, Alabama, was in town at the time to attend the funeral of his _________ John, and the next day we met him and asked him to tell us about his capture and escape. He hesitated, at first, saying there was so much in it that looked like boasting, but we insisted, and so he related the incident substantially as follows:
“I belong to Co. H. 5th West Va. Infantry. In the spring of 1864, in the first part of May, Crook and Averill had gone down to burn the bridge a Neubern, on Va. And Tenn. R.R., our regiment, was left at Meadow Bluff. About the __th of May, a ____ arrived from Crook, giving the ___ that his army was __________ and ___________ our regiment to forage down as far as Lewisburg to get supplies for his troops, who were out of rations.”
“At the same time, Blazer’s Scouts came in tired and worn out ______man from such of our companies and ordered to join him and recuperate his force. My company picked me. It wasn’t healthy to belong to Blazer’s Scouts just then, for he had recently hung six bushwhackers, and it would be death for any of his men to fall into the reb’s hands. But I was in for it, so I put on my spurs and mounted my __________.
“We proceeded down the road toward Lewisburg to Tutwiler’s farm, and three of us went down to poke around in his barn to see if we could scare up any provisions. It was then after dark. There being none, we returned, and a short distance further on, our company of ________ went into camp. I took a bucket and went out to a spring, a short distance, when at last we stopped in an orchard, where they investigated me.
“The big fellow said, ‘You are one of Blazer’s Scouts.’ I protested that I was not. He said, ‘I know you are,’ at the same time raising his rifle to shoot me. I thought sure it was the last of me, but the little fellow interfered and said, ‘Don’t shoot the boy.'” The big one kept insisting, and I kept denying that I was one of Blazer’s Scouts, and the little fellow all the time interfered to save me and finally did.”
“Then we started for the mountain. Before and on this little march, I was scared lest my spurs would give me away. If the rebs only discovered those spurs, they’d know I belonged to Blazer’s Scouts, and nothing would save me. I thought as I walked, they would certainly hear the spurs’ noise; when we climbed a fence, I felt sure the spurs would give me away. At last we stopped to rest, and all sat down, and then was my chance. When we arose from there, my spurs didn’t get up with me. I had slyly taken them off and left them on the ground.”
“We had gone some distance up the mountain when we stopped at a large frame house and stayed all night. The following day we went to Muddy Creek mountain. We stopped at a home in an opening of the woods. I could see Lewisburg and our camp from there. The bushwhackers came and went in squads and companies. Some poked fun at me, and some threatened me. An older woman and four children occupied the house. Here my captors would take turns guarding me.
“By this time, I had learned their names; the big fellow was Bumgarner, and the little fellow, was Walker. At one time, I was left with Bumgarner, who had the revolver, Walker having gone away with the gun. Well, it was in the house, and Bumgarner sat in a chair before the fire place. Directly he went to sleep, his revolver lying across his lap.
“There was an iron shovel, a rough iron handled and heavy affair, standing by the fireplace. I took this, got back of Bumgarner, drew back the shovel, and aimed a blow at him. The woman looked on with wide open and horrified eyes, but did not utter a shriek. Somehow, I couldn’t strike, the shovel trembled in my hands awhile, and I laid it down without even waking Bumgarner.
“And well I did, for six bushwhackers appeared at the door. Had I struck him, I would have been a dead soldier a minute after. But it was not yet safe, in my mind. I was afraid the woman would tell on me; but she didn’t. She kept the affair closely to herself. The bushwhackers wakened Bumgarner and made great sport of him, telling him how busy it would have been for his prisoner to have killed him.”
“After while, Walker returned, and we moved to another house where there was an old woman and her two daughters. There were about 150 bushwhackers at the house and on the premises. Here, while being left in the house alone with the women for awhile, the old women frightened me no little by informing me that I was in the hands of a dangerous man — that “Bumgarner had murdered four men.”
