WASHINGTON, August 1,
1861.
You speak of Grandma's having been much affected by the
account I gave of the bringing home of the body of young McCook by his father
to the house adjoining that in which I live. It is only one of the thousand
horrors, I have been almost an eye witness of, but as this one seems to have
been of peculiar interest to you, I give for Grandma's ear a detail of the
circumstances as given me by one who saw them. Shortly after the main body of
the army was in retreat, a charge was made by the enemy's cavalry upon the
hospital grounds at Elgin's Ford, and those around the well who were procuring
water to carry to the wounded. At this time, Charles McCook, only seventeen
years of age, of Company F, 2d Regiment Ohio Volunteers, the youngest son in
the army of Judge Daniel McCook, was also at the well when his return to his
regiment was cut off by a section of the cavalry. He retreated along a line of
fence and discharged his musket, killing one of the enemy. He then entered an
open field and was attacked by a leader of the troop, who had been attracted to
him by his fatal shot, and commanded to surrender. He replied, "No, never;
never to a rebel." He manfully kept the trooper off with his bayonet, his
gun being empty. The rebel not being able to make him prisoner, took a course
around him and shot him in the back; then approaching the wounded boy, he
cried, "Now, damn you, will you surrender?" He replied, "No,
never, no, no, never." The father of young McCook, who with another
gallant son, Edwin S. McCook, had been busy all day carrying the wounded from
the battlefield to the hospital, discovering the perilous situation of his
brave son, called out, "Young man, surrender." He answered, "No,
never, never." The trooper then began striking him with the flat of his
sword over the shoulders saying at the same time he would pierce him through.
His father seeing that his boy was wounded insisted upon his surrendering as he
had done all that a soldier should do. The noble boy, bleeding, unarmed, and
almost helpless, then surrendered. His father then approached the commander and
asked for the prisoner to place him in the hospital, offering to hold himself
responsible for his safety as a prisoner of war, when the villain replied,
"Damn your responsibility, I know you." After some words, the wounded
prisoner was reluctantly handed over to be taken to the hospital. The trooper
then dashed around the hospital to assist in taking off Lieutenant Wilson, of
the 2d New York Regiment, who was then in the hands of a horseman. This dragoon
was shot by a stray ball as the trooper came up, and Lieutenant Wilson, finding
himself free from his captor, drew his revolver and shot his pursuer in the
neck, killing him instantly.
The above is only one of many instances of individual
bravery and of the bitter, terrible animosity that exists between the opposing
forces. And yet this is only the beginning of what I feel confident will be a
long and bloody war.
Now, my dear wife, I want you to be of good heart. I feel as
if I ought to stay here a little longer and leave no stone unturned in the
procurement of some place of some kind under the government. It is the only
chance in these war times. I am sure you would not be content for me to rest in
peace, supine and idle, while others are gathering laurels and winning fame.
SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of
Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 172-4
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