8TH (BAXTER-SMITH) CAVALRY

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The Lassoed Dutchman

Told by John B. Sewell Co. K

As I had served with the 4th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company K which had been assigned to Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, the author of the book Campaigns of Wheeler and His Cavalry contacted me asking me to share a story about a good time I had during my three years of campaigning with Lieutenant General Joseph General Wheeler. Even though my memory was old and fading I always remembered this one story about a good friend, Charley Howard of the 8th Texas which whom my regiment was brigaded with during the war.

In 1862 during the Kentucky Campaign we were encamped just outside of Munfordville, Kentucky. That is when Charley Howard of the 8th Texas Rangers had the following experience happen to him.

As Company "K" at that time had been assigned to be General Wharton’s Escort I was on sentry duty, when Private Charley Howard rode in with his lone Federal prisoner of war walking with a rope around his neck. The camp was a buzz with the news of a Federal Prisoner of War being brought, in and as it was one of the first times a Federal Soldier had been captured, and it was news that spread like wildfire.

This here is the story of how Charley Howard captured his first Federal prisoner of war with only a rope. While we sat around the campfire having coffee, laced with brandy Charley gave us the full story about what happened to him that morning while foraging for food.

"We all knew Private Charley Howard, of Terry's Texas Rangers of Wheeler's Cavalry, was familiar with the use of a lasso as he was with a revolver, and was an expert with both. In the early part of the war, near Munfordville, Kentucky he was foraging, and riding carelessly along a country road. Suddenly there suddenly up before him a Dutchman, who shouted: "Halt ----surrender, Got Damn" Taken completely by surprise, and with the Dutchman's bayonet at his breast, there was nothing to do but surrender. "Now down on der ground dot gun trow, and dose pesstols trow down too, Got Damn." Down went the carbine and pistols. "Now git you back some." As Charley reined his horse back, and the Dutchman stooped to pick up the weapons, he bethought him of his lasso, and instantly out it spun, settling around the Dutchman's neck. Putting spurs to his horse at the same instant, poor Dutchy was jerked off his feet, and dragged some hundred yards before he realized what had happened to him. Not wishing to strangle his enemy, Charley stopped his horse and gave the Dutchman time to breathe, at which he blurted out " Mein Got Himmel, dot vas no vay to fight mit von tam rope." 'Well, Mr. Dutchy," replied Charley, "You have had your 'lead' it is now my 'deal'." Recovering his arms, and the Dutchman's as well, he drove the latter into camp at the end of a lasso. As this was among the first Federal Prisoners captured nearly as great excitement was created as if an Elephant had been bagged." [page 325]

Private J. [ John] B. Sewell Company K

4^th/8^th Tennessee Cavalry C.S. A.

Epilogue

******Private Silas Henry [ Charles Henry] Howard*******

Companies F, I. D, Wharton’s Scouts

Enlisted in Company "F" of Terry’s Texas Rangers at Houston on September 7, 1861. He later transferred to Company "I" by December of 1861. In April of 1862 he transferred to Company "D". At the Battle of Shiloh which was fought on April 6-7, 1862, he was wounded in the chest and shoulder and furloughed [either to Texas or Virginia] to recover from his wounds. He was returned back to the Regiment sometime in September of 1862. In January of 1863 he was transferred to Wharton’s Scouts, an elite unit of Wheeler’s Cavalry Corps.

In April of 1863 it was reported that he was killed in action near Franklin, Tennessee. From August to October 1863 [a Ranger] wrote home telling his family that Charley Howard was engaged in a "secret scouting mission" and remained detached from his company with the 8^th Texas until February of 1864.

He was captured by Federal forces sometime in January 1865 while his company was operating in Wilson County, Tennessee. After his capture he was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio where he remained for the rest of the war. He was paroled on June 13, 1865 after taking the Oath of Allegiance.*****

_____________________________________________________

******Private John B. Seawell [File card # 1395]*******

Company K "Cedar Snags"

4/8^th Tennessee Regiment of Cavalry C. S. A.

Enlisted as a Private soldier on September 10, 1862 at Lebanon, Tennessee by Captain Paul F. Anderson for three years. On the muster roll from September 10, 1862-January 22, 1863 he was reported absent but on leave for wounds received in December 1862 when he acted as a courier. The next muster roll dated November 1, 1863- April 30, 1864 placed him still on disability, but reported that he was on detached duty as Railroad Engineer for the Confederate Army. On a November 30, 1863 he appeared on a register of payments in which he was paid by Captain J. B. Sharp the sum of $97.20 for back pay for the months of July 1-October 31, 1863. His last entry in his military record states he received an issue of military clothing in November of 1864.

Bibliography

Story written and transcribed by Theodore Urbanski -Researcher 4/8^th Tennessee Regiment of Cavalry C. S. A.

Campaigns of Wheeler and his Cavalry 1862-86 and the Santiago Campaign Cuba 1898

Wheelers Confederate Cavalry Association 1897

Editor W. C. Dodson Historian

Huggins Publishing Company 1899

Reprinted 1997 by E. F. Williams & J. J.. Fox

Memphis, Tennessee & Camden, South Carolina

Military information supplied by Troy Groves on Private Silas Henry [Charles] Howard

http://www.TerrysTexasRangers.org

Military information supplied by Theodore Urbanski on Private John B. Sewell from Microfilm roll # 38 Series 268 National Archives

Tedsuedoghouse@earthlink.net

TJU 6-8-2003

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