Historic Gardens of Virginia 



cealing himself and his prisoner in some cedar thickets and remained 

 there all night, having tied the officer to his arm, lest he should drop 

 off to sleep and his prisoner escape. The next day when the 

 Federal army had passed on, he took him across to Waynesboro 

 and delivered him to the Confederate Army. 



In the meantime the capture had been witnessed by the passing 

 troops and in a few minutes the lawn swarmed with soldiers. A 

 number of them went in hot pursuit of their officer, but in vain. 

 The soldiers said that if it were Colonel Cochran who had taken 

 the prisoner they would burn the house and destroy everything on 

 the place. The frightened women were called out and testified most 

 earnestly that Colonel Cochran was away with the Gray Army, and 

 knew nothing of the capture. No ! The men would not believe 

 them until the family Bible was brought out and all, including the 

 servants, were made to place their hands on it and swear that it was 

 not Colonel Cochran. One stalwart young slave, Grandison Ware, 

 by name — he was a mulatto but looked more like an Indian war- 

 rior — stepped behind his young mistress and whispered low, "Don't 

 you be skeered. Miss Lizzie, I done brung my axe and I'm gwine 

 use it, too, if these Yankees do any harm." And he stood with 

 his axe in his hand until the last blue-coat had disappeared. 



The next morning as John Opie was taking his prisoner to the 

 Confederate camp, he passed by Woodland, an adjoining estate, 

 and seeing the young daughter of the house seated on the porch, 

 he called, "Here, Bettie, take this officer's sword and keep it for 

 me. If I am killed it is yours, but surviving I will return for it 

 when the war is over." Bettie Eskridge took the sword and car- 

 ried it up into the garret; she prized a plank from the floor and 

 put the sword underneath, then carefully nailed the board back in 

 place. There it lay undisturbed until the war was over. Captain 

 Opie returned, got the sword and sent it North, to Captain John- 

 son, the captured officer, who had been on General Crook's staff. 

 The handsome sword was engraved with his name, and "Presented 

 by the Ladies of Philadelphia." 



[332] 



