Wants To Locate A Federal Colonel

Confederate Veteran
Volume 16, Number 12, Page 642
December 1908

C. W. Stone [Charles W. Stone], of Hondo, Tex" makes inquiry of a certain colonel of Federal cavalry who was captured near Cleveland, Tenn., May 9, 1864, by John Haney [John G. Haynie], of Company F, 8th Texas Cavalry, Terry's Texas Rangers. He writes: "The Rangers charged the infantry skirmish line and captured the most of them before they reached their command, which was behind a rail fence. This colonel came down the lane with his regiment in fours with drawn sabers, and when just past the fence, behind which was their infantry, they made a left turn through a gate, coming square on our left. As soon as Haney saw them he said: 'I'm going to have that colonel.' I'll see that you get him,' said 1. So we turned and went at them as fast as we could drive. They about faced, and were going back as fast as they could get through the gate. The colonel wheeled his horse to the side of the column and rode rapidly, Haney gaining on him, however, at every jump of his horse. When he got to the gate, the colonel could not get through because of his men crowding, and just as he had started through Haney was by his side and shot his horse dead. The horse fell just past the gatepost and on the colonel's left leg, so he could not get out. In an instant Haney was over the fence, and when the colonel saw it was a Texas Ranger, you should have heard him begging for his life. Haney would pat him on the face and tell him if he could keep his own men from riding over him he was all right. Then Haney kept shooting at his men as they ran through the gate. I stood with my pistol in my hand and never fired a shot. As soon as the men were all through we pulled the colonel from under his dead horse and lifted him back against the fence, still begging for his life, Haney telling him that he could have killed him more easily than his horse, and that he would have gone to h— in a second for the lies he had told about the Rangers killing prisoners. On that account Haney insisted on Gen. Joe Wheeler's paroling the colonel, so he could refute such stories by telling how he was treated."

Comrade Stone, who was of Company D, 8th Texas Cavalry, explains that he and Haney got far in advance of the others in their determination to capture the colonel.