“Stopping here but a while, we went further down the mountain to another house, where an old man and his wife lived alone. Here Bumgarner left and Walker staid to guard me. After being here a short time, we went to a flax house nearby, where we laid down and slept. Walker had his rifle by his side. I wakened up first, slipped over to Walker, took his gun, but just as I raised, I saw 25 bushwhackers approaching through the woods. I quickly laid down the gun and woke up Walker.
“The company of bushwhackers passed on, and Walker and I went directly up to the house, where Bumgarner soon joined us. After supper, Bumgarner again left, saying as he departed if I gave Walker no more trouble than I did last night, he would release me when he came back. That remark made me slightly more uncomfortable than if he hadn’t. Anyhow, I determined if possible to liberate myself that night, for only at night was it safe to attempt to escape.”
“After supper, we all sat in front of the fire, for it was cool that evening. The old man and his wife, sat directly in front of the fire place. Walker to their left and I to their right. Walker had his gun in his hand, and close to him was a bed. I had resolved to make a strike for freedom before 8 o’clock if the slightest opportunity arrived. It was now after 7 o’clock. We talked familiarly. Walker yawned and seemed sleepy. I eyed him carelessly.
“He took off his powder flask and cap box and laid them on the bed. We kept lazily talking on. I kept eyeing the clock. It was nearly 8. Walker arose from his chair, leaned his gun against the bed and started to pace across the room in front of the bed and handy to the gun. We talked on. The old man and woman watched the flickering flame in the fireplace.
“Walker paced to and fro in front of the bed. It was within a minute or so of 8. The ___________________ after all, for when I stuck the gun in his face, the cock, which was hung on a hair trigger, went down with a crack, but the cap failed to go off, and that saved his life. But I had the cap box and another cap on before the excitement was over.”
“He then began to beg me not to kill him; I told him there was no danger — he had treated me well, and all I wanted was for him to pilot me back to my camp. I told him he was to march before me, and if I found he was misleading, I would shoot him, for I would be shot if caught. So I opened the door, bade him march, and followed close behind him into the dark. As we left the door, I glanced back and saw the old man throw up his hands and exclaim. “My God, did you ever see anything like it?”
“It was starlight, and we proceeded through the woods, my prisoner in the lead and myself just behind with my gun at a charge. We talked very little. In an hour or so, after struggling through the dark woods, we struck the pike near a big brick house. Here some hounds set up a bowl, and I knew that this would alarm somebody, so I ordered my prisoner to double-quick it down the pike toward Lewisburg.
“I kept right behind him with my gun ready. Oh my, but we got tired. He begged to rest, but I would not consent. We kept on that run for six miles. Finally, I beheld in the distance, for I was peering ahead all the time, the form of a man on horseback. We slackened up, and as we approached, he called out: “Who comes there?” I replied, “A friend — a Union soldier,” for I thought I recognized his voice.
“I explained that I had a prisoner in charge and that I could not lay down my gun, so he ordered me to hold it high over my head, which I did and approached him. I was elated to find it was Bill Veasy, an old Ironton boy. He showed me where the reserve was, and I went there, where I found Billy St. Clair and Brown Veasy. Then my prisoner guided me to the church in Lewisburg where my company was. They were astonished at my appearance, and greeted me as one from the dead.”
“The next morning, I went to regimental headquarters, where I found Col. Tomlinson and Lieut. Col. Enochs, who laughed heartily at my narrative. But on my way there, I met Dr. Myers, our regimental surgeon, who gave me fits for not shooting the rebel. Afterward, when the Doctor found out that my prisoner was a brother of the __________ girl he was engaged to, he wasn’t half so bloody thirsty.”
“And now, to gather in the threads of this long story, Walker and Bumgarner were in that barn for which we poked about for provisions, but we didn’t happen to poke them up. After the war, Walker was sent to Camp Chase and returned to his home on the Kanawha, where he was killed by a well that caved in on him while he was cleaning it. Bumgarner met a slightly different fate. After the war, he came to Ohio with a horse trader to sell some horses. He murdered his associate, was arrested, tried, and hung at Marietta.”
“And this is all of my story, except that the rifle I took from Walker, which I owe my liberty, is at the Ironton Water Works, in possession of E. Lawton.
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